Hoping some Scoopers with a Retail/Merchandising background can answer the following:

Why have apparel options at Marshalls and TJ Maxx stores been so threadbare the last couple of years?  They don't get anywhere near the same selection of brands that they used to and the quality of what they do get has declined precipitously over the last couple of years.   I get that neither has ever been anything close to even mid-range, let alone upscale but you used to at least occasionally be able to score halfway decent stuff like Brooks Bros and legit Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts (not their lower end "LAUREN" line) and the like for a reasonable price.  It was always hit or miss (mostly miss 75% of the time) BUT you could still find something decent once in while.  No longer.   Although I rarely bought clothing anyone can see at either of those places, they were great for basics like underwear and T-Shirts.   They don't even get the decent brands for those anymore so it's frustrating.   On the slightly higher end, the quality of merch at Saks Off 5th and Nordstrom Rack has also declined considerably.  I was always aware that even back in the day, those places hardly sold anything that was ever actually on offer at a full service Saks or Nordstrom, but that was ok because you could still get decent stuff.   Largely untrue today.  If you take an average pair of jeans and look under the hood the quality of the rivets and zippers is garbage now as is the quality of the fabric used to make the pockets.  It's very thin and not the heavy canvas they used to be routinely be made of.   To get that quality today you have to go to a high end specialty brand like Tellason, APC or Japanese brands and pay well over $200.

Blame covid...da gift dat keeps on givin', hey?

Companies are reducing SKUs in order to maintain in stock levels on Merchandise that moves. The Covid supply chain ripple effect is still a factor in many industries . Primarily the chip shortage which is now about over. Retail merchandising has long lead times as they deal primarily with foreign production.

My guess is the situation you are experiencing will change as the economy slows and retailers will need to liquidate better classes of inventory.

She's a kid who plays chess.  Translating her chess play to anything but chess is infantile.

Strange adjective, but it can work.

Remember the movie Chasing Bobby Fischer? The kid was being relentlessly pushed by both his father and a chess coach. They wanted him to be a merciless player, shredding his opponents. To be medieval, bludgeoning his opponents.

The italicized words (other than the movie title are, of course, Muggsyisms and appeared in this thread. The same scooper who called for seizing the oil fields in the Mid East and is in favor of sending the American military to take out the bad guys around the globe. He's one tough little guy behind his keyboard.

Fortunately, the kid's mother in Chasing Bobby Fischer came down on the father and the coach like a ton of bricks. Remember when the kid threw a game because he obviously wanted out? And have a chance to just be a kid and enjoy other things? I think THAT was what the movie was really about.

Muggsy seems to want to relive his childhood vicariously through a 9-year-old girl. I really hope she has a wide range of interests and is allowed by her parents to just be a kid. Muggsy's non-stop use of aggressive words in his posts-whether here or in basketball threads- is very character revealing.

Blame covid...da gift dat keeps on givin', hey?

Many of those crimes consisted of merely walking into the Capitol

Riiiggghhhht. And the Barrow Gang just made a bunch of bank withdrawals.

and you’re happy that fellow Americans are held for years without even seeing a court to defend themselves ?

Name one 1/6 defendant who's been held for years without seeing a court to defend him/herself.
I have access to PACER. I'll tell you when, where and how often they've seen a court.

Let’s vote for the administration who also admits 10MM unvetted coming for free stuff; then surreptitiously dumps them in unsuspecting cities in the dead of night. Nice

Are you talking about Abbott or DeSantis?

Levi's 541 jeans are my favorite Levi's ever.   They were smart enough to adapt with the times and put some stretch in there, reacting to all of the activewear.  $200?   Never.

  As to the others, I haven't bought anything from any of them in at least a decade, so I have no opinion.