Small investors piled into Kohl's Tuesday and sent shares flying upwards as the department store retailer became the latest business caught up in a stock market frenzy.

Kohl's has faced tepid sales growth as it struggles to attract budget-conscious shoppers still hurting from elevated inflation. In May the retail chain, which has roughly 1,100 stores around the U.S., reported a fiscal first-quarter loss of $15 million and that net sales fell more than 4% from the year-ago period.

During the company's most recent quarterly call with investors and analysts, Kohl's reported a 4.1% sales decrease, continuing a streak of quarterly sales decreases that has started more than two years ago. The company is also expecting a net sales decrease between 5% and 7%.