I’m not ashamed to admit that T.J. Maxx is one of my favorite stores and that I shop there far too much. Odds are you’ve shopped there before as well, but what would you say if I told you that you were probably making some mistakes? Seems silly that you could be shopping at a place like T.J. Maxx wrong, right?
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot, including additional ways to save money beyond just the marked down prices. Beyond that, there are some things that you should never be doing when you go to T.J. Maxx stores, and some of them are not so obvious. Everyone’s shopping behaviors are different, and that’s fine, but some of these tips will help make sure that your experience within each T.J. Maxx store is better and that you find the best deals.
It’s important that you know the inner workings of each store you visit. Did you know that you can shop for some stuff at Costco without a membership? Or that Amazon has a coupon page that can save you big all year round? See, there’s a lot to know, so let’s break this down.
Don’t assume something will be there again the next time
I’ve been burned by this one so many times that it still haunts me. Because of the way that T.J. Maxx acquires its inventory, there’s no guarantee that the same items will be restocked at the same store. That often means that what’s on the shelf is what the store has in stock, and once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
If you’re on the fence about the purchase for any reason, you’re better off to buy it and return it if it doesn’t work out. T.J. Maxx offers a 30-day return policy (with a receipt) for a full refund to your original payment method.
The end caps have hidden treasures
T.J. Maxx stores tend to be a bit of an organized chaos situation. While most things are where you’d expect them to be, there are other places you should also be looking for great deals. Most stores have end cap displays set up where they put various clearance and markdown items, even if they aren’t directly associated with the aisles around them.
End caps are one of the first places that I look when shopping at T.J. Maxx because you never really know what kind of goodies you are going to find or what kind of discounts they’ll hold. Sometimes they are full of clearance items from the previous season, sometimes it’s slightly damaged goods and sometimes it’s just stuff that you didn’t know you needed. Trust me, you want to look through it.
TJ Maxx logo on a shopping cart
Getty Images/ Smith Collection/Gado / Contributor
Leave the cart at the front of the store
For most shoppers, it’s habit to grab a cart when you enter a store but at T.J. Maxx I find this counter productive. The store locations tend to be decently sized, but the way they are laid out often makes for small aisles and pushing a cart around could make it harder for you to look at things and find the best deals. Without a cart, you’re able to walk through the aisles, look at the clothes and move around the store in general much easier, and we all know you need to be able to see everything at T.J. Maxx to ensure you aren’t missing out on anything.
Once you’ve picked up a few things or done your first trip around the store, then grab a cart if you need it for a larger item.
Shopping tips can help save you, both time and money. Did you know that you can make Amazon returns at Kohl’s? Trader Joe’s offers a lot of great options, and we’ve rounded up all of our favorites.
