TJ Maxx crushes sales by offering America "affordable splurge" vibes

Coming in hot off the rack... Discount retail giant TJX is the company behind TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Homegoods (the "treat-yo-self-without-going-broke" trifecta). It reported expectations-shattering sales growth, sending its stock up 7% to a record high. We'll discount the details for you:

• TJX: Quarterly same-store sales popped 6% from last year with $985M in profit. TJX has opened ~1,100 stores over the past 5 years and its market value is a whopping (and surprising) $77B (that's 7 Lyfts) — for reference, Macy's is $4B. On that note...
• Retail peers didn't fare as well: Burlington's sales (you know, the Coat Factory) grew a measly 0.6% last quarter while Macy's dipped 0.5%. Meanwhile, JCPenney hasn't posted a gain since 2017, and last month announced it was closing 6 more stores. Oh, and JCP's stock costs less than $1.

It's beating the retail-apocalypse... With brick-and-mortar retail stores closing all over, TJX stands apart from the rest. Part of its success is in creating the "treasure hunt shopping experience" — nothing beats finding a $40 Michael Kors purse in a heap of sweaters.