TJ Maxx is hitting Macy's and Nordstrom where it hurts

Flickr/Natalie Litz

TJ Maxx's sales are soaring.

The company recently reported earnings, and comparable sales increased by 7%. The company's growing sales are confirmation that American retail as we know it is undergoing a seismic shift, and that consumers no longer want to shop at full-price department stores.

"In our view, TJX’s appeal is down to three main factors," Neil Saunders, CEO of consulting firm Conlumino, wrote in a note to clients. Here's what those three factors are:

• "Consumers believe it delivers great value for money, especially in terms of the branded products it sells. This encourages spending, even when consumers are feeling a little more constrained," he wrote.
• "The constantly changing assortment, the excitement of finding a bargain, and the sense of urgency associated with having to secure a product before it is sold out, all give consumers a reason to regularly visit shops. This is something that is simply not true of other retailers where 'samey' ranges discourage visiting; it also helps TJX defend its physical business against the rise of players like Amazon." Make no mistake — Amazon is a huge threat to traditional retailers.
• "TJX’s execution both in store and in terms of marketing is on-point and helps to create a strong connection to the various brands."

All of this should be incredibly troubling to department stores, particularly as core American stores, like Nordstrom and Macy's suffer and try to salvage sales.

Both Nordstrom and Macy's have been trying to appeal to shoppers with their off-price segments, Rack and Backstage, respectively. (Nordstrom in particular wants to use its Rack store as a gateway to its full-line store).

But Saunders says that TJ Maxx is inhibiting these brands from succeeding at fully developing their off-price business. 

"In our view, TJX is one of the reasons that US department stores cannot succeed at the discount game," he wrote. "Although often crowded with stock, its shops are better presented than the full-price sections of some department stores, let alone their discount areas. Moreover, its products are genuine bargains which have been carefully found and selected with the customer in mind – rather than being a mish-mash of unpopular and unwanted apparel lines which constitute the tragic clearance sections of players like Macy’s and Sears."

Further, as department stores inadvertently erode their own levels of prestige and luxury by expanding their off-price segments, TJ Maxx is helping to twist the knife, making it even harder for them to succeed.

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