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                                                                      EXHIBIT 21

                                  SUBSIDIARIES

All of the following subsidiaries are either directly or indirectly owned by The
TJX Companies, Inc.

<Table>
<Caption>
                                                STATE OR JURISDICTION              NAME UNDER WHICH
                                                  OF INCORPORATION                  DOES BUSINESS
OPERATING SUBSIDIARIES                             OR ORGANIZATION                  (IF DIFFERENT)
- ----------------------                          ---------------------             -------------------
                                                                            
NBC Attire Inc.                                 Massachusetts
Newton Buying Corp.                             Delaware
NBC Distributors Inc.                           Massachusetts
NBC Merchants, Inc.                             Indiana
NBC Charlotte Merchants, Inc.                   North Carolina
NBC Nevada Merchants, Inc.                      Nevada
NBC Philadelphia Merchants, Inc.                Pennsylvania
NBC Pittston Merchants, Inc.                    Pennsylvania
Marmaxx Operating Corp.                         Delaware                          T.J. Maxx/Marshalls
Marshalls Atlanta Merchants, Inc.               Georgia
Marshalls Bridgewater Merchants, Inc.           Virginia
Marshalls Woburn Merchants, Inc.                Massachusetts
Marshalls of MA, Inc.                           Massachusetts
New York Department Stores                      Puerto Rico                       Marshalls
   de Puerto Rico, Inc.
Marshalls of Richfield, MN, Inc.                Minnesota
Marshalls of Northridge-Devonshire, CA, Inc.    California
Marshalls of Glen Burnie, MD, Inc.              Maryland
Marshalls of Beacon, VA, Inc.                   Virginia
Marshalls of Laredo, TX, Inc.                   Texas
Marshalls of Calumet City, IL, Inc.             Illinois
Marshalls of Chicago-Clark, IL, Inc.            Illinois
Marshalls of Streamwood, IL, Inc.               Illinois
Marshalls of Chicago-Brickyard, IL, Inc.        Illinois
Marshalls of Matteson, IL, Inc.                 Illinois
Marshalls of Elizabeth, NJ, Inc.                New Jersey
Marshalls of Nevada, Inc.                       Nevada
Newton Buying Company of CA, Inc.               Delaware                          Marshalls
Strathmex Corp.                                 Delaware
HomeGoods, Inc.                                 Delaware
H.G. Merchants, Inc.                            Massachusetts
H.G. Indiana Distributors, Inc.                 Indiana
H. G. Conn. Merchants, Inc.                     Connecticut
HomeGoods of Puerto Rico, Inc.                  Puerto Rico
NBC Apparel, Inc.                               Delaware
NBC Apparel                                     United Kingdom                    T.K. Maxx
NBC Apparel Group Limited                       United Kingdom
T.K. Maxx                                       United Kingdom
NBC Card Services Ltd.                          United Kingdom
</Table>


                                      -1-


                                                                      EXHIBIT 21

<Table>
<Caption>
                                                STATE OR JURISDICTION             NAME UNDER WHICH
                                                OF INCORPORATION                   DOES BUSINESS
OPERATING SUBSIDIARIES                          OR ORGANIZATION                     (IF DIFFERENT)
- -------------------------------------           ---------------------             ----------------
                                                                            
T.K. Maxx Ireland                               Ireland
Concord Buying Group, Inc.                      New Hampshire                     A.J. Wright
AJW Merchants Inc.                              Massachusetts                     A.J. Wright
NBC Manager, LLC                                Delaware
NBC Trust                                       Massachusetts
NBC Operating, LLC                              Delaware
T.J. Maxx of CA, LLC                            Delaware
T.J. Maxx of IL, LLC                            Delaware
Marshalls of CA, LLC                            Delaware
Marshalls of IL, LLC                            Delaware
NYDS, LLC                                       Delaware
AJW South Bend Merchants, Inc.                  Indiana
Bob's Stores Corp                               New Hampshire
Bob's Conn. Merchants, Inc.                     Connecticut
WMI-1 Holding Company                           Nova Scotia, Canada
WMI-99 Holding Company                          Nova Scotia, Canada
Winners Merchants International, L.P.           Ontario, Canada
NBC Holding, Inc.                               Delaware

LEASING SUBSIDIARIES
- ------------------------------
Cochituate Realty, Inc.                         Massachusetts
NBC First Realty Corp.                          Indiana
NBC Second Realty Corp.                         Massachusetts
NBC Fourth Realty Corp.                         Nevada
NBC Fifth Realty Corp.                          Illinois
NBC Sixth Realty Corp.                          North Carolina
NBC Seventh Realty Corp.                        Pennsylvania
AJW Realty of Fall River, Inc.                  Massachusetts
H.G. Brownsburg Realty Corp.                    Indiana
H.G. Conn. Realty Corp.                         Delaware
AJW South Bend Realty Corp.                     Indiana
</Table>


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