When Kohl’s Corp. on Monday announced it was getting a new chief executive next year, investors got suspicious. On Tuesday, the department-store chain confirmed those suspicions, reporting results that missed expectations and sending shares sharply lower.

But Kohl’s outgoing CEO Tom Kingsbury had no trouble this week owning up to mistakes that led to a steep drop in the retailer’s quarterly sales. Kohl’s scaled back popular private-label brands, fine jewelry and petite clothing sizes—moves that turned off shoppers and contributed to a 9.

Photo: Kohl’s surprise CEO departure announcement a day before its quarterly results will play on the minds of investors, who were looking out for a positive forecast from the struggling department store chain ahead of the key holiday shopping season.

Kohl's surprise CEO departure announcement a day before its quarterly results will play on the minds of investors, who were looking out for a positive forecast from the struggling department store chain ahead of the key holiday shopping season.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Kohl's stock is plummeting 17% in premarket trading after it reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter earnings Tuesday, the day after it announced that CEO Tom Kingsbury would stepping down after less than two years running the struggling retailer.