• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, April 20, 2007

After learning that 15% of women love to boast about their fashion finds, T.J. Maxx is launching a new ad campaign based on those tales of glory. Called "Maxx Moments," the new ads celebrate not just the shopping but the blabbing that follows. The Framingham, Mass.-based retailer also found that only 2% of women are inclined to brag about their high-end shopping habits.

And that represents something of a shopping sea change: "Ten years ago, we found that people wouldn't disclose where they shopped and saved, and instead they talked about their extravagant purchases. Now, it has become more and more common and engrained in our culture to brag about your smart shopping success stories," the company said in its announcement.

In fact, for some women, saving and telling is clearly more satisfying than simply finding a good deal. An online poll of 7,300 women found that 25% immediately phone someone to share their shopping prowess. (About 37% tell a friend, 16% tell Mom, and 9% call their husbands.)

Ads are running on TV, radio and in store. The company also launched maxxmoments.com, so shoppers can post their boasts and enter a gift-card contest.

Parent company TJX, which also owns other discounters, including Marshall's, continues to struggle with the fallout of its massive security failure. Announced earlier this year, it is believed to be the biggest retail heist ever, involving data from more than 451,000 customers. Its T.J. Maxx division is the largest off-price retailer in the U.S., with more than 800 stores.