Around here, I have to say that TJMaxx and Marshalls can be good for some wild card finds from time to time, but I have to be in the right mood to go in. I usually go for something specific (most recently picture frames and hand weights) and then do a quick look around. Ross here is awful, and Burlington not much better.

The Nordstrom Rack near me has slipped quite a bit recently -- not so much name brand designers, and a lot more mediocre fabrication and styles that feel not quite so fresh. I have however found a few wild card treasures at Last Call.

I like a lot of the aesthetic of Zara, but so few of their items fit me well that i can't get my hopes up when I see something of theirs that I like. Pants are totally hopeless. Even jackets never seem to work. I haven't seen anything interesting in Old Navy or Gap (except my bootcut jeans) in years.

I am a huge Winner's, TJMaxx, Marshall's fan and like to start my capsules there - mixing high end with low budget. You have to be willing to try on 20 items to find 3 that are '10's' but this is the kind of shopping challenge I enjoy.

Early this winter i picked up a Calvin Klein pea coat in a wool cashmere blend -and I have been wearing the heck out of it. That same shopping trip I scored a Longchamps Neo at less than half what it sells in retail stores. I could not find a flaw, and I have used it steady for the past 6 months. This month I picked up a crisp white button down (RL), a cool mixed media hoodie (Men's dept.) and some fab new Bali bras My tall boots (Franco Sarto) and high shaft ankle boots (Ralph Lauren) came from Marshall's, as did my pointy toe black low wedge Tahari shoes. All are leather. All are going into there 3rd year of steady wear.

Outfits below almost all from Winner's/Marshall's finds - exceptions are shoes in #2' jeans and hat in #3.

This is so interesting. The original description of turnover and hunting describe my love of thrifting well, but I have never especially enjoyed the TJMaxx, Rack, etc. experience. First of all the prices are still high compared to second hand and the selection is still falls in a pretty predictable range. At a true thrift store there are a few diamonds and many duds; at discount stores there are a lot of what falls in between. Once I am going to be spending a fair amount of money I prefer shopping retail where I can get what I want. Zara is probably my favorite retail store though, because the turnover is high and highly responsive. And perhaps I have a Spanish build all things considered.

Carla - I LOVE those outfits! Where have I been?

I like Marshals and TJ Maxx but the Ross we have here is a messy disaster so I never go. I quite like the hunt but if I am looking for something specific I go to department store or order from a store on line.

I rarely have clothing success at TJ Maxx or Marshalls, but usually can find household goods. I bought two white Ralph Lauren hand towels on clearance for $3 each last night, a new shower curtain for the kids' bathroom and a candle. I usually find great wrapping paper there, too. I also recently got my teenager some Lucky Brand and Nautica pajama pants.

But yeah, clothing-wise, I don't have a lot of luck, although I still look. I tried on a James Perse army green anorak last night that was marked down to $129. The prices are usually really great, I'll say that.

Not a real life hunter.

My friend Pam is a huge shopper and loves TJMax, Marshalls, and all of those stores. She is extremely adept at scouring their racks and she loves the hunt. She has a keen sense of her own style and her finds are astonishing. But if I walk into any of those stores I collapse in about 5 minutes.

It's too much, too disorganized, too random. I'm getting anxious just thinking about it.

It's funny, because I do enjoy hunting on line A LOT. For me, it's the physical chaos of those places that makes me crazy.

Come to Seattle and shop Zara with us, rabbit.

'The original description of turnover and hunting describe my love of thrifting well, but I have never especially enjoyed the TJMaxx, Rack, etc. experience. First of all the prices are still high compared to second hand and the selection is still falls in a pretty predictable range. At a true thrift store there are a few diamonds and many duds; at discount stores there are a lot of what falls in between. Once I am going to be spending a fair amount of money I prefer shopping retail where I can get what I want."

Shevia, this is my thinking precisely! I'm a die-hard thrifter, but TJMaxx, Rack, etc are hard for me to shop. Still feels too expensive for what's on offer, since most of it strikes me as "there for a reason" so to speak.

When I was a child, pretty much the only places my mother took me clothes shopping were the local thrift store and the TJMaxx half an hour away; and sometimes JCPenney which always seemed to run endless sales which put everything in TJ's price range. I definitely learned how to "hunt" early and that probably informs my shopping habits.

