10 Surprising Things You Never Knew About HomeGoods

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Raise your hand if you consider HomeGoods your "happy place." (Us too.) But how much do you really know about this household retail giant? Probably not a lot, especially since the company is super tight-lipped about their vendors and strategy. But here's everything you need to know about one of our favorite off-price home stores:

1. The company dates back to 1919.

It was founded by two brothers, Max and Morris Feldberg, and was called the New England Trading Company. However, later generations opened a series of new stores (like Zayre in the 1950s, T.J. Maxx in 1977, and finally HomeGoods as an off-price model in 1992) and the powerhouse company now just goes by "TJX."

2. And it's based in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Yes, the same city that's best known for the Framingham Heart Study, which is a research project that has existed for decades and tracks the health of the city's residents.

3. The first store sold something very surprising — women's hosiery.

For the sake of all of our homes, we're very glad the company refocused.

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4. Today, TJX is the leading off-price apparel and home retailer.

It boasts nearly 3,300 stores worldwide, three e-commerce sites, and 198,000 associates.

5. Forbes ranked the CEO as the 76th most powerful woman in the world in 2015.

Carol Meyrowitz made waves in early 2015 when she announced she was going to follow in Walmart's footsteps and increase the minimum wage for hourly U.S. employees to $ per hour. On top of that, the company's profits have nearly tripled since she took over in 2007.

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6. Products are sourced from over 17,000 different vendors.

And they span more than 100 countries.

7. But the company is notorious for its secretive habits.

In fact, Meyrowitz frequently refers to the company's close-mouthed sourcing as their "secret sauce," which she explained to USA Today: "We're absolutely fine with every vendor saying they don't do business with us. It's a very important part of our relationship."

8. No, you're not buying past-season stuff.

The company just practices "opportunistic buying," which is very different from most retailers who order products six to nine months in advance and only four times per year. At HomeGoods buyers hunt for items 40 weeks out of the year, which allows them to acquire stock other retailers passed on only a few months earlier — even though they're still in season.

9. The company loves to partner with celebrity stylists.

Like party and wedding planner Mindy Weiss, who set out to prove that there are affordable ways to entertain, too.

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10. And they even offer inspiration on a curated blog.

It's called designHappy and features ideas and inspiration for every inch of your home — so now you have no excuses not to hit up your local store for new furnishings and accessories to make over your home.

From: Good Housekeeping US

By Lauren Smith