What crst and Mo said. I actually have a soft spot for Ross and they are one of my constant browsing stores. TJ Maxx and Marshalls do tend to have a larger selection of higher end things and usually a more up to date store (with better lighting). They also are higher priced across the board in my area.
At Ross the thing is I treat it a bit like a treasure hunt or thrifting expedition. I'm usually not looking on the regular racks (although I do a quick check of the small 'designer' rack, in case there is anything interesting.) I quickly browse clearance looking for HEWIS, and then quickly run through the shoe, belt, and bag sections. I'm looking for the one or two off items that are higher end mixed among the regular merchandise. Sometimes they have issues, so checking carefully just as I would for a thrifted item is a habit.
But a lot of what I've found there have become workhorses: J Brand boyfriend jeans for 29$, Converse in unusual colors for 24$ (right now they have a bunch of slip on sneakers for 13$), Earthies mary janes for 19$, a lazer cut black lace skirt for 5$, a BCBG poncho/sweater for 6.50$, a CK navy wrap dress for 7.50$, Fossil bags for 89-50$.
It's true that the quality of some of the stocked items on the regular racks can be poor, but it's usually pretty easy to assess that on the rack, and the price is commensurate. I have a tee that I love the unusual pattern of, but I'm not sure how many washes it will survive in total. It was 2.50$ though, so I've just been trying to baby it and so far it's doing fine.
ETA: I'm really not put off by the jumble of 'well-loved' stores. They attract a lot of shoppers, it happens. The most hard to visually parse, cluttered, and mixed up retail section I regularly visit is the shoe section of Nordstrom Rack, but that's because there lies awesome bargains, and people know it.