Side note: Until recently, I was a die-hard Sierra Trading Post shopper (mainly for outdoor gear and housewares). Since their acquisition by TJMaxx, I've noticed a marked decline in the quality of customer service when it comes to answering questions, processing returns, etc. Maybe it's typical fallout from the complexities of the merger and will resolve over time, but for now I'm staying away.

I have come to the realization that I really don't like to shop and I burn out very quickly. So I normally don't like to bargain hunt because I don't like the time investment. I like to walk into a store, see very clearly the merchandise available and be reasonably assured they will have my size. Now this has become so much more the case since I've had small children. Maybe once they are older and I have a little more "me" time (does that happen?) I'll be more inclined to spent in the "hunt". But I'm not sure.

Janet - I also always go in for something specific and then quickly check around. It took me a while to figure out I could get my salon brand shampoos and conditioners at Marshalls/TJ Maxx so often I'm just going in to get those initially.

Runcarla - high five, you are a skilled hunter, great items!

shevia and La Pedestrienne
First of all the prices are still high compared to second hand and the selection is still falls in a pretty predictable range. At a true thrift store there are a few diamonds and many duds; at discount stores there are a lot of what falls in between.

This is true. I think that a lot may be location based though. Where I live thrift stores can be highly picked over, they are very very popular with shoppers, so when I'm trying to get a basic and I have limited time to shop, I can still get higher quality for a lower price at the off-price stores with a little bit less hunting.

Gail - opportunistic shopping makes sense in off-price. I do targeted shopping at off-price, but it can take a long time and several trips to find a very specific item, so the trade off is time or money.

Anne - yes, when ever I move I end up spending a lot of time at Marshalls looking at household goods

Viva - Your experience seems to be shared by a lot of folks, and online hunting is great.

Angie - I did enjoy going to Zara with fabbers once and hope to again soon!

AviaMariah - that's a great insight to have about what works for you and how much time you want to put in before the experience becomes unpleasant.

My suits actually all come from Ross. 1/3 the normal price. They perhaps started out at Macy's - but I never see good suits at Macy's. Don't know why. I also don't know why I've never come out of Nordstrom or Bloomies or Nieman's with a suit. I've certainly tried plenty on. Way back, I'd find suits at AT, but not since 2000! My thought is, these suits come from far away... And no one really wears suits in this area.

One other thing I've been thinking about in this thread and plonkee's thread has to do with the layout of a thrift or off-price store versus a department store and how we navigate to find what we are looking for.

Lot's of comments in which folks shared that they feel off-price or thrift stores are 'disorganized or chaotic'. Leaving aside the question of how well tended the store is (and assuming for comparisons sake a store is in good shape that way -- a lot may depend on when someone shops and how new the location is), I was surprised to realize I have the opposite experience as I find department stores fairly difficult to navigate.

In thrift or an off-price retailer, there may be circular racks but they are usually organized by type of item (occasionally by designer, as in the Rack). At Marshalls and TJ Maxx there are a few at the very front of the store. The most common experience is what lisap referred to as the 'long rack of short-sleeve tees'. A rack that has all one kind of item, is organized by size, and sometimes within that is organized by color or pattern. (Goodwill).

So when I enter the store looking for silver shoes and a white cotton blouse, I go straight to the silver shoe section, quickly scan what's on offer, check size on anything promising, then move on to the medium white short sleeve blouses which are all grouped together and are nowhere else within the store. I can instantly compare them against eachother, see if anything is promising, if not, leave. A rack that has color jumbled takes a little longer, but again, I filter my vision to just see 'red' so it goes quickly. Less than ten percent of the items are the contemporary shapes or quality I'm looking for, but it's easy to skip over the 90% that isn't. It's like shopping at a grocery store, the produce is in the produce section, the dairy is all together and cheese sits next to cheese.

I walk into a department store, and there are these women's clothing sections that look fairly similar or have vague names and I kind of have to deduce if they are mom on the go, or work wear, or trendy. Then each circular rack has multiple kinds of items grouped together based on outfit building logic? But I'm not trying to buy an entire outfit or just buy from one designer whose collection has its own section. I want the best white blouse for me. So I walk across vast spaces and sometimes multiple floors looking for white blouses which end up in all sorts of racks or minimally hung display areas. I need to check clearance and sale areas too (if I can find them) because if the majority of the store has the quality I'm looking for, the retail prices are way over my comfort level. So I'm still looking for the 10-15% at the price and quality I want among the 90% that is out of my price range or not good price for value to my mind, but I have to walk all over to do it.

