The TJX Companies was founded on the core values of integrity and treating people with respect and fairness. We remain committed to these values and continue to challenge ourselves to improve the ways in which we embrace and leverage differences among people, whether they are our Associates, customers, vendors or the community at large. Indeed, we are committed, at the Board of Directors level and throughout the organization, to strengthening our position as a Company of Choice.

With almost 130,000 Associates and more than 2,500 stores worldwide at 2007’s year-end, we, at TJX, recognize that it is essential to our growth and success to represent, understand and leverage differences and diversity inside and outside our organization. In the U.S., which compromises the vast majority of TJX’s Associates, our associate-base as of the end of 2007 was over 75% women and about 50% minorities, and our management was comprised of about 60% women and approximately 25% minorities. Our merchant organization, with over 500 buyers, travels globally and sources from 10,000 vendors in over 60 countries. We are proud of our diverse workforce and vendor base, and realize that our work must continue in order to meet and exceed the expectations of our increasingly diverse customers, Associates, vendors and communities.

Action and Progress
TJX has been diligently working towards a more inclusive work environment and Company. In 2007, with the help of the TJX Advisory Board on Difference and Diversity, a committee of outside experts and thought leaders on diversity and difference, and three internal Leveraging Differences Task Forces focused on Age and Generation, Race and Culture, and Gender and Sexual Orientation, TJX adopted a new vision and strategy to help us more effectively leverage differences and diversity.

With a vision and strategy in place, TJX is reaching out to additional thought leaders to serve on its Advisory Board for the next phase of our efforts. We are grateful to those who served as our initial Advisors for the purpose of developing our vision and strategy. We made significant progress in our diversity efforts in 2007, but our work continues, as we seek to improve the ways in which we leverage differences among us. Members of the internal Leveraging Differences Task Forces will continue to inform and guide the Company on the implementation of our new vision and the strategic steps needed to integrate it throughout our organization.

A New Vision: A Company of Choice

The TJX Companies recognizes the importance of its being a Company of Choice where every customer and Associate feels valued and finds value. Being a Company of Choice means:

• TJX businesses are each a Retailer of Choice for increasingly diverse and international customer and vendor communities;
  
  
• TJX is an Employer of Choice for increasingly diverse and international talent; and
  
  
• TJX businesses are a corporate Neighbor of Choice for the neighborhoods and communities where our stores, distribution centers and offices are located.

Between 2008 and 2012, TJX expects to implement many of the strategic recommendations from the Task Forces. As a Company of Choice, TJX expects to produce increasingly profitable growth linked directly to leveraging differences and diversity among our businesses, Associates, customers, vendors and communities.

As the Company prioritizes and implements its new vision and strategy to become a Company of Choice, we continue our efforts with our Associate Resource Groups, Learning and Development Programs, Supplier Diversity Program and Community Relations.

Associate Resource Groups
We have three authorized Associate resource groups operating from our Home Office. These are groups to which any Associate may belong, offering networking and career development support, and providing business information, education and ideas to the Company. The three TJX resource groups are the Minorities and People of Color Affinity Group (MPC), Women Adding Value Everyday (WAVE) and PRIDE, a TJX Resource Group for Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgendered People and Friends. Each group is chartered, provided an annual operating budget and a liaison from Human Resources.

Learning and Training Related to Differences and Diversity
At TJX, we believe that learning related to leveraging differences, diversity, equity, and inclusion should be tailored to the Associate's role and business context. Respect and fairness are core values throughout the Company and our commitment to leveraging differences is universal. However, diversity-related learning in Canada varies from the U.S., for example, as it does from Home Office to store operations.

New employees at our Home Office attend a course entitled "Understanding Our Business", which teaches aspects of off-price retailing, Company culture and values, and TJX's commitment to leveraging differences. The course also addresses working well with peers who are different from oneself.

Company management development courses about leading teams and giving feedback address how to manage the differences among Associates. Team development programs address differences that can impact Associates as they work together.

In addition, tailored programs related to leveraging differences and diversity to support a particular group or business unit are created and offered as business objectives warrant.

In Canada, a program titled "The Equitable Leader" is now being offered to leaders throughout the Canadian businesses. In the U.S., new opportunities for managers to develop core skills for leveraging differences and managing for inclusion are being designed for use in the coming year.

Supplier Diversity Program
We recently enhanced our on-line registration process for our long-standing Supplier Diversity Program. The more use-friendly process makes it easy for existing and new vendors to participate in this successful program. By streamlining the registration process, the Supplier Diversity Program can shift more of its attention to strengthening and building vendor relationships that will help the Company drive profitable growth through effectively leveraging differences.

Community Relations
The mission of TJX Community Relations is to help TJX sustain its commitment to corporate social responsibility and make a positive impact in the communities in which we do business. TJX considers every neighborhood in which we do business as our community. As such, we endeavor to enrich the lives of both our Associates who live and work in these communities as well as our widely diverse neighbors. We build and maintain relationships and develop outreach programs that support or enhance the communities in order to contribute to TJX’s business goals. To accomplish this, we partner with a host of local and national affiliates including charities and non-profits, schools and educational initiatives, professional and cultural organizations, and our customers. Increasingly, The TJX Foundation and TJX Community Relations are collaborating with TJX’s regional and local Associates to identify appropriate organizations with which to partner. TJX Associates also donate volunteer time to some of our local organizational partners.

TJX’s Associate Code of Conduct
TJX’s Associate Code of Conduct states that our Company benefits from a diverse workforce that recognizes its differences as well as its similarities. This adds to our culture of openness, teamwork and mutual respect.

The Code further states that TJX values diversity in individuals, including the unique set of abilities and perspectives that each Associate brings to the Company, reflecting his/her own life experiences. TJX is committed to creating and supporting a diverse workforce where we respect one another for the value each of us brings to the workplace.

TJX Careers
At TJX, we recognize people for both their expertise and their individual experiences. We know that having a diverse workforce gives us all a broader perspective and makes us better able to serve the needs of an ever-changing consumer base. One of the reasons our work environment is so vital is because of the diversity of ideas, backgrounds, interests and viewpoints.