Throughout all of our divisions, our contract with our customers is to offer great value on a rapidly changing merchandise assortment, every day. We take this contract very seriously, as we know that our customers are savvy shoppers who understand what real value is all about. We define value as having four major components: brand name, quality, fashion and price.

Our experienced off-price buyers know that a buy must offer great value. If the opportunity does not meet our high standards of value, our buyers are trained to be disciplined to pass on the buy, confident that there are plentiful opportunities in the marketplace that do satisfy our criteria.

Our customers shop our stores frequently, knowing that they will find a wide selection of apparel and home fashions at excellent prices whenever they visit. They do not expect to see a specific item or a specific brand name. Rather, they enjoy the “treasure hunt” aspect of finding great off-price bargains on a fresh merchandise assortment each time they shop our stores. We do not confuse our customers with fluctuating “up and down” prices or “sales.” Rather, we have built credibility with our customers so that they have confidence in our values — all of the time.

Our marketing strategies are also geared to deliver a consistent and clear message to our customers. We seldom engage in what the industry calls “price and item” advertising. Rather, since our mission is to deliver compelling values on a day-in and day-out basis, our advertising campaigns position our various businesses as places to find great values, emphasizing “top of mind” awareness.

Another way in which we establish and maintain credibility with our customers is through our “compare at” prices. Our merchandise tickets show a “compare at” price which represents the price for which an item would typically sell at a traditional department or specialty store. Our customers are very smart shoppers and we go to great lengths to ensure that our “compare at” prices are accurate, often being conservative in stating them.

Customer service is another important area in which integrity plays a major role. If a customer has a problem, we go out of our way to address the issue in an honest and open manner. Our policies are customer friendly because we believe in treating our customers with the respect they deserve. We believe that all of these practices have created a long-standing bond of goodwill and trust with our large base of loyal customers.