The Budget Babe

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As I mentioned earlier, TJ Maxx invited a bunch of fashion bloggers from around the country to their headquarters in Framingham, MA, for a behind-the-scenes look at how their business really operates. It was an awesome experience. My brain is overflowing with facts and information right now, so I'll just dive right in and share some of the key things that I learned.

First, I should preface this report by saying that I've been a long-time fan and loyal customer of both TJ Maxx and Marshalls. I never quite knew how they managed to sell brand names at reduced prices, but my assumption was always that they bought overstock, irregular merchandise, and probably did some other wheeling 'n' dealing that would simply never become transparent to me, the customer. Some stores seemed better than others; some days you got lucky, other days you'd leave frustrated and empty handed. Sometimes you'd find a deal on something you loved or needed; other time you'd find sub-par styles at practically full price (or at least, stuff that just wasn't a good deal. For us budget babes, a $200 blouse that's marked down to $80 still isn't a bargain.)

So yeah, that's kinda where I stood with regards to TJ Maxx and Marshall's prior to the blogger event, and I gotta say, not much has changed. However, I did learn some new and interesting facts so read on (more photos from the event, too!)...

[Above: Stacy (Mom Central) and Nichelle (55 Secret Street) browse TJX holiday merchandise]

Continue reading "The Truth about TJ Maxx" »