It turns out that despite the decline in retail sales, or maybe because of it, some companies might be gaining.
TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX), owner of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and Home Goods, is an off-price reseller that doesn't necessarily follow the same sales patterns as traditional retail channels. When economic times are good, customers spend more in retail. But when times are bad, people still need basic necessities, and they're more likely to shop at an off-price store.
In the current situation, retail is suffering for other reasons, including changing sales patterns, and off-price is flourishing.