TK Maxx refute Prince Harry’s 'annual sale' shopping claim saying they 'don't actually do sales

(Image credit: Taylor Hill/WireImage and Lukasz Sokul/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Future)

published 15 January 2023

Following Prince Harry's (opens in new tab) claim in Spare that he was "particularly fond" of the discount store TK Maxx's annual sale, the retailer has hit back saying they 'don't actually do sales.'

TK Maxx has said they 'don't actually do sales,' after Prince Harry claimed he was 'particularly fond' of their annual sale and bought his 'everyday clothes' from the discount retailer.
In his memoir, Spare (opens in new tab), Prince Harry shared his 'system' for shopping in the TK Maxx store, detailing a bizarrely specific method of clothes shopping.
In other royal news (opens in new tab), Prince Harry’s ghostwriter speaks out over alleged inaccuracies in Spare (opens in new tab).

Of all the claims made by Prince Harry in his scathing memoir, Spare, the revelation of his TK Maxx shopping trips may be one of the most bizarre. But in a strange twist of events, the discount retailer has now refuted his claim.

In the pages of Spare, Harry detailed how he would shop for his clothes in TK Maxx's "annual sale," but the retailer has now revealed that this is not something they even offer.

Harry explained that, despite receiving an clothing allowance from his father for official outfits, he would shop for his 'everyday casual clothes' in the discount store TK Maxx, and added that he was "particularly fond" of their annual sale.

Now, a spokesperson from TK Maxx has debunked this claim, telling Express.co.uk, "Whilst we're delighted Prince Harry is a big fan, we thought we should explain we don't actually do sales. Instead, we offer great value, style, and savings all year round." The retailer's comment directly contradicts Harry's claim.

Writing in his memoir, he revealed how he "didn't fundamentally believe in fashion" when he was younger and turned to TK Maxx to buy his everyday wear in bulk once a year. While there is nothing strange about that comment, he then claimed to have a very specific "system" for his visits to the store, working his way around the clothing in just 15 minutes.

Harry said, "I was particularly fond of their once-a-year sale, when they'd be flush with items from Gap or J.Crew, items that had just gone out of season or were slightly damaged.

"If you timed it right, got there on the first day of the sale, you could snag the same clothes that others were paying top prices for down the high street! With two hundred quid you could look like a fashion plate."

Harry then goes on to detail his unusual method for shopping, which began with getting to the store just 15 minutes before it closed.

From there, he would "systematically" work his way along the clothing racks, avoiding the changing room by simply holding items he liked up against his body to see how they looked. He added that he never "dawdled" over the colour or style of clothing, instead picking out anything that simply looked "nice" or "comfortable".

When the 15 minutes were up and the store was closing, Harry claims he would leave with two large bags of shopping, "feeling triumphant" that he wouldn't have to think about buying clothes again for a while.

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is royal news and entertainment writer for Goodto.com. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.