Remember when Dorothy opened the door of her little black & white abode, and stood in awe as she gazed at the Technicolor world of Oz?
HomeGoods!
Okay, maybe that's pushing the drama a bit too far when referring to a shopping spree, but walking through the doors of an otherwise unpretentious storefront sporting the simple name, "HomeGoods" is a pretty cool experience! Especially when one is constricted to the proverbial straits of having "champagne taste on a beer budget."
Amass with color, the front of the store generally positions its featured displays with seasonal goods.
In springtime, the eye is captured with an array of pastel plates, delicate crystal goblets, specialty serving pieces and the like, in hues of pinks, lilacs, celedon and peach...
Oversized Margarita glasses, ceramic salsa & chip dishes, and every imaginable related accoutrement decorated in the vibrant colors of summer scream, "Let's have a back-yard or pool party!"
Autumn, of course, brings thoughts of chilly nights with homemade soups in fall-colored tureens accompanied by spicy apple cider in jumbo matte-finished pottery-style cups... a fusion of crimsons, golds, lodens and ambers.
And naturally, during the holiday season, the store is everything red and green, gold and silver, sparkly and dazzling ... and as overstuffed as Santa's sleigh!
That's just the FRONT of the store!
I believe the HomeGoods in my area opened 4 or 5 years ago. Chock-full of wonderful gift items for nearly every occasion, the store has added to its variety of offerings and departments over the years. It's become progressively better, with an increasingly wider selection of items. The store offers not only interesting, functional and beautiful items, but also uses the "rapid-changing merchandise strategy" of selling, which certainly lures buyers like me back frequently to peruse the wares, time and again. HomeGoods' selections fall in the category of home décor merchandise, including giftware, home basics, accent furniture, lamps, rugs, accessories, and seasonal merchandise at really great values.
Doing some research, I found that HomeGoods is one of several discount-priced stores operated under the umbrella of "The TJX Companies." Often, the chain operates in a standalone and/or superstore format, which couples HomeGoods with a T.J. Maxx or Marshalls.
The one I visit most often in Morton Grove also has a TJ Maxx in the strip.(By the way, the same mall has an Eddie Bauer outlet store, Old Navy, Shoe Carnival and a Loehmann's -- which I will review for you at another time. Great little mall, I've spent far too many entire days there!)
HomeGoods spans the gamut in pricing, themes, styles and articles.The bounty of inexpensive items is as expansive as mid-range to more upscale items.
For instance, you can purchase a fabulous little hostess gift for a few dollars, or spend $60 on a $300 "elsewear" wedding gift. Brand names abound. Not off-brands, but famous... as with some of their crystal - goblets, bowls, collectibles - which herald the prestigious stickers of Waterford, Baccarat, Versace, Mikasa, Lenox and Orrefors, to name a few.
Kitchen items and small appliances, like coffee-makers include Krups, Cuisinart, Expression, Bodum; you'll find a wonderful selection of pots & pans --mega-dollars below the major department stores -- like Calphalon, Le Creuset and Chantal.
Sorry, you'll have to do your own gift-wrapping and mailing.
But for a big-ticket items at these prices, what a small price to pay for a tiny inconvenience, eh?
HomeGoods mission is to deliver a rapidly changing assortment of quality, brand name merchandise at prices that are 20-60% less than department and specialty store regular prices, every day. The target customer is a middle to upper-middle income shopper, who is fashion- and value-conscious, and fits the same profile as a department store shopper.
If there's a drawback to shopping at a store like HomeGoods, it would be that you have to be flexible. For instance, you may find a great flatware pattern by Wallace or Reed & Barton, but not the one your cousin "registered" for at one of those "other" stores. However, she just might like that burled-oak Howard Miller mantle clock you saw in giftwares. After all, she listed "mantle clock" when she registered, but not any specific one, right?
Just something to think about...
Anyway, in my opinion, next time you're looking for a gift, new shower curtain, beautiful sheets ( yes, even 1000 TC Egyptian cotton!), a great sauce pan, fantastic centerpiece, candles, bath goods, a gorgeous room-sized rug, hand-blown vase, flavored vinegar or a Harry and David gift tower -- yes, specialty food items, too -- stop in at HomeGoods.
I promise, you won't be disappointed!
~ Terry
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