Why are Dollar Store products so affordable?
This is a very good question, but mostly it’s because they sell so many private-label items that are exclusively made for them. If you’re trying to stay on a budget, dollar stores have certainly some perks. It won’t matter if you do some impulse shopping simply because everything is so cheap that it won’t hurt your wallet. Unfortunately, even if you’re happy that you can buy your everyday basics for a dollar, you may not get the best bargain by shopping there.
There are some reasons you should stay away from dollar stores when it comes to household shopping, even if the temptation is humongous.
85 Responses
Perhaps the chain grocery stores should take a look at their prices as they are driving the mass of customers to the Dollar stores…It seems the only place one can cut cost is here as you have a choice of where to shop…Plus the near empty shelves also is a factor…
Yes indeed that’s BS I do not want go to dollar store but I got no choice I had to get use to it.Stores are very high so if u can cut cost u got do what u got do.Do not listen to any articles u got go where u money can spread out.They need to back off the dollar stores lower cost in other stores to help customers out here is a example in chicago on the south side I had to pay 8 dollars at regular store for one gallon of orange juice.Thats just one example I can give u a bunch of more prices as to why I do go to the dollar store for cleaning supplies I still looking 😉 to see what all they got in there it super crowded unless u go early in morning my whole family now go to dollar tree we new to it prices are high in other stores so we get snacks cleaning supplies plates stuff that we can we get at dollar tree or family dollar we check prices then we pick up only few items at big store like milk orange juice chicken ground turkey beans etc. do what u got to do to survive.
hells yeah the batteries I got to run this keyboard are from dollar store treefamilily
even at Wally World they would be twenty bucks
Yep all true.
LEARN to COOK INTELLIGENTLY and then… you won’t have to buy from the DOLLAR STORE. It is NOT NOT NOT costly to buy in BULK & then have INTENSELY HEALTHY & TASTY foods to eat. Buy in BULK 25# bags of “ORGANIC” DRIED beans = LOW cost: Black Beans, Black Eye Peas, Garbanzo Beans, Pinto Beans, and the list is LONG of HEALTHY to eat / HIGH in PROTEIN and buy in bulk 25# bags of Rice & Lentils. COSTS PENNIES per serving as are their tasty additives of ONIONS & POTATOES. Start CHANGING to your eating HEALTHIER, TASTIER, LOW COST MEALS & buy an INSTANT POT to cook any of the above in just MINUTES.
People on a limited income and folks who don’t Have the money it Takes to Stock up, buy in bulk, etc. Buying a big bag of beans, flour, sugar and rice, enough for a month at a time is way too costly if you get payed weekly or bi-weekly. I prefer shopping at dollar stores for Many things that are the Same or as good as what I can get at a bigger store. Why pay More??? I’m glad they are available! I used to Have to shop there at times, cause that’s all I could afford!
Yes!! I agree. I get disgusted when I see the line for the drive thru’s here in my town. Stupid people continue to shove that garbage down their throats and then wonder why they don’t feel good.
On my frugal budget it lures me in for those non food items from batteries,lightbulbs.tp,cleaning supplies etc cold n flu meds,asperin,skin lotions for dry skin etc.from dollar steal to dollar trees. Summer sandals .summer accessories ..I love dollar tree stores..and for my holiday baking supplies for holiday gift giving!!those holiday fruit pies.apple,cherry pies.
If you really need toilet paper or soap or Soft Drinks go to store
Dollar Tree has a brand of toilet paper that is even better than the named brands. It’s called Ultra Harmony and is 6 mega rolls (equals 24 regular rolls), 2/ply and costs $5. That may be steep for some; however, it lasts twice as long as Charmin. I kid you not. The same brand paper towels are only fair and not worth the $5 IMHO. Certain things I only buy at the dollar stores – from the freezer: kielbasa, cut green beans, mild meat pies and a few others. Spices are always a good deal; just check the expiry date. I also buy the boxed 1-qt. milk – available whole, 2% and 1%; it’s shelf stable until opened. What I WON’T buy is Breyer ice cream at $5. Why should I when the markets sell it for $2.99 full price, $2.50 on sale and with a digital coupon for $1.77? One just needs to take the time and compare prices before you go.
I agree with you I buy all my toilet paper and paper towels from the dollar store I’ll even buy ketchup and syrup cuz they have name brand stuff if you can get a name brand for a dollar 25 then get it
You’re so right! Products everywhere else are way over priced.
That’s flowing over to the Dollar stores near me, so many people shopping there it’s hard for them to keep up and not having staff to cover the increase!
Exactly. We’re blessed with dollar stores as well as supermarkets with digital coupons. I make a grocery list, divided by where I’m going. Our local dollar store is in the same lot as a major supermarket, who offers digital coupons and rewards. Depending on needs and price determines where I go. I go to the dollar store first – example: a generic toilet paper is 6 mega rolls, double ply and very strong. Good buy vs. spending $14 for a brand name. Meanwhile, I can buy Breyer ice cream on sale at the market for $2.50; with a digital coupon for $1.77 and regular price is $2.99. Why would I pay $5 at the dollar store for the same thing?
