I haven't been to a TJ Maxx in quite some time, but I needed some new lamps and figured it would be a good place to try because it's also connected to Home Goods. Overall, there have been some changes, and so far they don't seem to be good ones.
First of all, right when you walk in, there's a person standing dead center of the entrance, staring you down in what looks like a mix between security guard gear and combat gear. I don't know enough about the shapes of the compartments on the black vest to know if she was armed with a firearm or not, but the head to toe black getup seemed very intimidating. Which perhaps is their goal if the intention is security. Either way, definitely doesn't give off a welcoming vibe. I've been to high-end stores, particularly in Europe, where they do have a security guard upfront, but the approach is different... More of a tall gentleman in a black suit kind of look. That doesn't interfere with the shopping experience as much in my opinion.
The store is currently undergoing some renovations, so the fitting rooms and then one other area were closed off and covered with blue tarps. I understand sometimes you have to renovate so while it would've been nice to try on the clothing I ended up looking at in a fitting room, I understand sometimes that's not possible.
Something else I noticed is that there's a lot more security in terms of the items on the shelves or where they're hanging. There's some things that you can't even browse without hitting a button or getting a store assistant's help. It just feels like a lot of things are locked down, which again gives the impression that there's a lot of theft at this store, which again takes away from the overall enjoyment of the shopping experience. One of the things I love about going to a brick and mortar store is looking at the displays and the beautiful merchandise... This interrupts that vibe.
Ultimately, I did find some great items and was pleased with what I got, but at the end at the checkout, the associate asked me three times within just a few minutes if I wanted to get the TJ Maxx credit card. I listened to his whole spiel the first time and then politely declined. Then as he was bagging up my items, he proceeded to ask me again, citing additional benefits and I said no thank you I really don't need it. Then when he was about to take my payment, he asked me one more time. This just feels excessive, especially given the short window of interaction. I understand this is most likely the corporate policy, but it felt very pushy to me. read more