TK Maxx - I bloody love it!

[FlatOnTheHill]

Im new so sorry if this has been done before.
Am I the only one that loves this shop?
All of my girlfriends and women work colleagues hate it.
I can spot quality a mile off. And whilst some stuff is not all that I have bought some lovely things in there. Clothes, shoes, home, even Penhaligons perfume, Christy towels, a Chloe coat, Coach shoes down to 40 quid from £145.
The bags I think have gone downhill. I hate labels that show by the way. But I can spend hours in there, luckily the Lakeside Essex branch has a loo and cafe. Do you love it or loathe it?

I can't deal with the chaos of the clothes racks but I have a secret weapon in DP, who seems to have some kind of magical ability to find things that will suit me in amongst the mess. So what usually happens is I stand there looking stressed out considering escaping to the cookware upstairs to buy more baking trays I don't need, he yanks five things from the racks and I go and try them on. I'm normally honestly perfectly capable of shopping for myself but TKMaxx just shortcircuits my brain, so I'm happy to rely on DP's good taste in there.

We have a TKMaxx and a Homesense , I love the HS, the way they arrange things, there might be 2-3 of an item but they set them out to look exclusive not sad and leftover.

I've been in TKMaxx to look at bags (nothing I wanted)
DD has bought boots there, like the way everything is arranged by size .

But the RRP £147 , TKMaxx price £87 in what Universe ??, especially when it's something I know the RRP of (I know legally it has to be offered at the higher price for a given time. But that might be their Outer Hebrides store.

Oooo me too OP ! I love it and ask for ( and get ) vouchers for Christmas from the PIL to spend in there. Coats, shoes, got a fab purse recently. Also I like the homewares, you have to go upstairs but I got some lovely Jamie Oliver wine glasses last year. Bargainous finds.

OnlyLovers - I also got some Manuka yoga pants there , but for sitting on the sofa not for doing yoga. They fit me perfectly but I had to take them back because when I tried them on at home the waistband was digging in, close inspection showed the elastic was a very thin hard cord. I had tried them on in-store and not noticed. They refunded the two pairs I had bought. They were purple and gorgeous so it was a shame.

I don't mind spending 1-2 hours in there. Enjoyable.

I'm a huge tk fan! Love it for candles and nice soaps, toys and baby clothes. Have picked up some great clothes their over the years that are super quality.

Dp likes it for the tk own brand frederik Andersen.

That's a pity, Stephanies! I've several pairs of Manuka leggings and trousers and they're all fine. One waistband has sort of twisted up so it doesn't lie flat any more, but that's over quite a few years.

Tiredbut 'You have the gift....it's like gaydar but for t k maxx.

Really made me laugh, in recognition.

I know someone who loved a good sesh in TK Maxx, I'm scratching my head at what she can see that I can't.

Home, sports and children's toys and books are great. Get loads of presents from there - and can happily spend an hour plus nosing about.

Clothes; I don't go near. Like a jumble sale and I can't spot anything / too lazy to look through all the racks

A few years ago, you could get some real bargains on (proper) designer labels, but now most of it is the fake/tat labels that TK Max will have you believe are real designer labels.

In the past I have found some real jems from Armani, CP Company and DKNY, but most clothes are now just crap labels that TK Max have made up themselves.

I find it a really difficult place to shop. Most are like jumble sales, with crumpled clothes. Some of the homewear is not bad though.

It is bood for a rummage and okay if you have nothing specific in mind.

It is good for small pressies but I dislike having to scratch to find clothing.

I like TK Maxx but I normally hate shopping. I like things racked on size and I never care what they were sold for previously nor whether they are designer labels I just decide if they'd fit and whether I like them. I've found great cotton shirts which last for years - I'm no fashionista I buy stuff that suits me and then wear it until it falls apart.
We bought a great set of hard shell suitcases for next to nothing more than ten years ago. I've never seen them anywhere else and they are still going strong and they are always easy to find in the airport and people keep on complimenting us on them and asking where we bought them.
I also buy nail varnish there and got some amazing pasta. It is like an Aladdin's cave and I love the randomness of it.
I never spend more than an hour there and sometimes I come out empty handed but I've never had a bad purchase - everything is always top quality and hard-wearing or (if food) delicious.

