TK Maxx or TK Mess? Great prices, horrible layout. (TK Maxx)

Member Name: TheViolinist

Product:	TK Maxx
Date:	11/07/08 (80 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic prices, known brands available, helpful staff.

Disadvantages: Finding something can be like trying to find a straw in a giant needle stack.

TK Maxx is renowned for sell branded goods for low prices, but their definition of 'brand' seems to be quite broad. In my mind, this shop changes like the British weather; sometimes you can find that little ray of sunshine that makes your day, but for the other 364 days you're likely to be disappointed.

TK Maxx mainly sells clothing, though they also sell items for the home such as general fittings, cutlery and china, and cookware.
Some of the larger branches sell a small range of imported edible goods.


-Shop-

When entering TK Maxx, you would be forgiven for thinking that it is a charity shop. There is really no sense of organization at all and everything is everywhere. There are some brilliant shining gems to be had, but expect to do a lot of digging through racks of useless rubbish to find them. The advantage to this, however, is that you don't feel guilty for picking something up then putting it back in the wrong place (unless I am the only one who does).

Thankfully, the shop is organized enough to separate male clothing from female clothing and children's clothing and so-on. Although searching through the racks can sometimes be quite like an entertaining retail treasure hunt, it can also become very tiring and I often find myself simply thinking 'I cannot be bothered to visit TK Maxx today.'

The shop itself is brightly lit with fluorescent tube lighting for the ever classic 'warehouse' look, but at least this is practical and doesn't over complicate the shopping experience.

Trying to find something you like, however, is generally not an easy task. It could be comparable to unearthing a long lost gem from the treasure vaults of Xerxes.


-Staff-

I don't really have much to say about the staff. They are quite helpful and I've returned a number of items without any quibbles; however, don't expect them to help you find anything specific.


-Prices-

This is the area where TK Maxx shines. Their price-tag displays the RRP value of the item, and then their price which is almost always significantly lower. However, unless you are an expert in clothing, you really have to take their word for the RRP prices.


-Conclusion-

TK Maxx is something that you might expect when mixing Gok Wan and Oxfam in a blender. Its layout, if you can really call it a layout, seems to have been designed by a crack addict; however, amongst the rubbish there are gems to be found, but only if you have both the time and patience to seek them out.

Summary: Great prices, but it looks like a charity shop.