Our reject ship in Newcastle is owned by Woolworths but much cheaper than them
There is nothing in the dollar General store for a dollar they need to change name upper dollar General store
I never GO to dollar stores they.have been robbed several times some woman was a shoplifter with a little boy she told Police he was my boy I have 0 children do not shove a child on me
Good that leaves more on the shelves for me.
Not the store’s fault! Many women turn to crime out of desperation. And some are just evil.
Lowdollars Store.
There is a whole isle of dollar deals in Dollar general. There are some good things there that are national brands.
I agree. An employee at CVS said to make sure you check the expiration dates to be sure that the toothpaste is still good. Well I never found any toothpaste being out of date. Colgate brushes my teeth just fine for $l.00. from Dollar General. I will say they need to do a better job keeping the stored organized and the shelves stocked. Not enough employees working. That is where the Dollar stores save money. Some of the stores are a mess.
So true! The “Dollar Store” destroyed the brand that drove them to a multi billion dollar company. It is now the $1.25 store plus. They would have done better to source items that they could still sell for $1.00, than to destroy their brand. Soon it will be the $1.50 store. LOL
I ONLY BUY CLEANING SUPPY
Thank God for the dollar store`s !!!!
I shop at 3 – yes, 3 – grocery stores regularly because the major grocer, Publix, changes to new products so often I can’t get what I want so I go elsewhere. I have to buy 24 cans at a time from Chewy because this area doesn’t get cat food regularly – but go to South Florida upscale neighborhoods and there you will find all the cat food you want – at inflated prices. This year my grocery bill has gone up at Publix by more than 30%. Inflation isn’t an excuse. The big stores are gouging us. No wonder we look for deals elsewhere.
publix is expensive. I come from out of state regularly and I notice the increase.
I shop at Target for milk,Nellie’s eggs,bread,jam,toilet paper,paper towels, broth. The seven miles drive is justified by the milk and eggs alone.
Yes!
dollar stores posted to be only a dollar not. $3.4.5. bs. i am a low income person i can’t afford hafe of the stuff. plus .25 added. crazy. why did they do that to people like us that can’t afford a lot of stuff. change it back to a dollar store or change the name to dollar and up.
only go to dollar tree… all the others are not dollar sstores…I give credit to dollar tree for only upping their products 25% . unlike many other stores who have upped their prices 30 to 100 % or more
Perfect comment. Always do shopping there. Dollar Tree only. the rest aren’t really dollar stores.
For shampoos and cosmetics try TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross’s. Amazing the quality of those products with the same ingredients as department store. Even cheaper than Ultra.
they do have some stuff for 3.00 and 5.00, but mostly 1.25. i go there from time to time.
They are not done yet! As regular stores raise their prices, so will dollar tree, by the way, Pepsi and mountain dew are 1.85 and are not 2 liters
This all occurred under sleepy Joe Biden he created inflation by shutting down the oil refinery. And many more things he undid that our great president TRUMP put into play as our president.
The Pres. Didn’t cause the rise in prices. Look at facts. The U. S. produced more oil than any other country The last few years. Yet fox & Newsmax & Dumbo lie to you. Why do they lie? Because they know they can as viewers like you check nothing. Wise up!!
Maybe Dollar Plus is a better name. BTW, the 3 dollar stores mentioned in this article are owned by the SAME company, namely Dollar Tree. They’ve cornered the market. Still, if one keeps a list and checks major supermarkets for sales, join their loyalty programs and use digital coupons, one can save a lot of money. I’m a senior as well on a fixed income. I troll the 2 supermarket fliers for deals, comparing them and use the dollar store to fill in the gaps for some things.
I noticed the .25 increase immediately…that’s a 25% raise!
Thinking it over I still buy baby wipes, styrofoam plates, baby
wipes, cards and Juice (name brand) from the dollar tree…cookies
you can’t go wrong on either!
Nine bogus reasons to avoid $1.25 stores!! They offer convenient options to the large box stores, pricey department stores, and insanely priced greeting card shops.
Well I’ve found that the old labels were taken off and/or replaced with new ones so the expiration date isn’t expired! Also you need to look at where it was made..90% of that crap is from Mexico and other countries. What ever happened to made in the USA!!!! I never shop in those cheap places!!
Good leaves more for me
Good luck finding products that are made in America. The American work force is too lazy to work in manufactoring jobs. Where have you been in the last 25 years. Not paying attention to the world economics? Wake up. Made in America went out along with other slogans like We Need to Pitch In to Clean Up America.
I go there to buy greeting cards often because they are perfectly good, from the same companies as grocery or card stores, for a lot less. Also, I buy name brand canned or box goods, and brand name cleaning products. I can figure out the size or amount as to whether it is a good deal.
Yes, the $1 greeting cards are a huge savings over $7!
Why not buy card stock paper and make your own cards. Most people would prefer 5the pe3rsonalized touch even if the artwork and text were not as impressive as thew one you made. Do remember the first time one of your children made a Mom’s day car4d for you at school!
