Shop 'n' Share: Last Minute Back-to-School Shopping at Marshalls

No matter how prepared I feel for back-to-school, I always find myself needing to do some last minute shopping.  I had realized that our 7.5 year old son pretty much outgrew all his khakis and cargo pants.  I also wanted to find some thermal underwear for him to wear during his soccer practices and games this fall.  Marshalls had sent me a gift card to shop at our local store to see what kind of bargains I could find, so off to Marshalls we went with the whole family.

One thing I've learned about shopping at an off-price retailer is that you never know what you'll find.  Did I find boys cargo pants and thermal underwear . . . no, but look what we did find to my son's delight . . .

For about $56 we bought the following for my son:

• 3 pairs of Nike fleece sweatpants for $9.99 each (regularly $32 each)
• 1 Nike long-sleeved t-shirt for $9.99 (regularly $25)
• 1 Nike short-sleeved t-shirt for $7.99 (regularly $16)
• 1 Reebok Official Licensed short-sleeved New England Patriots t-shirt for $7.99 (regularly $20)

I was extremely happy to have found fleece sweatpants because all the ones I had purchased for my son last Spring shrank drastically in length even though they were washed in cold water.  Hopefully we'll have better luck with these Nike sweatpants.  Our son is a huge fan of the Nike brand, can you tell?  I was also impressed with the large assortment of Patriots NFL t-shirts there were.  Our son chose one that has a New England Patriots silly bandz-like design on the front.  He is extremely excited about wearing it to school next week.

We didn't stop at the children's section though.  My husband bought these two polo shirts for approximately $20 for both.

• Men's Arrow Polo Shirt for $14.99 (regularly $48)
• Men's Original Weatherproof Garment Co. Polo Shirt for $5.00 (regularly $30)

Our children can never go into Marshalls without raiding the toy section.  I am always amazed at the prices of toys I've seen selling for a lot more at other retailers.  They each picked out a little something, which my husband and I put away for rewards to use in the future.

Of course, I had to stop by the enormous Marshalls shoe department.  It literally takes up about 25% of the floor.  I really was not going to buy anything for myself, but I saw these berber-lined boots from G by Guess.  The chains on them really set them apart from the millions of other pairs of furry boots out there and they make these boots a little edgy.

• G by Guess Horizan Boots for $24.99 (regularly $60)

I must say, even though I did not find what I went into Marshalls to buy originally that evening, every single member of our family left that store happy.  I gave up buying things just because they are "great deals" a long time ago.  All it got me was a pile of unused things cluttering up my home.  We ended up spending far more than the value of our gift card because we just could not resist the great prices on things we actually loved and needed.

Thank you to Marshalls & T.J.Maxx for sending my family a gift card to shop and report our experience back to our readers.

Shop 'n' Share: Hubby Goes Shopping at Marshalls

I don't know about you, but I think men are so much harder to shop for than women, especially if you are shopping on a budget.  I feel it is not difficult at all to buy for a man if you have a few hundred dollars to spend.  Most of my husband's wish list is comprised of tech and electronics items, all of which run from approximately $100 to $500.  As far as clothing goes, he is very brand-conscious.  Luckily, Marshalls and T.J.Maxx offer designer and brand name clothing, shoes, and accessories for men at a huge savings over upscale department stores.  To prove to me that it is easier to find a reasonably priced gift for men than I think, Marshalls sent my husband a gift card to shop . . .

When we walked into our local Marshalls, my husband was immediately drawn by the huge shoe department.  He is very hard on his shoes, so he always needs to replace his sneakers once or twice a year.  As I had previously mentioned, my husband associates specific brand names with quality based on past experience.  For athletic shoes, he mainly looks for New Balance or Nike.

One thing about shopping at Marshalls or T.J.Maxx is that you are usually treasure hunting.  For shoes, sometimes you may not find the size you are looking for.  There were about 8 or 9 pairs of sneakers my husband liked, but the size selection helped him narrow down his choices.  He ended up replacing his existing New Balance sneakers with this leather pair by the same brand.  They only cost $39.99 compared to a retail price of $59.00, which is what I would normally expect to pay for a decent pair of adult athletic shoes.  My husband was extremely happy to find a pair of New Balance sneakers that he liked and we were both more than pleased with the price for a pair of first quality brand name men's shoes.

Personally, I would not choose a pair of shoes on behalf of my husband as a gift since he is so particular.  I would buy him a gift card so he can shop for himself.  If you have not bought your significant other or your Dad a gift yet for Father's Day, I highly recommend a gift card to Marshalls or T.J.Maxx.  A gift card from either store will be accepted in both stores.  You can even order the gift cards online.  To learn more, visit MarshallsOnline.com and TJMaxx.com.


