T.J. Maxx, Discount Rivals Hunker Down With No Online Options

  • Companies brushed off e-commerce favored by department stores
  • Shoppers may no longer want to dig through discount bins
An empty parking lot outside a closed T.J. Maxx store in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, on April 16.Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
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For years, discount retailers like T.J. Maxx and Ross have been eating their rivals’ lunch as consumers warmed to the thrill of shopping as a treasure hunt experience.

But Covid-19 has revealed a key weakness in the discount playbook: almost no e-commerce.