Kohl's, a retail giant based in Milwaukee, has announced that it will not be sponsoring any events related to the Republican convention.

• Kohl's will not sponsor any events linked to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this July.
• In Milwaukee, Kohl's is among the few large corporations that have chosen not to participate in the convention.
• Wisconsin based Northwestern Mutual and Fiserv are among the companies sponsoring the event.

The Milwaukee-based department store giant has announced that it will not sponsor any events related to the Republican National Convention in that city this summer, where Donald Trump will be officially nominated as the party's presidential candidate.

"A spokeswoman for Kohl's stated that the company is not a political organization, donor, or sponsor of any specific RNC events. Instead, Kohl's supports the business community through the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce."

The convention in Milwaukee is predicted to attract approximately 50,000 attendees from July 15 to 18, with Trump's likely acceptance of his party's nomination on the final evening.

At the same time that Republicans and Democrats are competing for corporate sponsorships for their party conventions, many major companies are avoiding political affiliations.

The top two companies among Wisconsin's largest on the Fortune 500, Northwestern Mutual and Fiserv, are planning to directly sponsor the convention, while ManpowerGroup and Kohl's are not.

The Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee is being supported by ManpowerGroup through donations to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC).

A spokeswoman stated that we did not give funds directly to the RNC but rather MMAC provided funds on our behalf, as they did for the DNC.

On the other hand, Northwestern Mutual is a member of the host committee and its CEO John Schlifske is reportedly assisting in fundraising efforts for the group.

In 2016, Trump won Wisconsin in his first presidential campaign, but he lost the state to Biden in 2020. This November, the state is viewed as a must-win for both Republicans and Democrats.

Over the past ten years, Kohl's has not contributed to either the Republican or Democratic conventions, as per Federal Election Commission records.

In 2002, the company donated $10,000 to the Republican National Committee's state elections committee, with most of the funds going towards GOP state parties, according to FEC records. The late Democratic senator, Herb Kohl, was the president of his family-founded company until the late 1970s.

Notably, Kohl's is absent from the list of Republican convention sponsors, despite organizers' emphasis on the significance of Wisconsin-based companies supporting the event.

The Republican convention aims to raise $70 million, and virtually all of Wisconsin's Fortune 500 companies have pledged financial support, according to Reince Priebus, who is chair of the city's host committee and former Trump chief of staff.

Neither the Republican National Committee nor the Milwaukee host committee responded to requests for comment.

Kohl's has decided not to donate to the convention as part of its strategy to strengthen its position in a competitive market.

Kohl's is attempting to recover and take advantage of its locations in suburban strip malls, particularly as Macy's closes approximately 150 of its stores.

Despite a shrinking customer base and competition from retail giants like Target, Shein, and Amazon, the company has continued to rely on its aging customer base.

Earlier this month, Kohl's stock dropped over 20% after failing to meet Wall Street's earnings and revenue expectations.

Kohl's has been attempting to attract younger customers by introducing more Sephora shops, establishing Babies R Us stores, and increasing its selection of trendy products, including fashionable clothing and a larger home décor department.

CNBC's Melissa Repko contributed to this story.