Thank you to Marshalls and T.J.Maxx for sending us a gift card to shop and share our experience with our readers, and also for providing a second gift card for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a $50 gift card valid at T.J.Maxx or Marshalls stores.

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me what you your favorite designer or brand name is for men's clothing, shoes, or accessories. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3)  For 5 extra entries each, sign up to receive email updates from Marshalls (top right of homepage) and/or from T.J.Maxx (top right of homepage). Then come back here and leave FIVE separate comments telling me you did for each.

4)  For 1 extra entry each, Friend me on Facebook and/or "Like" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5)  For 1 extra entry each, follow T.J.Maxx on Twitter and/or follow Marshalls on Twitter and/or "Like" T.J.Maxx on Facebook and/or "Like" Marshalls on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.


6)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, June 27th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Shop 'n' Share: Le Creuset Cobalt Blue Pitcher from Marshalls

Recently, I found myself with an hour to kill on Thursdays, so I have been spending the time browsing in several of my favorite stores.  One day, I was in Marshalls and I found what I consider to be a treasure.  It was this Le Creuset Stoneware Cobalt Blue 2-Quart Pitcher.  There was just one sitting there on the shelf in the midst of some other stoneware and it was in pristine condition.  I have several pieces from the Le Creuset "blue" collection and this "cobalt blue" was a close enough match.  Well, this pitcher retails for $55 and I bought it that day for $14.99.

Because I am such a nerd, even though I knew I got an amazing deal on this pitcher, I had to look around to see what its price was at other retailers . . .

• Chefs Catalog - $39.95
• Amazon.com - $39.95
• Macy's - $39.99
• Cookware.com - $39.95
• JCPenney - $24.99 (But no blue)
• Cooking.com - $39.95
• Linens-N-Things - $39.95
• Ebay (New) - $24.99

(The above prices do not include shipping and handling charges.)

I purchased this item with my own funds and did not receive any compensation for sharing this shopping experience with my readers.

T.J.Maxx & Marshalls On the Concept of Off-Price Retail

As one of the few retailers who have experienced a steady increase in customer count during this tough economy, T.J.Maxx and Marshalls are two stores you may want to check out while shopping for holiday gifts this year. Both are "off-price retailers", not to be confused with outlet stores, which often carry past season merchandise and product that is not first quality. Conversely, both T.J.Maxx and Marshalls stores carry over 95% first quality merchandise in fashions and home furnishings, most of which belong to the current season's lines.

In order to help dispel the myth that these two stores are only able to offer department store merchandise at 20% to 60% off retail because the merchandise is not top quality, The Marmaxx Group invited 23 bloggers to come to Boston to learn about what the buying team does to obtain such great prices on current first quality merchandise. Here are some of the highlights of what I learned during the Boston T.J.Maxx & Marshalls Event . . .

We heard from a handful of corporate representatives and buyers from The Marmaxx Group, including Laura McDowell, Manager of Media Relations (above) and Michael MacMillan, President of T.J.Maxx/Marshalls (below).

The following video only scratches the surface of what I learned during this event . . .

Here is a summary of how The Marmaxx Group is able to offer T.J.Maxx and Marshalls customers such low prices on the same merchandise department stores carry during the same season . . .

• The buyers are able to purchase large quantities of merchandise from one vendor because there are over 1700 stores combined between T.J.Maxx and Marshalls.
• The buyers purchase goods 40 out of 52 weeks each year, rather than seasonally. So they are still purchasing merchandise for holiday in November, rather than buying the same merchandise several months in advance. Owning their own distribution centers allows newly bought merchandise to be processed and shipped to the stores quickly.
• Since not all stores carry the same styles of merchandise and the identical merchandise is never placed in both T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores, the buyers can buy large or small quantities, depending on which will get them the best deal. They are able to take advantage of one-time opportunistic buying without restrictions for the most part.
• If merchandise does not sell, it is not returned to the vendors like with many retailers. Ultimately, if merchandise does not sell after it goes on clearance at the end of the season, it will be donated to charity.
• Aside from merchandise getting marked down to clearance at the end of the season, there are no promotional sales, so customers can drop by a store at anytime without wondering if they are getting the best price for current merchandise.
• The store fixtures and marketing are purposely simple to keep costs down.

During the event, we were given a very effective presentation demonstrating how the same merchandise is being sold in T.J.Maxx and Marshalls stores as in fine departments stores at a significant savings. Many times the product is identical and sometimes the difference in price was due to the merchandise being a different color.

