Kohl's: I have one nearby, and pop in from time to time, but I've nearly always come away empty handed because they didn't have quite the item that I was looking for. The store seems to be pretty clean/organized and the items are in good condition. One of my coworkers has had a lot of luck with accessories at Kohl's, and forum member KristenKP has a plethora of "kickass Kohls dresses" that she's picked up there, and she wears them fantastically.
Ross: I shop there rarely. I have a negative impression of the store because the Ross that was nearby the area I grew up at was always a mess with items that were damaged or defective. It didn't seem worth going.
Marshall's: A pretty good selection of discounted brands comparable to lines that you might find at Macys or Nordstrom. I've had good luck in the accessory and footwear department. A few years ago, when I had a mishap at work involving a collision between light gray pants and a full can of V-8 juice, I ducked into Marshalls to find replacement pants during my lunch break, and had good luck. You didn't list TJ Maxx, but I'd put them in the same category as Marshall's based on my own shopping experiences. With both of those stores, the offerings don't usually tend to be the most current or on-trend, and sometimes though the item is high quality, there's something "off" about the color of cut where you can tell why many shoppers didn't purchase it initially.
JC Penney: More a less expensive department store than a discount fashion store. I haven't shopped there much in recent years but usually buy underwear there, and I've had good luck with accessories/sunglasses, or sometimes inexpensive handbags that look less cheap than they actually are. Their clothing tends to be more classic/less trendy, and sometimes dowdy in certain departments. The quality is probably around/a little below what I see at Gap based on my past experiences of purchasing clothing there.
Old Navy: Inexpensive items that are generally pretty on-trend and, while not impeccably well made, are usually okay in quality. A good place to look for inexpensive casual wear.
Target: I've had mixed results in their clothing department. Some items are real winners (like the chambray shirt that YLF forum members got - sadly, I missed out on that one!), but other items I've purchased at Target just prove to be crummy quality and fall apart after a few wears. I've had better luck at Target purchasing pajamas or workout wear. I think their shoes are generally pretty uncomfortable.
DSW: Probably my favorite on your list. Usually good markdowns on shoes, and they have a *TON* of selection for shoes of various different styles. I've bought quite a few favorite shoes - by Me Too, Chinese Laundry, etc. - at DSW, and have also scooped up a couple great Franco Sarto handbags that I love and use often.
Payless: To be honest, I've never found their shoes to be great quality, and I find most of them pretty uncomfortable.
Nordstrom Rack - generally a pretty good selection, though it can vary depending on how recently the merchandise has moved out of the main Nordstrom store. Know that the Rack has a 30 day return policy (in contrast to Nordstrom's unlimited policy) and their customer service and organization inside the store isn't at the same level of what I get in a normal Nordstrom store; however, their merchandise is usually pretty high quality and if I'm patient, I can usually walk away from the store with a few items that were buried in the racks. I've also had good luck a couple times finding KILLER discounts - in the neighborhood of $15-30 - on bras in my size - and at 32G that's quite unusual! It's a rarity but I often watch the lingerie racks carefully just in case one of my favorites is lurking there.
