TJ Maxx and Marshalls: 10 Shopping Secrets Only the Employees Know

1. Name brand trick

Marshalls used to be the place to get high-end name-brand items that were either overstocked or had a sewing error of some sort. They were the rejects of high-end products.

However, nowadays, many name brands actually make a totally different line of clothing, purses or accessories just for Marshalls and TJ Maxx. So always keep in mind that what you get is not that luxury high end item for a much lesser price, but things that are made completely different with different products.

2. Cosmetic check

One of my favorite things to buy at Marshalls is beauty items and cosmetics. However, you never know how long they have been sitting on the shelves.

At checkcosmetic.net you can check if the items that you find at Marshalls have expired. All you have to do is take the batch number on the box or the item itself and put it into this web page.

You will be so surprised at how many of the items are past their “best if used by” date.

3. Best time to shop

What is the best day to shop at Marshalls?

As you might guess, weekends are always the busiest. After that, Monday and Tuesday tend to be the days that they are reorganizing and restocking, and everything is fresh from the weekend busyness on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. It is always emptiest in the early mornings.

Moreover, twice a year, Marshalls and TJ Maxx have a massive clearance sale, usually the change of major season: end of winter and summer. Make sure you sign up for their emails to get alerts of when these huge massive sales are happening.

These are by far the best sales of the year. You do not want to miss them and you want to get there early to get the best stuff.

4. Price comparison

If you are anything like me or most of America, then seeing that "compare at" price on the label can really get to you. However, I highly recommend that you do not get swayed by it.

In fact, there was a class action lawsuit against TJ Maxx and Marshalls for advertising their tags in this way, which deemed that these numbers are fictional. So only look at the price you are paying and not at the price of "compare at".

5. Damaged items

A unique thing about Marshalls is that if you see something that is slightly damaged but you can live with it, you can ask the cashier for a discount on that particular item, and many times, they will do it for you.

An exception is items on the clearance rack that say, “as is”, which means they cannot change the price of those. With all the rest, however, they have the power to change the price, so do not be afraid to ask.

6. Best and worst priced items

When most of us think of Marshalls and TJ Maxx, we are thinking of clothes and accessories. However, those are not the best-priced items. In reality, the best-priced items are the pet products.

I have bought a dog bed at Marshalls that was only $9, comparable to the same exact bed at our local pet store for $50 or $60.

In contrast, the bath towels and washcloths are probably the worst priced items at TJ Maxx and Marshalls, so I recommend staying away from those.

7. Understand the tags

The white tags are just the normal prices, and the red stickers indicate a clearance sale. However, what you really want to look for are the yellow tip stickers.

This means that the product is on its final sale price that it will ever go to, after which they either send it back to the manufacturer or destroy the item. So if there is something you want and it has a yellow sticker, scoop it up, because those do not last long.

8. Check prices

If it is a name brand item, make sure you are checking the prices!

While we all think of Marshalls and TJ Maxx as the discounted mecca with the best prices for name brand items, I like to always use my Amazon price checker to see if the item is cheaper on Amazon than at the actual store.

You would be surprised at how often I find better prices on Amazon. You can even use your Google app: just take a picture of the item and Google image search the item.

Remember to double check the prices to make sure that you are getting the best deal possible.

9. Know your store

Locally, just a mile or two away, we have the store by Marshalls with amazing prices on kitchen items. In the next town over, however, they have really bad prices on kitchen items, but they have a plethora of toy deals.

If you know your store like the back of your hand and know what their specialty is, you can make better choices. In addition, keep in mind that the goal of each store is to only have that particular item on hand for only three weeks, so do not wait too long to get the item you liked.

10. Shopping online

You can now shop online at marshalls.com. So if you see an item that you love and they don't have your size, make sure to check the online store.

I also highly recommend that you get a discounted gift card app of some sort on your phone. I love Fetch Rewards, and right now, I have over $500 in points, and I can use those at Marshalls.

TJ Maxx and Marshalls

I hope these TJ Maxx and Marshalls shopping tips will prove useful for you, too. Do you have any others you would like to share? Comment below!