Do Stores Like T.J. Maxx and Target Have a "Laxative Effect"?
Imagine walking into a T.J. Maxx or a Target. What's the first sensation you get? Are you gauging how busy it is . . . is it a smell . . . a sense of excitement . . . or maybe it's a strong urge to USE THE RESTROOM?
A TikTok is going viral, where a woman walks into a T.J. Maxx and suddenly needs to . . . well . . . POO. And apparently, other people can relate.
There are THOUSANDS of comments about the "laxative effect" of stores like these, and some employees even say THEY'RE aware of it. (From having to SHARE restrooms with customers.)
And it isn't just T.J. Maxx and Target. People say it includes: Ross . . . Barnes and Noble . . . Macy's . . . Home Goods . . . and Michael's, among others.
So WHY is this happening, especially when many people otherwise try to avoid using public restrooms?
People have theories. Some say it's the adrenaline rush of being in their favorite stores . . . others think it's the coffee they sip as they're shopping . . . and some guess that it might have to do with all the walking, or the fluorescent lights.
A gut doctor named Supriya Rao says there's not enough definitive research on the connection between T.J. Maxx and emptying your bowels . . . (???) . . .
But it could be a surge in emotion. If you're entering a new, large space, you could be feeling anxiety . . . excitement . . . or over-stimulation. And that tension may be getting things moving in your digestive tract. (Or . . . it's the coffee.)
(Buzzfeed)
Originally posted on June 27th, 2023