fashion

Why this discount giant will slice your shopping time (and costs) in half.

TK Maxx
Thanks to our brand partner, TK Maxx

My partner and I are like chalk and cheese. His thing is numbers, mine is words. He’s pretty sporty, I have, let’s just say, less than average co-ordination. The list goes on.

For the most part, it doesn’t bother us. Our opposite talents complement each other and certainly make life interesting. But there’s one place that our differences majorly come to blows – the shops.

"There's one place that our differences majorly come to blows - the shops." Image: iStock.

You see there are two very distinct types of people when it comes to shopping. There are those, like me, that love to leisurely browse, combing each section of the store to ensure nothing is missed. For us, shopping isn't a chore, it's a pleasure and we'll happily while away hours perusing the aisles for gems.

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Then there are people like my partner, for whom the above is akin to their worst nightmare. Shopping is a task, an in-and-out job, that should be done as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Take for example, the time we went suit shopping. I'd drawn up a list of several stores to visit with a few hours allocated to the mission. He walked into the first shop, picked a suit, tried it on, liked what he saw... and bought it, before I'd even finished looking at just the new arrivals. No trying on other things, seeing what else was around and then deciding what he liked best. We were done in 15 minutes.


My reaction.

Like oil and water, the perfect shopping mix we are not.

We're certainly not the only ones - and it's not just couples either. Everyone has a parent, friend or relative who is their exact shopping-personality opposite.

The good news is there's finally a store that caters to both. Enter TK Maxx.

A favourite in the UK and Europe, the brand is heaven for all shopping types and has just arrived Down Under.


Unlike anything that exists on the Australian retail scene, the layout of the store is specially designed for easy shopping. You'll find every category you'd expect at a department store including accessories, womenswear, childrenswear, menswear, special occasion wear, home, shoes, luggage, lingerie and beauty but the clothes are organised by type, such as jumpers, skirts, dresses, jackets, tops, before being grouped by size.

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This makes it super easy to both nip in and out AND ensure you see everything you're interested in. So is your little-patience shopper looking for a size 12 skirt? They can go straight to the relevant section, immediately see what's on offer, select and be on their way.

Got all the time in the world? Everything that's relevant to you is clearly labelled, meaning you don't have to waste time rifling through things that don't fit or interest you.

It doesn't take away the thrill of discovery though. TK Maxx stocks a huge assortment of big names (including top-end designers), well-known brands, up-and-coming labels and one-off gems. Even better? They're all at discount prices compared to department stores and other high street chains, possible thanks to the brand's opportunistic buying and a no-frills operation.

Their buying strategy is also a great point of difference. Instead of buying seasonally as retailers traditionally do, TK Maxx buys throughout the year and close to need. This means that their stores receive several deliveries per week with thousands of new items arriving on shop floors.

You know the feeling. Image: Confessions of a Shopaholic.
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So there's always something new to find - and you'll never know what great finds you'll uncover.

While it doesn't exactly solve the problem of the time we like to spend shopping (yet!), it does mean my partner and I both have one place to go for everything, instead of trailing around multiple shops - a major win for both of us.

Finally, it's a shopping trip we can both agree on.

What's it like shopping with your partner? Easy/hard/impossible? Tell us in the comments section!

This content was created with thanks to our brand partner TK Maxx.