There was certainly quite a bit of information packed into one day. The topic of off-price retail was only half of it. The other half of the day covered current trends and gift ideas. If time permits, I will share what I have learned on those topics in a future article.

For all you handbag addicts out there, I just had to include this photo of the sample room devoted to bags in the buying department at home office . . .

Although I did not receive compensation for sharing this information with my readers, The Marmaxx Group did cover all expenses associated with the event I attended and I did receive a gift card to shop as part of the event activities. All thoughts expressed in this article are my own.

Photos From Day 1 of the T.J.Maxx & Marshalls Event in Boston

On November 3rd and 4th, I had the pleasure of joining 22 other bloggers from around the country for an event hosted by T.J.Maxx and Marshalls in Boston. Yes, I have lived close to Boston my whole life, but it was still a treat to get away for one night, especially when it included a stay at the historic Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel.

I was thrilled to finally meet in person several bloggers I had known online for years. Yes, I had attended BlogHer 2010, but that event was all business and networking for me with very little socializing.

Photos from Day 1 . . .

This was my room at the Copley Plaza Hotel. Although all the rooms were so different in layout and square footage, they were all exquisite.

Our transportation to the restaurant that evening was a trolley complete with a built-in fireplace. The interior was decorated to get us in the holiday mindset.

We spent the evening at Boston's Post 390 Restaurant chatting and enjoying hor d'oeurves and cocktails with team members from The Marmaxx Group (Marshalls and T.J.Maxx), Rocket XL, and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. We all had a chance to talk about the strangest gift we had ever received and then we drew names for a fun Secret Santa shopping activity, in which we were given a $50 gift card to shop for our person. The trick was that we only had the last 20 minutes of that evening to learn what we could about that person without revealing that we were his or her Secret Santa.

(From left to right) Carrie Kabat (TJX), Sonya Cosentini (TJX), Laura McDowell (TJX)

(From left to right) Tesa of 2 Wired 2 Tired and Emilie of Baby Loving Mama

(From left to right) Kasandria of Southern Bella's Ways to Save and Jennifer of Mom Spotted

It was a great first night! Look for additional articles coming soon on the topics of what I learned about off-price retail, current trends, and gift ideas.

Although The Marmaxx Group covered the expenses associated with this trip and provided me with a gift card for a shopping activity, I was not compensated for sharing this information with my readers. As always, all thoughts published are my own.

Ruby Tuesday: Holiday Centerpiece

As I had previously mentioned, I attended a holiday blogger event for T.J.Maxx and Marshalls at the TJX Corporation home office last week. This was the centerpiece at the table where I sat in the conference room. I knew I had to capture this sparkling red to share for Ruby Tuesday. Again, I am kicking myself for not bringing along my digital SLR. Luckily my little point and shoot does a decent job for closeup shots.

(Click on image to enlarge)

If you'd like to see more Ruby Tuesday photos, go visit Mary at Work of the Poet!

Shop 'n' Share: Dorm Decor Essentials from Marshalls

I know it feels like summer just began a couple of weeks ago, but for those who will be heading off to college next month, it is time to focus on back-to-school. Furnishing a dorm room can become almost as costly as furnishing a small apartment if you do not know where to shop. That's why I went to my local Marshalls, one of the divisions of the TJX Corporation, to see what deals I could find and to report back to my readers.

After we picked up a pair of Ben 10 sport sandals for my son for about $10 and a pair of black capri leggings for me for just $6, I headed over to the home furnishings section while the rest of the family went to check out the toys. I was pretty impressed because there were several color coordinated displays set up to help make the process of decorating a dorm room much easier. If you're like me, then you will pick what you like from different collections to mix and match. If you like everything to match perfectly, then you will have it made because everything is already coordinated for you.

Here are just a few of the deals I jotted down:

• Fluffie Twin Blanket ($19.99)
• Coordinating Lamps ($29.99 each)
• Wide Assortment of Coordinating Picture Frames ($6.99 each)

• Tommy Hilfiger Twin Comforter & Sham Sets ($39.99 each)
• Furry Oversized Bolster Pillows ($12.99 each)
• Tommy Hilfiger Bath Towels ($4.99 each)

• Ralph Lauren Twin Down Alternative Comforter ($39.99)
• 300 Thread Count Twin Sheet Sets ($16.99 each)

There was a lot that was not worked into these displays, so do not forget to check out all the aisles for toss pillows galore and more. To find a Marshalls store location near you, visit MarshallsOnline.com . If you do not have a Marshalls close by, you can also find similar dorm and apartment furnishings at your local TJ Maxx store.

Please remember that the assortment may vary between store locations.

Thank you to TJX for giving us a gift card to shop so that we could report back to our readers with the deals we found.