This is the latest win for McCann, which picked up business with Durex last month and Smirnoff in November of last year. The agency's Detroit office also recently won Beautyrest as a client. The win also marks an extension of McCann's existing relationship with TJX; the agency picked up duties for HomeGoods in 2017.
“The chemistry and shared ambition between our team at McCann and TJ Maxx was felt throughout the entire process,” McCann wrote in a statement, adding that the agency plans to take the brand to the “next level.”
TJ Maxx made some noise last year with the first campaign it ran from Mullen. That push included a focus on female empowerment exemplified by a diverse range of women of different ethnicities and body types.
Such marketing, along with the chain’s trendy assortment of value-laden apparel and accessories, is helping TJ Maxx see positive sales at a time when consumers are watching their wallets. In the first quarter, parent company TJX reported $11.8 billion in net sales, a 3.3% rise over the year-earlier period. In the U.S., sales of MarMaxx, which includes TJ Maxx and its sister brands Marshalls and Sierra, rose 7% to $7.4 billion in the period.
The chain is benefitting from what one analyst calls a “flight to value,” in which shoppers are seeking out discounts and deals in apparel.
“TJ Maxx continues to benefit from its strong assortment of more dressy styles for work, occasions, and travel—all of which are firmly on the consumer radar at this time,” wrote Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, in a recent research note, noting that the brand has an edge over rivals such as Ross, which is more casual, and Nordstrom Rack, which is not as specific.
