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Original poster

TK Maxx - I bloody love it!

202 replies

FlatOnTheHill · 04/01/2016 11:18

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?

OP posts:
NotNowBono · 04/01/2016 22:34

I'm drawn like a moth to a flame by the cosmetics section, but I think you have to be wary that sometimes the reason stuff's in there is because it's very, very old stock. I keep seeing Urban Retreat products that I think were discontinued several years ago.

whirlybird42 · 04/01/2016 22:40

I have the gift. Currently wearing some lovely 7 for all mankind grey straight leg jeans that were £20 (genuine rrp nearly £200). A lot of my wardrobe comes from there including lots of cashmere jumpers. I buy most of my shampoo in there and nail polish.

Our local one is fab, tonnes of north face jackets, quba sails tops and becks sondergard star scarves that I'm trying to resist.

Amazing for bedding and towels too. Smile

fusionconfusion · 04/01/2016 22:41

Surely it's not that they're knock offs if quality poor but just seconds eg products from the manufacturers that didn't pass quality control or prototypes?

I love the toy section and kids' books. I particularly love Brio and Thomas Wooden Railway when it shows up. Have had some great Playmobil bits too and all the Melissa and Doug stamps. The books have been the best though. Have had scores on scores of wonderful books from there.

Geraniumred · 04/01/2016 22:49

I like it and we often do our Christmas shopping there or in Homesense. I love the notebooks and other stationery. My dd likes the shoes and they often have good teas and chocolate.

imwithspud · 04/01/2016 22:56

It's okay, I like going there to look at the shoes, homeware, kids clothes and toys etc.

I find it much easier to go there without children. They don't do trolleys in our one and it can be a bit of a task manoeuvring a pushchair and keeping a 3yo under control whilst trying to browse so I don't often go there at the moment.

trixymalixy · 04/01/2016 22:58

I think if tkmaxx were selling knock offs then trading standards would be all over them. They will have been seconds or samples.

PlummyBrummy · 04/01/2016 23:13

I once got a gorgeous cream Versace pencil skirt and some JPG tops as well as 7FAM jeans years ago - you wouldn't find that kind of stuff today but I still go in for gym gear and hair stuff. Also kitchenware can be excellent.

BabyGanoush · 04/01/2016 23:23

Ok Salem, we can take it Grin

I stopped buying cosmetics there as there is no shop floor staff and last time I saw a swarm of teenage girls opening and testing ever single pot/jar, trying out the varnishes, sticking their fingers in creams, taking the lids of every single thing and using it. Buying nothing

So you can't really buy most of their cosmetics, nothing is sealed.

Kittypawpuff · 04/01/2016 23:35

i agree with some others, its a jumble sale.
I went in there and it was hard to find anything they could at least sort everything into the correct sizes together on one rail

Catsize · 04/01/2016 23:55

salem, you need to put me off, for the sake of my credit card...

MaisyMooMoo · 05/01/2016 00:02

I find the clothes bit messy so tend to avoid. I love the home section though. We're lucky to have their other store close by 'Homesense', I could spend a fortune in there.

MaisyMooMoo · 05/01/2016 00:04

Spill salem, I need to know what goes on!

Eliza22 · 05/01/2016 07:33

I did once buy some Falke tights. They were a good price (I wouldn't usually buy expensive tights) but... It took me a while to work out what was wrong with them. The ankle was on the wrong way round. Seriously, there were two seams at the back but no matter how I twisted them, the ankle seam was always on the top of my foot!

Effendi · 05/01/2016 07:37

Like a jumble sale. No order to anything. Never, ever have I bought from there though I have tried many times. Over rated.

ginorwine · 05/01/2016 08:36

Tierd
I feel the same !
I am lost and confused in rk as I can't sort the tat from the fab !!!!! Eek !!!!!

HPsauciness · 05/01/2016 09:16

bestZebbie are you sure all those bags are not pleather? It can be realistic looking. Honestly, I will die of shock if you can't find a genuine pleather bag in TKMax!

VulcanWoman · 05/01/2016 10:05

Come on Salem you can't leave us hanging now.

OnlyLovers · 05/01/2016 10:22

I'm very jealous of the TKM with loos and a cafe. Some shoppers have all the luck.

If my branch had a cafe and a loo I'd never leave. Grin

HellonHeels · 05/01/2016 10:44

Interested to see the comments on Osprey bags. My one always has Osprey bags but they don't look right. I wondered if they were fakes or just a job lot of stuff made specifically for TKMaxx.

However I did get a lovely Cross bag there last year which definitely isn't a fake - great quality. I don't like bags that scream designer name and this one is subtle :-)

I really want to hear Salem's stories of behind the scenes. Was it like Sports Direct is reported to be now?

ChatShitGetBanged · 05/01/2016 11:39

there is LOADS of shit in there

but you do get the odd absolute bargain. a few months ago I got an electric blue leather Michael kors "Selma" satchel from there half price and is bloody lovely and my mate got a leopard print one for the same price

(I know some people on here think mk is tacky but I like it Blush )

their food is nice too, and their home ware

ChatShitGetBanged · 05/01/2016 11:47

oh and I got beautiful silver leather miss sixty boots for my toddler, reduced from 60 quid to 12 quid, and Michael kors ballet slippers for my six year old, for 16 quid down from 50 I think

Frostycake · 05/01/2016 11:49

I only have experience of the branches at Cheadle Hulme, Stoke and Stafford and all are dire (last visited over a year ago). Online isn't much better. The brands are poor (very blinged-up with big logos). Women's wear is poor compared to menswear with lots of obviously 'made for TKMAXX' stuff masquerading as 'designer.'

I went to the one in the Birmingham shopping centre once and that seemed better and I've heard good things about the one in Warrington too but can't be bothered to go further afield. Some of the beauty products are good though (if nearly out of date) but the home wares is clearly old Next or Debenhams stuff.

TheFlyingFauxPas · 05/01/2016 12:27

YY to Penhaligons perfume. My mother and I were delighted to find Quercus and that's so posh we'd only read about it in Jilly Cooper Grin

MrsHathaway · 05/01/2016 12:27

DH likes a particular brand of socks (Penguin) which we can only justify buying in T K Maxx.

I also quite like it in December where you can walk in and tick off "leather gloves for MIL, scarf for GMIL, wool jumper for DF, cheese knives for BIL" in half an hour.

I don't think I have the Gift but I know what I'm doing.

MrsHathaway · 05/01/2016 12:28

Frosty have you tried Runcorn? It's helpfully the same car park as Aldi.

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