Actually, you know what? YLF reintroduced me to department stores. There was a period where it made me feel ill going into them. I forgot about that. I'd see three stories of crammed racks, and I'd want to cry like a tired three year old. Macy's was the worst for me until their store redos. Nieman's was kinda second worst, because to make it to the second floor you had to run the perfume gauntlet - these trigger happy women stood in the aisles wielding spray perfume bottles, ready to lay down some suppressive fire. Actually, Macy's did that too...

rachylou - that's true, I have to gird my loins to take on Macy's, although now that I've spent more time there I've kind of learned the lay of the land.

You and I can be the lonely members of team Ross. I've found some items that I love there for thrift prices. Looking at my spreadsheet some of what I've bought there is:

traditional converse
earthies wedges
isaac mizrahi navy patent and suede oxfords
CK navy long sleeved wrap dress
J Brand boyfriend jeans
BCBG cowl neck wool sleeveless sweater

They also regularly have Fossil and The Sak casual leather bags and are good for tights. You know I think it's not just experiences being subjective, but that different locations of the same off-price store, are widely, widely different in what they offer and how well-maintained they are -- more so than traditional chain stores or department stores maybe.

Like Seattle downtown Rack was completely different from downtown Portland Rack, which was different from new suburban Portland Racks....

After reading the comments, I'm wondering if there isn't a generational component here. I grew up in the age of the upscale department stores, at a time when Nordstroms actually had a grand piano, played by a very good musician, to set the mood for its customers. Dressing rooms were large and comfortable, with upholstered chairs and huge mirrors. Shopping was supposed to be a pleasurable experience, where women could stop for a lunch or a coffee break in a good in-store cafe. Unless you had serious money, most women had smaller wardrobes and shopped less often, but, when it was time for those of us with more limited funds to find something new, the total experience was to be savored and enjoyed.

The whole notion of the "thrill of the hunt", the scanning of endless racks of white shirts to find the best one at the best price, the tossing of heaps of clothes into a shopping cart, and the messy cubicles with cheap mirrors where I'm told I can only take six items into the room--all that makes me want to run in the opposite direction. If that is the retail model of the future, I see even more boutique and online shopping in my future.

Oh I remember the grand piano at the foot of the escalator in Nordstrom at South Coast Plaza - my first experience with a Nordstrom. I nearly cried with happiness and though I had finally reached my shopping heaven. And I was about 27 or 28 , lol.

Rabbit - I agree with you on department stores. I find it overwgelming and confusing to search the whole store for an item because it can be in every section. It's much easier, for me, to go into Ross where all the dresses of a certain size are grouped together. I love how my favorite thrift store is organized by color too. It's so pretty to look down the rows

I am not a big fan of TJMax etc. and try to limit my purchases there to only a few items per year (otherwise they end up as "bargains" that are never worn because they don't fit quite right etc.). Interestingly, I almost never shop brick and mortar stores for clothing and shoes anymore so TJMax and Marshalls are pretty much the only physical stores I visit, maybe once every couple of months. That is because they are located in the smaller shopping centers near my home, not in the big mall, so they are easy for me to stop by.

I have a very specific strategy when shopping there. I don't look at the long racks (too much merchandise, too much choice). I look at individual small display racks in front of the long racks. That is where I occasionally find designer jeans (I bought some really nice jeans at a TJMax last year - they were not cheap, about $70, but fit extremely well), some of the well-known brands (Michael Stars and James Perse for knits, many of the designers that Nordstrom sells etc.). Aside from that, I will occasionally browse the activewear section if I need new workout stuff (usually I look for Marika items there, like capris and tanks). I end up spending about 10 minutes in the store, and if I don't see any "good stuff", I walk out quickly without trying to sort through the rest of the racks.

Rabbit, I totally agree with your comments about finding a white shirt and the layout of department stores. Unless it is a smaller sized department store in a smaller town, I don't even know where to start. So online or Marshalls etc. for me. But I do enjoy the hunt too...

