We found an extensive selection of designer handbags at Nordstrom Rack. Business Insider/Mary Hanbury

Off-price shopping is on-trend.

TJ Maxx is a shining example of what is working in today's brick-and-mortar shopping environment. The US' largest off-price chain has reported strong same-store sales number for several years while department stores look on enviously, reporting weaker sales and being forced to close stores.

Rather than lose out to the off-price channel, some department stores are working on creating their own version, like Macy's, which is doubling down on its Backstage concept.

Nordstrom's off-price offshoot, Nordstrom Rack, predates TJ Maxx, however. It was launched in 1973, three years before TJ Maxx, in the basement of one of its full-price stores in Seattle, and it sold clearance clothing from the main store. In recent years, it has become one of the biggest areas of growth for the company, and these stores now outnumber Nordstrom's full-price locations.

In its most recent quarter, same-store sales at Nordstrom Rack cooled slightly, up by 0.4% versus a 3.7% increase the previous quarter. However, the trend for the past three years has been that these stores are outgrowing their full-price sister locations.

After putting Macy's off-price concept to the test in June , we decided to see how Nordstrom Rack fared in comparison to TJ Maxx. Here's what we found: