Who among us hasn’t burned a good chunk of the day wandering the racks of a T.J. Maxx or Marshalls, searching for the next item that might truly surprise us? You might go in looking for one thing and come out with quite another, but it turns out that there can — and, perhaps, should — be a method to the madness.
There are certain items you absolutely must buy at discount stores and others that you should probably avoid. Although discount department stores are a big business in the United States, their annual sales have actually been relatively steadily descending since 2001, according to Statista. In 2023, sales at discount department stores totaled just over $102 billion, slightly down from 2022’s $103.
7 billion. But make no mistake: Americans love their big-box sale stores. In fact, discount stores are some of the fastest-growing retail companies in the country, according to research from the National Retail Federation .
Stores like Five Below and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet saw more than 15% growth from 2022 to 2023, outranking stores like Burlington and Grocery Outlet. Here’s the rub: Consumers are so motivated to get a good bargain that they don’t really care about the rest of the retail experience. More than 75% of respondents said they did not expect to be able to purchase online with in-store pick-up, free two-day shipping, product reviews or an “entertaining” shopping experience — all they really wanted was a low price.
America’s love for discounted .
