Been wanting to get that Louis Vuitton or Gucci bag, but worried about the stiff price tag? Hoping to get a good deal? Worry no more. TK Maxx is here. This famous UK retailer of high-end brands opened the doors of its Chermside branch at 725 Webster Road in late April. During the opening, 1,000 lucky early shoppers received special gift bags.
The Chermside opening is one of the latest in a flurry of store openings as TK Maxx officially launched its Australia operations last month. As of this writing, all of the outlets in the country are officially open.
Treasure Hunt Shopping at its Finest
TK Maxx is known for the treasure hunt shopping experience where shoppers strive to look for and declare dibs on purchasing limited products of high-end brands for around half of its original price. Shoppers find this “Big Brands, Small Prices” approach irresistible.
Although men’s and women’s apparel, designer bags, shoes, and kids’ apparel are what the store is famous for, there are also sections for housewares, accessories, cosmetics and beauty products, and toys.
TK Maxx buys its products all-year-round, unlike other retailers that buy stocks only during peak season. Every store has unique items that you aren’t likely to find at another store, or even the same location, once it runs out. Like at any other TK Maxx store, you can expect the “thrill of the find” experience in the Chermside store.
“Because of the way we buy, we have several deliveries per week with thousands of new products hitting shop floors. This means that no two stores are the same, and with new products arriving regularly there will always be something new & fresh for shoppers to discover on a visit to our stores,” Tessa Buenen, TJX spokesperson, said in an interview with Inside Retail Australia.
Buenen also added that their departments are well-coordinated so they can easily adapt to the newest trends without major disruptions in merchandising and display. Everything is new. There are stocks of designer bags and shoes, and kids’, men’s, and women’s apparel that are constantly being updated.
“We … merchandise by size to make it easy for customers to shop – so for example, if a customer is looking for a dress and they’re a size 10, you’ll find all the size 10 dresses in one rack together. It makes it really easy to shop with us,” Buenen said.
TJ Maxx-TK Maxx, What’s the diff’?
In 1976, a company called TJ Maxx was founded by Bernard Cammarata in Massachusetts under the nameplate Zayre. It was later renamed as TJX Companies, Incorporated, when Zayre sold its nameplate to its rival discount store.
As the store continuously spread to Europe in 1994, the name TJ Maxx was changed to TK Maxx to avoid confusion with the British brand TJ Hughes. In the US, the stores are all still called TJ Maxx. Elsewhere in the world, the retailer operates under the TK Maxx brand.
For its Australia expansion, TK Maxx has taken over 35 former Trade Secret locations all across the country. The Trade Secret chain was sold to TJX, the parent company of TK Maxx of UK and TJ Maxx of US, for $80 million back in 2015. Eight of the new TK Maxx stores are located in Brisbane, in Alexandra Hills, Browns Plains, Fortitude Valley, Macgregor, Morayfield, Oxley, and Ipswich.
TK Maxx Shopping 101
There’s one rule that everyone should follow when shopping at TK Maxx, “If you love it, grab it!” You never know if the item that caught your eye will still be there when you come back.
Here are some useful tips shared by Courtney Smith, an international fashion stylist, on how to effectively shop in a TK Maxx store.
Prepare your pocketbooks, drop in on the Webster Road store, and be pleasantly surprised at the deals you can get, just like these satisfied customers.
“… love TKMaxx here, also great for good haircare.” — Joanne John
“… another reason to come home” — Tory Tanner
TK Maxx. “Big Brands, Small Prices? Yes way!”