TK Maxx

[winkywinkola]

What the hell has happened to TK Maxx?

It used to be great. Full of wonderful fashion.

In the last year, it's just tat. And prices have gone up.

Sorely disappointed!

I love TK Maxx - maybe the branches differ tho? Their homeware is fab - they have lovely smelly candles and kitchen stuff.

If I'm looking for a particular thing clothing/shoes etc I tend to use their website rather than look in store as the choice tends to be better.

I work in London and still pick up some great bits from the one in the City, near Bank

Hold the phone, Kew closed in 2012?!?! Blimey. I missed that.

I'm more aware of cosmetics/skincare brands than clothes and have noticed there's often stock that must be several years old because it's no longer in production, or the brand has folded - it makes me somewhat wary of buying products with active ingredients that I know are still in production because there's no way of knowing how old the stock is.

Also the scented candles can be very hit or miss - there's always at least one person googling on the phone by the candle section whenever I go it, trying to work out whether the flashy packaging is an actual US brand you've never heard of, or one of those craptacular Made-Up-By-TKMaxx lines.

What are the tkmaxx own brand lines for clothes? I thought all of their stuff was bought in

I go for candles, neom and this works and also toiletries. The bags are ok as well, worth a rummage. I do wish the clothing wasn't so much like a jumble sale though, don't have the patience for it but I'm sure I'm missing out on some gems going by what pps have found!

I did wonder if TKMaxx had bought up the Kew brand. Some of their own brands are arabella addison, maison 500, I can't think of any others off the top of my head tbh. If you look at the fabric care label, the own brands say TJX somewhere. Of course just because it's own brand doesn't mean it's poor quality.

Didn't TKMaxx also take over the Edina Ronay and Paul Costello labels after the main shops closed?

There is more own brand but it's still an absolute bargain if you find what you want. I don't go anywhere else for kitchen stuff.

I thought a lot of brands made stuff specifically for tkmaxx, so a bag from tkmaxx wont necessarily be the same quality/styles that you would get from that brand's own store.

notmenono me too - I've got a beautiful Nordicware bundt tin, and loads of biscuit trays, cutters, Wilton icing equipment, etc, all for well under half price. The kitchenware section is reliably strong in every store, unlike the clothes/beauty (woeful out here in the country, compared with more urban areas).

I was in this afternoon and there was loads of Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren. You need time and stamina but I think it's worth it.

Iove TKmaxx , though you do have to look for the good stuff
Best buys have been :
A Fossil leather handbag ( which was my best bag ever, now sadly worn out)
an Osprey leather tote bag ( was several years ago now - i admit their Osprey stuff now doesnt seem so good) ) I use this every day for work
A North Face down gilet (half the price of exactly the same one selling in my local Blacks at the same time

Recently bought:
Ecco trainers and a pair of burgundy Ecco boots
A grey cashmere wrap and two grey cashmere throws ( Italian makes - beautifully soft )
black cashmere jumper
Cowshed room diffusers and other Cowshed stuff
Also two pairs of their 'Dwear' thick black leggings/ treggings which I swear are the best ever!

oh and (lots of) Willies Cacao chocolate ( which I must stop doing) its so lush

These days I just assume everything in my store is either their own brand or a specially made designer diffusion line. Some of it's still nice - I used to really like the Amphora stretchy cotton pencil skirts. But the charade pisses me off and I think it'll backfire on them eventually.

I rarely find any good clothes in there but the homeward and cosmetics are still worth a look. I found some Yankee candles for half retail price at Christmas. I also buy Essie and OPI nail polishes and I've recently bought some Too Faced palettes in there as well It is hit and miss but worth a rummage if you have time.

I treat it like a charity shop, in that you can get lucky, but you have to rummage!

Glorified jumble sale!

But it does have great running gear!

I haven't looked at the clothes in our local one as I've always got DS with me but I did pick up some Ralph Lauren napkins which are beautiful!

Katy it's the Kingston one. Putney also good.

They're good for sportswear I find, and I got a great random Nerf gun for DS for Xmas very heavily reduced.

I got a pair of gorgeous Vera Wang sunglasses from TK Maxx for £3 last month. I will therefore not hear a word against it :-)

Yes, the sunnies and frames are great. I love my Jil Sander and Versace sunglasses, and I've never had so many compliments about anything as I have about my Stella McCartney reading glasses

i usually hit it for the makeup, some wonderful bargains if you can brave the stench of women marinating themselves in their own perfume who also browse.

It can be hit or miss, but I've got some great bargains over the years. Especially love Paul Costello handbags & have got some good skincare products.