We visited dozens of stores in 2018 - but these impressed us the most
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Dec 25, 2018, 22:01 IST
TJ Maxx was among the best stores we visited this year.
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TJ Maxx's parent company, TJX Companies, reported on November 20 that comparable sales were up 9% at TJ Maxx and Marshalls in the most recent fiscal quarter.
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On a recent store visit, we found the off-price retailer was disorganized, but it was still cleaner and brighter than other similar stores, like Burlington.
It had a lot of high-quality, name brand products, and it was fun to shop at because of the treasure-hunt shopping experience it offered.
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Kohl's was another one of the best stores we visited in 2018.
The Kohl's we went to in Jersey City, New Jersey, was spotlessly clean and well-organized.
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There were shoppers in the store, but it wasn't so busy that there were long lines.
Kohl's reported that comparable sales were up 2.5% in the third quarter.
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Its success is thanks to its locations in suburban strip malls, continued high demand for budget options, and its focus on e-commerce, such as its expanding partnerships with Amazon.
Dollar stores had a great year overall, and Five Below stood out from its competitors.
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We shopped at Five Below locations in Queens and Manhattan.
In the third quarter of 2018, Five Below reported comparable sales grew by 4.8%. It opened 53 new stores this quarter, bringing its store count to 745.
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The store was upbeat and fun to shop at.
It was cleaner and better organized than other dollar stores we visited, like Dollar General and Dollar Tree.
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Five Below offered the treasure-hunt experience that dollar stores are loved for, but it was still easy to navigate.
It sells everything from cosmetics to electronics to candy, all for $5 or less.
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Aerie was also one of the most impressive stores we visited this year. In the third quarter of 2018, comparable sales were up a whopping 32% for the brand.
Aerie is hugely popular with teens right now for a few reasons. In 2014, it swapped its airbrushed ads for unretouched photos and launched a body-positive campaign known as #AerieReal.
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The store also places emphasis on cozy and comfortable clothing, which is a leading trend right now.
Aerie stores also generally offer a good experience for shoppers.
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The Midtown Manhattan location of the store we visited was brightly lit, well-organized, and easy to navigate.
We visited dozens of stores in 2018 - but these impressed us the most