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It might always be "the old Conran shop" to some people, but that didn't seem to hurt the 59th Street TJ Maxx on its opening day. According to the Shophound, the launch this past Sunday was such a massive success that it took until Monday afternoon for staffers to finish restocking. Fighting his way through the crowds (including some gnarly-sounding "stroller gridlock around the elevator"), he found the new store heavy on clothing but light on designer names, aside from a small selection of Dolce & Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferré, Prada and Gucci.
Conran, of course, hasn't left entirely: It relocated to ABC Carpet. Still, it's hard not to mourn the stand-alone location of the British design shop, especially since it was the only such store in the United States. (Conran and TJ Maxx are both chains, but the Conran website lists a total of eight locations, most of them in Europe or Japan.) Then again, Conran's prices are high, and we're living in a discount moment. Look for TJ Maxx to add another number to its ranks at Columbus Circle in November, and for its parent company to open a Marshalls in Chelsea bright and early this Thursday morning.
· T.J.Maxx Takes Over With A Double Header Plus A Marshalls [The Shophound]
· RackedWire: TJ Maxx Nearly Ready [Racked NY]
· Conran and ABC, Sitting in a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G [Racked NY]