Off-pricers have enjoyed a certain durability uncommon to retailers that sell mostly apparel. They tend to shrug off macroeconomic challenges and often thrive as other retailers falter. These players did relatively well during the Great Recession and even rode out the pandemic despite most having little to no e-commerce. The three major chains, TJX Companies, Ross and Burlington, bounced back from that last year and often beat expectations.
There are various reasons for this. For one thing, consumers from all income groups frequent their stores — for the cheaper prices, the treasure hunt or both. For another, supply chain disruptions that wreak havoc on wholesalers, department stores and specialty stores sometimes translate to a refreshed pipeline of merchandise for off-price stores.
