Yesterday T.J. Maxx announced that third-quarter earnings surged ahead 47% as the company attracted great-recession-weary shoppers to its stores. Oh, and there might have been a “hostage” situation in one of its Florida stores.

The MSNBC says that police are currently looking for two suspects that attempted to rob the T.J. Maxx in Venice, FL Tuesday night.

Details are sketchy and conflicting but according to some witnesses and news reports two gunmen in ski-masks stormed the store and there may have been some hostages taken. The suspects left before police arrived.

Police have not released descriptions of the suspects. A few of the people inside the store were hiding, but police would not say why it took so long for all of them to come out.

“I don’t know that information,” Hill told the HeraldTribune.com. “There could be a lot of reasons.”

After teenager Hayley Vanslow, one of the last “hostages,” ran from the store at around 1:30 a.m., Sarasota County Sheriff’s SWAT teams entered it and searched it but did not find the suspects. After sending in a police dog at 2:30 a.m., police cleared the scene.

We’re not entirely sure what “hostage” (in quotes) is supposed to imply. It seems this whole recession thing is a bit of a double edged sword for TJX.

Police seek T.J. Maxx robbery suspects [MSNBC]
TJX Profit Up 47% As Retailer Sees More Customers;View Raised [WSJ]
(Photo:MSNBC)

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