By Rhea Choudhary | Arts & Life Writer
For Baylor students used to making a trip to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Austin or even Houston just for their TJ Maxx fix, the wait is almost over.
TJ Maxx is set to open its first Waco location late September at 4328 W. Waco Drive, about 10 minutes away from Baylor, taking over the former OfficeMax space.
According to a Facebook post by Bradley Vaughn, chief photographer for KWTX, renovations began May 4, with work scheduled to wrap up around Sept. 24 ahead of the store’s expected opening. The roughly 24,000-square-foot store will bring the discount retailer to Waco for the first time.
Frisco sophomore London Rambo said the current lack of stores like TJ Maxx is noticeable for students who come from hometowns with large shopping complexes, such as the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“There are not a lot of decorational stores in Waco,” Rambo said. “Coming from DFW, we had TJ Maxx … and the places that had little knickknacks and cute stuff; we don’t really have that out here. The only thing that we could really get things from was Target and they are the only place that has cute stuff, and Target is incredibly expensive and since it is the only place, it runs out so quickly, so I think [TJ Maxx] is a very viable option for resources.”
As such, the store can provide Dallas-Fort Worth students with access to the type of inexpensive home goods and decor they have back home.
However, because of the timing, Frisco sophomore Jasmine Khanhkham is not convinced Baylor students will immediately rush to the new store.
“I do not think people would be going this semester or next semester because everybody has already kind of decorated since they just moved in to their dorms and apartments,” Khanhkham said. “So, TJ Maxx does not really have anything that they would need other than just their ‘wants,’ so I think people would mostly go next year.”
At a larger scale, the arrival comes as Waco continues to attract nationally recognized retailers. According to a KCEN report by Adrian Carbajal published in July, city officials have spent years working to bring major brands to Waco, using retail data and market research to show companies that the city can support additional locations. That effort includes TJ Maxx.
“From TJ Maxx and Sprouts to Waffle House and Bass Pro Shops, Waco has seen an influx of major brands in recent years,” the report reads. “According to Interim Economic Development Director Jeremy Pesina, the city’s success comes from years of research, relationship-building and persistence.”
Pesina told KCEN that Waco officials spent about four years courting the retailer. Initially, company representatives believed Waco’s existing Marshalls and HomeGoods locations were enough to serve the market. City officials continued providing updated visitation and market data before TJ Maxx eventually agreed to move forward with a Waco location.
Now the construction is a preview of 24,000 square feet of potential decor finds, discounted clothes and plenty of future TJ Maxx hauls.
“I think [TJ Maxx] is a great resource for specifically incoming kids who don’t really know what to decorate their apartment with, because it is a cheap and reliable option,” Rambo said.
