T.K. Maxx

Infobox_Company | company_name = T.K. Maxx | company_| company_type = Subsidiary of TJX Companies | company_slogan = “Designer Labels for Less” | foundation = 1994 | location = Watford, United Kingdom | industry = Retail | products = Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewellery, beauty products, toys and housewares. | homepage = [http://www.tkmaxx.com/ www.tkmaxx.com] |

T.K. Maxx is a chain of off-price department stores in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Germany [cite news |first = |last = |url = http://www.tjx.com/about/tkmaxx.html
title = About T.K. Maxx |publisher = T.K. Maxx |date= | accessdate = 2008-08-10] . The company is part of the TJX Companies which also owns other department store companies such as T.J. Maxx. They offer brand name clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, beauty products, and housewares.

History

The first T.K. Maxx opened in Bristol in 1994. [cite news |first = |last = Hoovers |url = http://www.answers.com/topic/the-tjx-companies-inc?cat=biz-fin
title = The TJX Companies, Inc |publisher = Answers.com |date= | accessdate = 2007-06-25] In 2006, the 210th store opened. T.K. Maxx's United States parent company, T.J. Maxx, adopted the name T.K. Maxx to avoid confusion with the existing but separate discount chain T J HughesFact|date=April 2007.In 2007 T.K. Maxx will begin a slowing down of new store openings within the UK. Focus will be given to revamping older inner city stores and developing individual brands, such as Kids Maxx and HomeSense.Fact|date=March 2007 The company also intends expansion into the German market. The first store in Germany opened on 4 October 2007 in Lübeck. [cite news |first = |last = |url = http://www.tjx.com/about/tkmaxx.html
title = About T.K. Maxx |publisher = T.K. Maxx |date= | accessdate = 2007-06-25] The chain hopes that this will be more successful than the company's earlier attempt at opening stores in the Netherlands between 1999 and 2001.

In the UK in 2007 T.K. Maxx was an active participant of Comic Relief, having been the sole retailer of the Red Nose Day t-shirts which generated £2 million to the Comic Relief cause. [cite news |first = |last = |url = http://www.rednoseday.com/partners/t-k-maxx/
title = Red Nose Day Partners |publisher = Comic Relief |date= 2007-06-25 | accessdate = 2007-06-25]

On 1 May 2008, T.K. Maxx opened a new store in the Republic of Ireland at Carrickmines in South Dublin. T.K. Maxx also operate an outlet on Cornmarket St., Cork which opened as of 21 August 2008.

In October 2008, T.K. Maxx will be opening its largest store in Leeds.

Credit card fraud

In March 2007, the company was at the centre of major credit card fraud. Details of customers’ credit cards and debit cards were accessed by computer hackers, exposing 45 million customers to theft. According to the store this affected customers who used their card between January 2003 and June 2004 at any branch of T.K. Maxx. [cite news |first = |last = |url = http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/consumer_affairs/article1588849.ece
title = Millions are caught in great credit card heist |publisher = TimesOnline.co.uk |date= 2007-03-30 |accessdate = 2007-06-25] Outside security provider Protegrity has estimated that T.K. Maxx's losses as a result of the data breach may reach 800 million Pounds Sterling in the years to come. The losses would come as a result of paying for credit checks and admistrative costs poor in managing the fallout from the breach. [cite news |first =Dunn |last =John E. |url = http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/security/data-control/news/index.cfm?newsid=3442
title = T.K. Maxx data breach costs could hit £800m |publisher = [http://www.ComputerWorldUK.com|ComputerworldUK] |date= 2007-06-12 |accessdate = 2007-06-25]

Notes

ee also

*T.J. Maxx
*TJX Companies

External links

* [http://www.tkmaxx.com/ T.K. Maxx Official Website]
* [http://www.tjx.com/ TJX Companies Official Website]