Shoppers stormed TJ Maxx stores when they reopened, driving sales higher than last year

• TJ Maxx parent company TJX Companies said sales were up at stores that have reopened since shutting down in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
• "We believe this very strong start speaks to our compelling value proposition and the appeal of our treasure-hunt shopping experience, as well as pent-up demand," TJX President and CEO Ernie Herrman said in an earnings press release on Thursday.
• Photos of shoppers waiting in line to go inside reopened TJ Maxx stores circulated widely online earlier in May.

Shoppers were eager to return to TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods stores as they reopened this month, the retailers' parent TJX Companies said in its first-quarter earnings release.

In fact, the company said, sales at reopened stores were actually higher than they were during the same period last year.

"Initial sales overall have been above last year's sales across all states and countries for the over 1,100 stores that have been reopened for at least a week," the company said. "However, it is still early in the quarter and sales could fluctuate."

TJX closed all of its stores, distribution centers, and offices worldwide on March 19. It started reopening stores on May 2.

By Thursday, more than 1,600 stores were back open globally, including stores in 25 US states and all locations in Germany, Poland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Australia. It said it was expecting to be fully open by the end of June.

"Although it's still early and the retail environment remains uncertain, we have been encouraged with the very strong sales we have seen with our initial reopenings," TJX President and CEO Ernie Herrman said in the company's earnings release. "We believe this very strong start speaks to our compelling value proposition and the appeal of our treasure-hunt shopping experience, as well as pent-up demand."

Earlier in May, photos of shoppers waiting to be allowed inside TJ Maxx stores in some parts of the US circulated widely on social media. One tweet, showing shoppers at a store in Arkansas, has been retweeted more than 4,300 times and liked more than 13,500 times.

TJX reported a net loss of $887.5 million for the quarter ending May 2, largely due to pandemic-related store closures. The company's e-commerce sites were also shut down at the time.