Nation's largest off-price retailers launch integrated campaign to save shoppers from spending too much on fashion FRAMINGHAM, Mass., May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today more than ever, consumers are looking for a better way to shop. They don't want to overspend, and they don't want to pay high prices for high-quality merchandise. They want the same merchandise they were buying before the recession hit, but don't want to spend as much to get it. According to a recent Roper Report, value is not all about low cost to consumers, even in this recession; consumers feel now, more than ever, quality products that last are the ones that provide real value. A 2008 Yankelovich study found that 70% of consumers who note having high-anxiety in this economy still say they want to be able to buy the splurge item they want without increasing their debt. With consumers demanding high-quality merchandise at low prices, off-price retailers T.J. Maxx and Marshalls are taking this opportunity to launch an integrated campaign asking shoppers to re-think their retail choices and join them in a national spending intervention to stop spending too much on fashion. There is no need to clip coupons, wait for a sale or show up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday to get a great deal. When you shop off-price you can get brand names and designer labels for up to 60 percent off, every day. Since January 2009, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls have saved consumers more than one billion dollars compared to department and specialty stores prices, and the savings continue to rack up. With more and more consumers walking into these retailers looking for high-quality, low-priced merchandise in this economy, the two brands have joined forces to educate consumers on the off-price category and this better way to shop. "We want consumers to join us in taking a stand against all those tricky games retailers are playing with coupons, specials and one-time offers. T.J. Maxx and Marshalls have millions of followers who already know that you don't have to pay full-price or wait for a 'deal' to get those same high-quality designer fashions. We want to let everyone who doesn't understand our concept know that it's not too good to be true!" said Laura McDowell, spokesperson for T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. "Consumers can feel good about their purchases when shopping our stores because they are making smart spending decisions, and they are getting high-quality merchandise at amazing savings." National Spending Intervention Integrated Program Launches with Advertising Campaign For the first time ever, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls will be featured together in television spots to educate on this better way to shop option for consumers who don't understand the off-price retail concept. In the ads, a group of girlfriends stage an intervention on their friend who spends too much on her fashion buys, and they show her that there is a better way to shop and save. "We created this campaign with the intention of rallying consumers across the country to spread the word that you don't have to pay a lot for great quality, current season designer fashions," said McDowell. "Also, you don't need to 'trade down' to discount stores and sacrifice quality, just for a low price. In this economy, we feel especially compelled to get the word out to consumers everywhere to stop them from overpaying." This campaign will also feature a guerilla marketing tour that will visit nine cities across the U.S. with live street theatre performing spending interventions. To show consumers how much they can save just by re-thinking retail, a roving billboard will also travel, displaying the two ads, and showing examples of the exact same, current season designer merchandise found at department stores and off-price retailers at the same time. The tour will visit New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlanta, San Francisco and Miami. For additional information please visit http://pimsmultimedia.com/TJX_2009/. About T.J. Maxx T.J. Maxx is a Massachusetts-based off-price retailer with more than 875 stores nationwide. The stores offer amazing savings every day on brand name and designer fashions for the entire family and home. You can also find an incredible, ever-changing assortment of accessories; including jewelry, ladies' shoes, handbags, belts and luggage. With new merchandise arriving every week to each store, it's a whole new store every time you shop! For the nearest T.J. Maxx store, call 1-800-2TJ-MAXX or visit tjmaxx.com. For merchandise, additional photography or jpegs, and/or spokesperson interviews log onto http://media.tjmaxx.com/. About Marshalls Marshalls is one of the nation's leading off-price family apparel and home fashion retailers with over 800 stores spanning 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls offers a wide selection of current season, top quality, brand name fashions for the entire family as well as giftware and domestics for the home at prices 20-60% less than department stores, specialty boutiques and catalogs. For merchandise, additional photography or jpegs, and/or spokesperson interviews log onto http://media.marshallsonline.com/. DATASOURCE: T.J. Maxx; Marshalls CONTACT: Colleen McCarthy of Ogilvy Public Relations for T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, +1-212-880-5280, Web Site: http://www.tjmaxx.com/ http://www.marshallsonline.com/

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