T.J. Maxx serves up brand-name and designer products at a discounted price, so no matter what, you're always guaranteed to save some money by shopping at this retailer. But a true Maxxinista knows there are tricks that can help maximize deals and deliver even bigger discounts. In fact, a former worker has confirmed that you can save more depending on when you visit the store. Read on to find out what an ex-T.J. Maxx employee says is the best time to go shopping.
READ THIS NEXT: 5 Warnings to Shoppers From Former T.J. Maxx Employees.
T.J. Maxx doesn't do markdowns on a specific day.
ShutterstockAt one point or another, you may have been told to shop at T.J. Maxx on Wednesday mornings because they typically do new markdowns the night before or that morning. But a former T.J. Maxx employee named Taylor took to YouTube to set the record straight about this rumor. In a video posted to her channel @simplytaylorb, Taylor explained that she was "part of the markdown team" during her time with the company. "So I know all about the markdowns and secrets about that," she said.
In terms of Wednesday being the best day of the week for shopping, Taylor said, "I don't really know if that's true." According to the former employee, markdowns at her store happened once a week but it wasn't always on the same day. Instead, "it happened when they were able to do it," she explained.
Current T.J. Maxx employees also shared similar sentiments in a recent Reddit thread. "I can't really tell you what days [markdowns] are because they aren't really planned," one user replied in the Oct. 2022 thread.
But there is a specific time of the year you should be shopping.
ShutterstockThere might not be a specific day that's best to get deals at T.J. Maxx, but that doesn't mean there isn't a specific month. "The best time to shop at T.J. Maxx is January," Taylor told viewers in her video. "There's markdowns in January every single day."
According to Taylor, this is the most popular time for T.J. Maxx to do markdowns because it's right after the holidays. "This is a strategic move by the company because they know that not as many people want to shop after Christmas because they just spent loads of money for the past month on presents," she explained.
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T.J. Maxx marks down items significantly during this month.
Eric Glenn / ShutterstockAt T.J. Maxx stores, a red clearance sticker usually indicates that a product will be marked down again in the future, while a yellow ticket is supposed to serve as a "final markdown ticket," meaning that's the lowest price a customer will see for that item. But during the company's popular markdown times, "this is not true," according to Taylor. The former employee says that even yellow-ticketed products can get marked down during the January sales.
"This round of markdowns happens twice a year—once in January and once in July," she explained. "I vividly remember going into my store and products were just getting wiped out because as I was scanning them down, down, down, things just kept going. There was a $700 dress that I bought for $7. I've seen people walk out with 50+ items and they maybe spent $17. Watch the yellow ticket and definitely go shopping in January."
The retailer just started its January sale for this year.
ShutterstockIf you're looking to score more savings at T.J. Maxx, now is the time. In line with Taylor's advice, the retailer has just started its Big Clearance Event. According to the New York Post, T.J. Maxx is offering up to 75 percent off clearance items for a limited time in its post-Christmas sale. The event—which can also be found at the retailer's sister store Marshalls—is set to run through the entire month of January, per Good Morning America.
