MK (Michael Kors)= My Keeper

Have you ever wondered how to get designer fashion for less? Much less? Marshall’s and TJ MAXX have the answers. It all becomes possible through what we call off-price retailing.  

Somehow twenty minutes of my interview the other day was devoted to discussing Marshalls and how the company is able to sell high-end brands for much cheaper than department stores. It allowed me to take note that most people have a strong misconception about these corporate businesses (I know I did when I first started shopping there). People who are unfamiliar with TJX Companies and off-price retailing tend to think that the merchandise is sewn defectively, the fabric is distorted, or something of the sort. That is NOT the case (I will get into that a little later). 

Department stores count on their buyers to purchase seasonal inventory; buyers are to predict what the upcoming season’s hottest trends will be and purchase as much stock as they believe necessary. However, a majority of the time, these buyers purchase too much and end up having a large bulk of past-season inventory.  This then raises the question of where they are supposed to store all of the new merchandise, when they have so much old inventory. That’s where TJX Companies steps in. TJX knows how to be in the right place at exactly the right time. They buy the merchandise that department stores have sent back. This gives customers the opportunity to buy this high-end merchandise without the high price.

A majority of the things a customer finds at Marshalls and TJ MAXX are the EXACT products being sold somewhere else (as I am going to show you in the latter part of the post).

There are other cases in which products can end up at Marshalls and TJ MAXX as well. For example, if a designer for a high-end brand requests dark blue buttons for their upcoming jacket and the finished products have light blue ones, it is not going to meet the expectations of the designer. This gives Marshalls and TJ MAXX the opportunity to buy the merchandise that did not meet the standards of the designer (instead of throwing away all of the imperfect creations).  The price tag used on this merchandise will clearly be labeled “IRREGULAR,” not because it is deformed, but because it is not made exactly how the designer envisioned it. In addition, if the item is something from a past-season, the price tag will clearly be labeled "Past-Season" so the customer is aware.

Now I am going to share with you some great deals that I have recently found at Marshalls and TJ MAXX.

TAHARI Dress Pants 

Retail price: $178  

Marshalls price: $10 

BELLA COLORE Mineral Eye Shadow

Retail price: $96  

Marshalls price: $16.99

#1 New York Times and International Best Seller 

Retail price: $10.99

Marshalls price: $7.99

CASWELL MASSEY Cucumber Eye Pads 

Retail price: $12  

Marshalls price: $3

PATRIOTS Dog Jersey 

Retail price: $29.99  

Marshalls price: $14.99

ESSIE Nailpolish 

Retail price: $8  

TJ MAXX price: $3.99

 N.Y.L.A Sneaker Wedges 

Retail price: $69  

TJ MAXX price: $34.99

They say you always remember your first love... so I thank god everyday for Michael Kors. I was so pleased to score the next two finds. Marshalls and TJ MAXX make it possible for middle class individuals to own designer brands without having to pay the high price.  

MICHAEL KORS Dress 

Retail price: $120  

Marshalls price: $49.99

MICHAEL KORS iPhone Case 

Retail price: $79.95  

TJ MAXX price: $39.99

I have found that anytime I go into Marshalls or TJMAXX for something specific, I end up filling a carriage of things I had no intention of buying. Impulse buying is HUGE at stores like these because there seems to be something for everyone!

What have you found lately at either one of these stores??  

The Most Stylish Wine On The Block

When my girl friends came for my graduation party over the summer, I was ecstatic at what they brought me.  Boxed wine… wait for it… shaped like a PURSE. What more could a fashionista possibly need? Okay, okay I sound like an alcoholic, but I loved that purse... or wine... or combination of both.  Who knew making a regular shaped box a bit more trapezoidal could create so much COMEAUTION and style... 

See for yourself

Now doesn’t that make you want one??

I brought that purse with me to Umass Amherst to show it off to my other friends who had not seen such a thing. I slung it over my shoulder like a regular handbag; walking into the party I felt like the coolest gal in the room. Nobody else was going to have wine that reflected so much style.

After finishing the wine, I realized how marketable this new packaging really was. I’m young, and just graduated college, so I am not as negative about boxed wine as most adults are these days. Boxed wine has a reputation for being cheap and distasteful. However, the new fashion-forward box has made it much more chic. With wine such as Vernissage’s “bag-in-a-bag” as well as Volere’s wine purse, women will not feel as uneasy about bringing a box of wine to someone’s house! This new design will hopefully allow companies to bring a sense of classiness to boxed wine.  

So far, the handbag wine comes in Pinot Grigio, Merlot, and Rose. The different flavors have different color packaging--as seen below.

What are your thoughts on the new marketing strategy?? Do you think the new wine handbag is here to stay??