I live in a city and ours really is just full of utter shite.

It's a dreadful jumble sale, and even after an hour of searching you would be lucky to find anything that has a proper designer label.

It must be nice for people whose branches actually have good quality clothes in them but mine certainly doesn't None of my friends have ever found anything decent in there either so it's not just me!

Oh, yes! Luggage. All my luggage has been from TK Maxx in the last few years. Nice matching DvF, even a Lulu Guinness wheelie carry on.

There's a big difference between London branches and more countryside-y ones. You don't get as many big name labels out here in the sticks (because we simple country folk wouldn't recognise 'em, see yes, you too, M&S, with your elasticated slacks'n'velcro shoe selection) but the stock tends to look less rummaged-through - I never find anything decent in the big Clapham Junction branch, and the shop feels like it's been ransacked by people reselling on eBay.

I LOVE tk maxx! I could easily spend a whole day in there and take a packed lunch. I've had some real bargains - Hatley rain coats and fleeces for the kids -£8 each recently. Bought some gorgeous Xmas secs in there at a bargain price. I have to restrain myself from there unless I've got a decent amount of money though.

I really like TK Maxx. I'm not fussed about brands, I just like what I like! I have had some good finds in there though:
Rayban sunglasses for £25 (TK Maxx put them in a Burberry glasses case, for some reason. I sold it on ebay for £12!)
Calvin Klein jeans for about £15
Calvin Klein dress for £14
Doc Marten boots for £38
And my all time favourite treasure, an amazing Valentino cocktail dress with a (genuine, I checked) RRP of around £350, knocked down to £45 because it was slightly shop soiled.

Bought a musto sailing coat. I know they're £350. Ok so it was 'last season' but I paid £45 for it

Great if you actually did need one!

The one near us has got kids clothes now. I got DS a gorgeous winter coat for less than £40 and it is current stock going for £150 on the designers website. [Very smug]

I like the online shop. For boots and perfume occasionally. The physical shop is horrible.

I love TK Maxx, I can be in and out with ruthless efficiency if I have something specific in mind, or lose a couple of hours, depends what mood I'm in. I totally disagree with the "mugs and losers" comment - I have found things in there that I have seen and touched and coveted at full price in "real shops". Things like OPI and Illamasqua nail polishes at £3.99 instead of £12.50 and £14.50, these Hudson boots for £50, Miller Harris perfume for £25, This Works candle for £12, etc. Falke tights are in at the moment and are a steal at £7.99 rather than the £30 at John Lewis. In fact I have seen identical items in the French Connection outlet store and at TKM, but it was cheaper in TKM!

If you want to avoid buying their own brands, look at the fabric care label because it usually says TJX or something similar if it is. Agree it can take time to find the treasure but that's part of the fun surely

I believe that QVC, Asos and House of Fraser all send excess stock there, and some comes from overseas. You probably could find a lot of it online for similar price, part of the attraction of TK Maxx though is that it's all in one physical place.

Blimey that turned into an essay.

The Corby one is lovely. I'm not a huge fan of the Leicester one BUT a couple of months ago I bought a Dune leather bag (£30, I'd been admiring it in John Lewis last spring when it was £85), an Osprey leather purse for £20 (I know how much Osprey usually costs) and some leather Michael Kors boots for £80 - I looked them up, they would have been nearly £600!

I walked out with three designer pieces for £130. It happens rarely, but it does happen. Most of the time I just browse. Although two years ago I got a stunning Ghost dove grey silk evening gown for £30 from the clearance section. It fits me like a glove, and I love it :)

I have some of their decorative storage boxes, I think they're lovely.

I haven't the energy to rummage through the clothes though.

I like a bargain and am ace at whizzing through a charity shop to find treasures. But I don't like T K Maxx. I go in full of hope and find nothing. I haven't bought clothing there for ages. I used to find shoes but those have dried up too.
They keep up the pretence of 'designer goods at knockdown prices' but the quality goods aren't there any more (unless you are super small or super big).

Don't like the clothes in my one, but I buy professional hair products there and they make a real difference.

Some stuff is reasonable. Love the homewares. The children's clothes are awful and never in order. I always leave plenty of time for rummaging.