What's going on?

Shares of TJX Companies � the owner of discount retail store TJ Maxx in the US and TK Maxx in Europe � rose by 3% on Tuesday after it reported first-quarter results that were more flattering than investors expected.

What does this mean?

Sales in the past three months were 3% higher than the same time last year (at stores open for at least twelve months) compared to 2.5% expected by investors. TJX has managed to avoid much of the tough competition facing other retailers by focusing on customers hungry for a bargain on big brands (remember, most people haven�t had a real pay rise in ages). Last quarter the company opened 71 stores � in vast contrast to others.

Why should I care?

The bigger picture: It�s been a pretty good quarter for retailers.

TJX can add its name to the list of brick-and-mortar retailers that have impressed investors with better-than-expected quarterly results, including Walmart, Macy�s and Burberry. In some cases, tech tie-ups have helped to kickstart retailers� recoveries. Lowe�s, however, is hoping that poaching JCPenney�s CEO on Tuesday will help it to catch up with rival, Home Depot. Investors appear to share that optimism � Lowe�s stock fell by just 1% compared to JCPenney�s 5% slide.

For markets: All that glitters ain�t gold.

Department store Kohl�s also reported first quarter results on Tuesday. Its sales and profits were better than investors forecasted � partly helped by new deals with Amazon and Aldi � initially sending the stock higher. But investors later uncovered (on a conference call � awkward) that the timing of a special sales event helped boost the quarter�s sales, revealing a slightly less rosy picture at the company for the rest of the year � and the stock ultimately sunk by 7%.