Like others, these stores are not for me -- I feel exactly the same as Lisa and Gaylene, and wonder about the generational aspect too. I will be very sad if/when established department stores go away, but there just doesn't seem to be anyone in them anymore. I was in my local Nordstrom earlier this week and walked practically an entire floor with piles of heavy clothing over my arm until someone emerged to help me. I had pangs of longing for my former stylist there and did feel like I might as well be in a TJ Maxx.

I met a former buyer for TJ Maxx a couple of months ago; she said it had been the best job of her life -- while she was young. She told me the travel was amazing (hello, Milan!) and explained some of their buying processes (picking up the colours no one else wanted, establishing relationships with designers and piggybacking on orders others made, huge amounts of autonomy in deciding what to get, etc.). But, since most of her time was spent on the road, she had to quit after starting a family.

This is a super thread, Rabbit, thank you for posting!

This is such an interesting thread. I have always been a big shopper of TJMax and similar stores due to price, but I admit that I have fallen into the trap of buying things of lesser quality and fit for the price. I think I have finally curbed that significantly, but it does change the experience a bit. I have learned a certain rhythm to it - dresses are usually easier to find at Ross, shoes at Marshalls, tops at TJMax, etc. in my area, Ross usually feels lower end/dirtier/less visually pleasing and Marhsalls is higher, with TJMax in between. Like you, I find the layout easier to navagate and less confusing and overwhelming than department stores for all of the reasons you mentioned. I think that I would enjoy department stores a lot more if I went there with less expectations of what I'm looking for, and with some money to spend. In general, I just enjoy every shopping experience in every retail environment simply because of the endless inspiration that comes from the visual and tactile assault on the senses,

This is really interesting. I used to shop TJ's and Marshall's quite a bit but not for several years. If I happen to be near one and have the time I will run in for the home goods. And if I'm looking for something very specific but can't find it I will sometimes stop in. But, I do make a special trip to refresh my leggings. They have a nice variety and the price point allows me to refresh them often.

Our Nordstrom Rack makes me nervous because it's always so crowded and just a mess so I rarely stop in. My neighbor shops there regularly and has the absolute best luck. I still can't believe what she comes home with.

I do shop Off 5th but in the last couple years I think they changed and not for the better. They have one near a grocery store I frequent, so I still pop in but haven't purchased anything in a long while.

Gaylene & Lisa, I really miss the pianos in Nordstrom!

I've been following this trend with huge interest…..my 1st retail office job was with marshall's, and back in the day, i enjoyed shopping their. but honestly, not so much now….i don't mind the hunt if i really felt that there was something worth hunting for, but usually most of what i see there (and at TJMaxx, Ross and Burlington Coat) is stuff that was made for these "off price" channels.

Gaylene, lisap, and muffin - the pianos sound lovely. I think I've seen that at Macy's at Christmas time, but live classical music in stores would be great.

Gaylene - some may be generational, and some may have to do with relative spending power. My dad told me about visiting his aunt in Philly in the 50's and the ritual of going to a big department store and having ice-cream there afterwards.

I think there will always be consumers who want a luxury experience while shopping, as you describe, and are willing and able to pay retail for that experience. Dynamics seem to be changing though as to the numbers of shoppers who can and do primarily shop department store retail. I was reading that TJX (the parent company of Marshalls and TJ Maxx) is now larger than almost every department-store and specialty-retail chain in the U.S., including J.C. Penney, Sears, Kmart, Nordstrom and Gap, and has just surpassed Macys (which has about 40% more square footage.) http://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/.....nd-marshal

I'd initially assumed that spending power was by far the main driver of the growth of off-price, but found this illuminating, from:
http://fortune.com/2015/10/07/.....ion-macys/

Fortune’s 2014 feature on the company cited a survey of 2,137 shoppers by investment bank Cowen & Co. that found that 28% of women who make over $100,000 a year shop at TJX stores, showing how much this way of shopping appeals to even the more affluent.

Sara L and SarahTheWhite - Ross is good for dresses, I forget that, but they usually have a spring dress event don't they?

Makrame - that sounds like a good strategy, I often see Paige jeans and rag and bone on those front racks at Marshalls. I usually check shoes, bags, the front racks, and clearance (because that is where the unsold front rack items and one-offs end up). I occasionally browse the non-clearance long racks, but there are more non-branded items there for sure.

crst - yeah for me the size of a store can lose me. I enjoy shopping at H&M and the like even though they can be crowded with items, because it's a relatively small space to navigate and check around.

