Why even princes shop at TK Maxx
It’s the cut-price store that looks like a jumble sale — but, as Harry has found, there are incredible designer bargains if you just know where to look ...
AdECAdE ago, executives at TK Maxx were informed that their bid to open a flagship store at London’s famous Piccadilly Circus had been denied. At that point, the discount clothing chain wasn’t deemed ‘ posh’ enough for such a prestigious location.
Five years later, though, TK Maxx secured a prime position on Kensington High street — and now the firm’s executives must be patting themselves on their backs.
For they have really hit marketing gold thanks to pictures of Prince Harry leaving the store with his own bag of cut-price bargains, which included a hoodie, a T-shirt and a mobile phone cover.
And he’s not the only one to give the cheap-as- chips chain the royal seal of approval — Kate Middleton has also been spotted in the Kensington branch, as has Harry’s ex Chelsea davy. Former model Jodie Kidd and actress Tamsin Egerton have scouted for bargains there, too.
On the surface, a TK Maxx store looks a bit like a disorganised jumble sale, but for those in the know, it can be a style mecca.
For the shopper with time, patience and a discerning eye, thousands of designer brands can be found crammed inside.
savvy customers can snap up this season’s styles at up to 60 per cent off the normal retail price, if they know what they are looking for and when to look for it.
The stock is diverse, ranging from old pieces from two to three seasons ago (a lifetime in the fashion world) to up-to-the minute excess stock f r om designer boutiques, from labels such as Chloe, stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. Posher High street f avourites l i ke French Connection, All saints and Reiss can also be picked up at knock-down prices.
TK Maxx also brokers deals to buy up excess f actory stock — which, while including things that simply didn’t sell well in High street or designer stores, also includes gorgeous must-have items in oneoff sizes.
New deliveries arrive at stores around the country every day, with one fifth of the total stock replaced each week.
There are no stock rooms — so what you see is what they’ve got. The daily delivery goes straight out on the shop floor. This is why the smartest shoppers queue patiently outside each morning. And the randomness of what’s delivered is half of the fun of shopping in these chaotic, brightly-lit warehouses.
‘The store managers never know what is coming in until they throw open the doors of the l orry,’ reveals the brand’s press officer Evelyn Morton. ‘We lay our stores out very differently from other brands, organising everything by department, category and size — so a lady looking for a size 14 sundress should go to head for the dress rails and look through the selection of size 14s.’
WHAT
she doesn’t mention i s the fact that in the scrum to find a designer bargain, lots of stock ends up scattered all over the place. You have to be tenacious to be a TK Maxx shopper.
The stores tend to be located in the less salubrious corners of town centres or on retail parks and have relatively spartan interiors, whi l e separate departments all merge into one chaotic whole, and customer service can leave a lot to be desired.
TK Maxx languished near the bottom of a recent Which survey on the best and worst customer service at the UK’s major retail stores. But i t’s the no- f rills experience that helps keep its prices incredibly low.
so how can you make the most of TK Maxx? Turning up for a random rummage really isn’t going to cut it in TK land. First, you have to choose your location wisely.
The stock is tailored to the demographic of the local area — only 24 of the 260 UK stores stock the much- coveted Gold Label line, for example. This includes high-priced designer brands such as Alberta Ferretti, Balenciaga and Calvin Klein. Visit the store’s website ( tkmaxx.com) to find out if a store near you stocks it.
second, be smart about what you buy. stylist magazine’s f ashion di director t Al Alexandra d Fullerton, who is a huge fan, snaps up designer denim l i ke True Religion, 7 for all Mankind and James Jeans for £50 a pair — they cost around £150 in high- end department stores.
sunglasses are also a smart buy as they generally have a large array of different brands — from Police to Prada — at a fraction of their original price.
Childrenswear — and the toys section — can be a gold mine.
Navigate your way past the gaudy fluorescent tutus and logoheavy kidswear and you can pick up stella McCartney Kids, Ralph Lauren and Armani pieces, as well as wooden d toys t f from cult lt b brand d Melissa & doug, for around £10.
The store also stocks niche hardto-find French brands such as Petit Bateau and Antik Batik — and as stock often arrives on its original hangers you can spot these treasures a mile off if you know what you are looking for.
As a TK Maxx devotee, i would advise shoppers to avoid the accessories, shoes and leather goods departments, which all seem to be at the cheaper end of the spectrum and offer f ew designer steals.
But do make a beeline for the beauty department, where luxury shampoos and conditioners are a quarter of the price you’ll pay in any High street shop. The menswear departments have decent offerings, including good sportswear staples from Lacoste and Lyle & scott, and stacks of underwear from Calvin Klein, dKNY, Pringle and Emporio Armani.
But for many shoppers — myself i ncluded — it’s the home department that delivers the bargains you’ll love.
Here, it’s easy to find fabulous named brands and classic design that will give friends the impres- sion you’ve lavished thousands on your home. These pieces don’t date like clothes do, which makes it astonishing to find them so generously discounted.
This week, in an impromptu visit to my local store in Wimbledon, i found crystal wine glasses from dartington, stacks of Le Creuset roasting dishes and denby china — all at half their normal price.
THE
store is great for designer bedlinen too. Not all stores have brilliant homes departments but TK Maxx has 26 separate Homesense stores across the UK, where home- l oving bargain hunters can kit out their homes like an interiors magazine.
But it’s still the womenswear which creates the biggest buzz at TK Maxx.
Amanda Bellan, fashion director at instyle magazine, says she was rewarded for her diligent shopping at TK Maxx recently with coats from Kenzo and Jil sander, both discounted by up to £1,000.
‘You need to shop there regularly to discover the gems as stock changes so quickly,’ she says, adding that the store’s online shop (which also updates with new stock every day) is one way of snapping up a bargain without the slog of shopping in- store — and is also handy if there’s not a Gold Label store near you.
One thing all TK Maxx fans agree on is that you must buy something when you see i t: nothing hangs around for long.
Like sifting for gold, you need time and patience to rummage through the rails, but there are amazing bargains to be found — just ask Prince Harry.