TJ Maxx Vs Marshalls: I Visited Discount Stores for Holiday Shopping

2025-12-23T18:09:44.994Z

I visited TJ Maxx and Marshalls this holiday season.
I found good deals at both stores, but the Marshalls seemed disorganized and had smaller selections.
The TJ Maxx I visited had higher-quality products and was more organized.

TJ Maxx and Marshalls are two of the best-known discount department stores in the US, but they are not the same, as I discovered this holiday season.

While the two stores are owned by the same parent company, The TJX Companies, each has a different mission. TJ Maxx calls itself “a one-stop for quality, value, and the coveted brands you know and love,” and focuses on higher-end brands, jewelry, and accessories, while Marshalls has an “expanded men’s department, as well as a larger shoe department where you’ll find styles for women, men, and kids, too.”

During visits to the stores in New York City in December, I noticed the difference in quality between the two, but that wasn’t the only contrast. The Marshalls I visited was more crowded, perhaps contributing to my feeling it was in disarray, while TJ Maxx was emptier, but also felt more organized.

Marshalls and TJ Maxx stores vary between locations, so while my experience was consistent with my previous visits to the stores, it may not be true of all locations. The TJX Companies did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

I get easily overwhelmed by the options available at stores like these, so I greatly preferred TJ Maxx, even though some items were more expensive.

Here’s what it was like at both Marshalls and TJ Maxx during peak shopping season.

The Marshalls was in the basement, while the TJ Maxx was on the second floor.

tj maxx and marshall's — The lobby had escalators going up to TJ Maxx and a staircase going down to Marshalls.

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This Marshalls was so large that I couldn’t see the back of the store.

marshall's interior — Part of the store.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Signs everywhere proclaimed holiday deals.

$30 sweaters — This sign said Under $30.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

There were also plenty of holiday sweaters.

holiday sweaters marshall's — Holiday sweaters were $25.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

This Marshalls was somewhat disorganized, and I was baffled by the location of some of the displays.

juicy couture marshalls — The Juicy Bags, which started at $15, were not displayed near similar products.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

The women’s shoes were tucked in a corner. The selection was a bit limited.

I also found a table offering skincare options.

beauty display marshall's — This table was full.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

But there wasn’t a centralized beauty section. Across the store, another table featured spa sets, such as these from Mario Badescu.

spa gift sets — Mario Badescu gift sets.

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There were some good gift ideas here. This makeup brush set was $40.

marshall's beauty — A set of makeup brushes.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

There was also a small selection of Yankees merch, perfect for any baseball fan.

yankees mug marshalls — Yankees mugs.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

There were a lot of candles and scented products. I particularly liked this Sand + Fog jar of apple-spice-scented gel beads.

house of sand and fog candles — These were $8.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

In another aisle, I spotted a Smeg standing mixer for $500. This was the most expensive thing I saw at Marshalls.

smeg standing mixer marshalls — A Smeg mixer.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

But I spotted some good deals in the store. This Nespresso machine cost $350 — on Nespresso’s website, it’s on sale for $390, down from $650.

nespresso creatista plus marshalls — The Nespresso Creatista Plus.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

At another table, a Breville air fryer was priced at $280. It’s $300 on Breville’s website.

In a beauty aisle, I found a Dyson hairdryer for $300. Dyson’s website has it on sale for $380, down from $550.

dyson supersonic blowdryer — A Dyson hairdryer.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

There was a selection of Yeti tumblers, but they seem a bit outdated — the water-bottle wars have moved on to Owala and Hydro Flask.

yeti marshalls — Some of the water bottle selections.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

There was a small selection of luggage, but this display felt disorganized, too.

lugggage marshalls — The luggage at Marshalls.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Even though Christmas isn’t over, there was already a small aisle for Valentine’s Day merch.

valentines day marshalls — The Valentine’s Day merchandise.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Next, I headed upstairs to TJ Maxx.

The first thing I saw was a much larger, more organized luggage selection than the one in Marshalls.

luggage tj maxx — The luggage at TJ Maxx.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

The rest of the store looked similar to Marshalls, if not a bit more organized and brighter.

clothes tj maxx — The clothes at TJ Maxx.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

There were some of the same products, like this Juicy Couture gift set.

juicy couture tj maxx — A Juicy Couture set.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

An Ed Hardy bag made me believe that the 2000s are truly back.

ed hardy tj maxx — An Ed Hardy bag.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

The beauty selection was much less chaotic than at the store downstairs.

beauty products tj maxx — Some of the beauty section.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Instead of one aisle, there were multiple shelves for skincare and perfume.

beauty section tj maxx — This was more organized and less scattered throughout the store.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I didn’t spot any Dyson products, though.

haircare tj maxx — The hair tools section.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

In the shoes section, there were more options in stock at TJ Maxx, as well as a larger selection.

shoes tj maxx — The shoe section.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

As opposed to Yetis, there was a large selection of the trendier Owalas. Prices were comparable with both brands, though.

owalas tj maxx — The Owalas were $25, while the Yetis were $30.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

There were also Hydro Flasks.

Instead of plain mugs, I spotted bedazzled Mets tumblers. In general, there was a larger selection of sports merchandise at this store.

mets tj maxx — A Mets tumbler.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Some other items were of slightly higher quality as well. Nest candles retail higher than Sand + Fog ones do.

There were also large candles like this Martha Stewart holiday candle.

martha stewart candles — The price was scratched off, so I couldn’t tell how much it was, but it was the size of my head.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

There was also a huge toy section, whereas Marshalls’ was much more cramped.

toys tj maxx — Marshalls’ toy section was cramped in comparison.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

In the appliance section, I noted both stores had the same brands, but the TJ Maxx products were more expensive. This coffeemaker was $999.

breville coffee maker — A Breville coffee maker.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

The Nespresso available here was $549, a full $200 more than the model at Marshalls. On the website, this one is on sale for $455.

nespresso crestista — A Nespresso Vertuo Creatista.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I was surprised to find a larger Valentine’s Day selection here.

valentines day tj maxx — The Valentine’s aisle.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I was even tempted to buy some of these candles.

tj maxx valentines day — More of the Valentine’s Day stuff.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Both stores were packed with deals, but I was less overstimulated at TJ Maxx. It felt more organized and elevated, and less overwhelming.

candles at tj maxx — Even the candle section was color-coded.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

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