Back to school shopping at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls

My son has been back in school for a few weeks now, and I'm finally done with the back-to-school shopping. Thanks to T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, I had a little help with my back-to-school shopping this year.

 

Both T.J. Maxx and Marshalls are two of my favorite places to shop. 

 

Shopping off-­‐price at Marshalls allows customers to find the hottest designer fashions for up to 60 percent off department store prices. With buyers traveling 40+ weeks per year to negotiate with more than 12,000 vendors in over 60 countries, Marshalls is able to help consumers add this season's designer looks straight from the source to their closets for less.

Marshalls is one of the nation's leading off-­‐price family apparel and home fashion retailers with over 870 stores spanning 42  states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls offers a wide selection of current season, top quality, brand name  fashions for the entire family as well as giftware and domestics for the home at prices 20-­‐60 percent less than department stores, specialty boutiques and catalogs.

In August,2011 Mom Central Consulting and T.J.Maxx/Marshalls conducted online survey to uncover their back-­‐to-­‐school shopping habits. Almost 1,000 Moms with at least one child in elementary through high school took the survey.  I have to say I'm not surprised by the results.

Results   
 
Timing   
   •  The majority of Moms (60%) do the bulk of their back-­‐to-­‐school shopping a few weeks in advance.   
   •  Even though most Moms get a head start on shopping, 25% wait until the last minute.   
 
Location   
   •  About half of Moms shop at 2-­‐3 stores when shopping for back-­‐to-­‐school items.   
   •  About 1/3 of Moms prefer to shop at ‘one-­‐stop’ stores vs. specialty stores.   
 
Value   
   •  81% of Moms said that the rising cost of items (i.e. gas, groceries) negatively affect their family’s back-­‐to-­‐school budget this year.

Budgeting   
How do you balance what your child/children want when shopping for back-­‐to-­‐school items and your budget? Prevalent themes include: compromise, spreading out purchases, budgeting, understanding wants vs. needs and durability.

Fashion   
   •  When it comes to Moms and their kids agreeing on fashion choices, 75% say they only sometimes agree.   
   •  Although finding a compromise on clothing choices can be a challenge, only 1% say they NEVER agree with their children.   
   •  What kind of style does your kid have? Moms equally say their child’s style is sporty, fashionista or classic, with each getting about 25% of the responses.   
   •  14% said other   
   •  6% said geek-­‐chic

"Must Haves"
   •  81% of Moms said their kids will be using a backpack to tote around their school supplies this season.    
   •  Sneakers (84%) are the most important type of new footwear during this years back-­‐to-­‐school shopping trip.

So, what did I get my son for back-to-school from Marshalls? I got him a $32 jacket by Ralph Polo, which is reversable (two jackets in one), for $16.99, a backpack for $16, that would have cost me $32 elsewhere, and some socks and underwear. Some great deals indeed!

If getting all your back-to-school essentials without breaking the bank is important to you, keep off-price shopping in mind. Marshalls will be stocked with the hottest teen trends in The Cube and thousands of footwear options for the whole family in the Shoe MegaShop, and at T.J. Maxx, shoppers can find all the looks that kids want and the accessories they need.

Whether you're done with your back-to-school shopping, or still doing it, here are some of the must-haves this school season:

Mom Central is hosting a great T.J. Maxx & Marshalls giveaway. So be sure to head over there and enter! Ends September 23, 2011.

 

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of T.J.Maxx and Marshalls and received a gift card to facilitate my review and thank me for taking the time to participate. The opinions expressed are mine. For further information regarding Blog by Donna's privacy policy, check it out here.