Aliona - that's interesting to hear about the buyer. And yes, hopefully the department store experience will still be around for awhile. The Nordstroms in my local mall closed last year. I visited the mall regularly, but only went into Nordstrom's a few times and it was largely empty compared to the Macys and stores like Marshalls, H&M and Forever21. They had beautiful items of course but not many shoppers or salespeople.

Thinking about it, with a store like Nordstroms or H&M or Zara, you know when you go in that almost everything will be on trend although the items may vary in quality and price. With the off-price vendors and Macy's a lot of the clothing will not necessarily be on trend or will have an older (in fashion, not age) style sensibility, so you have to know the trends and what is current before going in.

SarahTheWhite - I agree with your observations about how the different off-price stores are good for different things, and that you have to be careful to balance price with quality or it ends up not a good deal.

I think that I would enjoy department stores a lot more if I went there with less expectations of what I'm looking for, and with some money to spend.

Yes, this is true for me too, there are some stores I've gone into only when given a gift card as a present, and that's what the shopping experience has been like for me. The sticker shock is not as much of a factor, and I can instead enjoy the experience and take cues from the store as to what to buy, rather than coming in with my own very specific goals.

I just enjoy every shopping experience in every retail environment simply because of the endless inspiration that comes from the visual and tactile assault on the senses. me too!

Colette - it's interesting how our shopping patterns change over time as our incomes change or our closets get into a maintenance rather than building phase. I picked up my leggings from those stores as well.

kkhards - yes most of the items are made for the channel/are house brands, and the established brand names may sometimes lack a very small design detail that a similar item would have in a department store. It's interesting that I read that for several designers the off-price retailers are a huge part of their business. The Fortune article said that TJX is Ralph Lauren's largest client (unofficially of course).

I read that part of the appeal for designers (and their willingness to lower prices) for the off-price stores had to do with no advertising costs and no buy-back clauses. All the goods TJX buys they either sell or donate, the vendor doesn't end up saddled with unsold goods sent back to them. Also with TJX being larger than most department stores they can buy in extreme bulk.

Rabbit- I see you're a Portlander too! Was that the Lloyd Center Nordstroms? I used to like going there because it was quiet but it never did make sense to me since the downtown one was 2 miles away...

Muffin - yep That's true, the downtown one is pretty close, although parking is harder. I'd go to the downtown Rack more often but I dislike paying for parking (even at the SmartPark) especially when I don't end up buying any clothes...

Great thread, Rabbit!

Interesting to see the variety of responses! I said on Plonkee's thread that I grew up shopping pretty much only discount.

Today I shop in most ways possible -- retail (department and other), online retail, online used (poshmark, eBay), boutique, discount, consignment, thrift. I have things I love and hate about all the options!

Many of the Marshalls I've been in (various states) definitely get "name brand" cast offs -- Vince, Theory, Columbia, Lucky etc.

For me the where/how I shop depends on time and *why* I'm shopping. Targeted hunt? Quality check? Curiosity?

I feel 100% the way you do about department stores. I don't want to run all over god's half acre hunting for a black skirt in sections A-Z. Just: nope. Plus I have to take a deep breath and try to make it past the perfume overload at most store entrances....

If looking for a specific item on a short time frame, department store shopping is really only feasible if you absolutely know you want a specific brand(s) and know where to find them -- or have a sales associate cherry pick before arrival.

So much easier to walk into a discounter that has ALL the skirts right there on a rack. Or spend time on the front end doing an online search and waiting for the package to arrive!

Rabbit, your comment just turned on a lightbulb in my head! So THAT'S why I get stressed shopping in department stores. I usually go in looking for something specific (white shirt, smart top for work, pencil skirt, etc) and end up tired and grumpy in the changing room after schlepping from section to section trying to pull a shirt from each one then traipsing off to the changing room.

So that's why I always find charity shops (UK thrift shops) so relaxing to shop in - they put all the skirts, shirts, tops etc. together, ordered by size, so it's easy to see whether they have a likely candidate for me. It's quicker to whizz in and out of five charity shops than scan one floor of a department store.

Thanks for the revelation