LONDON—TJX, the company behind clothing retailer TK Maxx, has handed European PR duties to FleishmanHillard as it steps up growth in the region.

The company selected Fleishman following a lengthy competitive review that was revealed by the Holmes Report last year. It is understood that the agency secured the brief after a final round pitch against Ogilvy PR, after an inital phase that featured four contenders.

The seven-figure brief covers consumer brand PR and press office, social media and content marketing for TK Maxx in the UK, Germany, Ireland and Poland plus corporate comms for the TJX Europe group.

TK Maxx currently operates 343 stores in Europe, with the bulk of them situated in the UK and Ireland. The retailer believes there is considerable scope for growth in Germany and Poland, and is adding 25 new stores this year, as part of a plan to double its European presence in the long-term.

The PR search comes after TK Maxx hired the Brooklyn Brothers as its first retained advertising agency, for a similar pan-European scope. That process was run by Oystercatchers, which also handled the PR agency hunt.

TJX Europe group brand and marketing director Deborah Dolce said that Fleishman secured the business because of an "instinctive understanding of our brand, our customers and our opportunities."

"They proposed a clear strategy during the pitch process, supported with smart thinking, bold creativity, an integrated approach across channels and geographies, all accompanied with a big dose of passion," added Dolce.