Trader Joe’s has .99 cards!! Nice ones!
I only shop there a few times a year mostly buying items like calenders, greeting cards, and wrapping paper. I never buy food there. A lot of there stuff is junk.
Dollar stores affect competition but Walmart doesn’t?
Walmart checks the products durability & price before allowing it on their shelves almost unheard of with other retail stores I read recently that Walmart has booted some of their pro sellers on their website a pro seller is a separate company or person who sales through Walmart haven’t read yet why they booted them probably due to durability & or price issues which says alot about Walmart holdn true to their business practices & how they care about their reputation & their customers true enough their curbside & grocery delivery still needs some work
There are many products that are inferior at all dollar stores. But they do not out way some of things that you get out at discount prices. I get black eye brow pencils for a fraction of the price. Aluminum pan prices cannot be beat. A wide variety of storage or shelf containers is a plus. Many cleaning products are a must for any home owner. And there are many more products too many to mention.
I go there for cards bags for gifts Decorations some groceries craft Items some cleaning supplies. A lot of products are what you pay for but a lot of items are great prices. Stores are too expensive for same quality products.
My complaint with “dollar general” is this : My wife used to shop there several times weekly. location, access , prices. Then she started noticing a large amount of items (over half , usually about 7 out of 10 ). items would ring up considerably higher than the shelf price tags & signs say ! Cashier says “you can’t go by the tags” / They’re wrong!
Don’t know where you live, but in Massachusetts, that’s illegal. Even if it’s an honest mistake, like a sale tag not removed when the sale ended, in Mass, lower price prevails. That store would have to honor the lower price. If more than one of the same item is purchased, the first item is FREE, and subsequent items of the same thing are sold at the sale price. The End.
If means and the time to run all over the place for deals you don’t need dollar store! I fine there is a lot of variety. like other people. When your money is so tight you can get anything? Dollar store is a blessing. !
Regular store reduce product keep the big box. Make us feel better.
There are little risk with the chemical used, and you need to watch this!. but over all it can help struggling family live pretty good. Watch what you buy.
It is possible that these types of article are usually parrareted from other articles. not too original.caution is good but all out fear bad.
I love the dollar store it helps everyone get by
I buy greeting cards, seasonal, stationery, decorations, gift wrap, dish towels and pot holders, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, shelf stable milk, books, and many other items. No, some things are not up to snuff, but many are and many more are good enough for my needs. You have to be discriminating wherever you shop. In my life I have shopped at Marshall Field, Nieman- Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, etc. They all carry some worthless inventory, and definitely some overpriced, for their names. I think Dollar Tree serves a good purpose. The other so called ‘Dollar’ Stores are not ‘dollar’ stores. I also patronize Salvation Army and Goodwill. I find a lot of good quality items…Lenox, Polish Pottery, Vera Bradley purses…it’s always an adventure to see what treasures I can find without paying the exorbitant prices these things commanded retail. The most important thing about thrift stores is they provide some neccessities otherwise unaffordable and they provide employment for underemployed citizens.
So TRUE!
Yes, I truly agree. I drop my things there. I found out the proceeds go to the employees that may be homeless and need jobs. I LOVE THAT!! People trying to make a correction in their lives for the better. God bless them all.
I purchase my greeting cards from Dollar Tree. Lately I have noticed that they have reduced the number of 2 for $1.00 cards and start selling an abundance or $1.00 each card. That price is still cheaper than other stores. The quality and content of the $1.00 cards are great!!!
Dollar stores don’t claim to be full-service supermarkets.
I stopped shopping at the larger retail stores because they stick it right to the consumers so badly. The dollar store if fine and I buy everything there and will continue to until the large retail stores like Smiths and Albertsons come down off their cloud and prices! Heres hoping the dollar general stores put those big retail places right out of business!!!
I bought batterys there for smoke detector, and they were dead before I could even get home, a no name brand of course. I did get my money back anyway.
If you have your receipt & you bring an item back to the store, speak to the manager and they will give you your money back. Although, batteries aren’t the place to purchase them there because you don’t know how long they have been sitting there. I usually buy things that don’t expire, like paper napkins.
Label reading and cost per unit comparison will always show the best deal regardless of where you shop. 2.5 cents per ounce is always a better deal than 5 cents per ounce!
Back in 2014 I spent $60 dollars plus a few more in 2 or 3 subsequent years for my Christmas dishware set. I love it. I also buy party supplies, holiday stuff and greeting cards there and as a nanny and preschool/day care teacher they have great stuff for arts and crafts, little puzzles and books.
There is nothing in the Dollar Stores that you won’t find in another store except at a better price, even now since they have gone up in price. Still a better deal. Not saying that you may need/want something at a store that can’t get at Dollar Stores, the money you save will help pay for it.
I ♥️ this!!!
I never GO to dollar stores they.have been robbed several times some woman was a shoplifter with a little boy she told Police he was my boy I have 0 children do not shove a child on me
One other thing to watch for is size. Are you getting the same size product you usually get? The same ounces, the same number of pieces, etc. usually if you can break the cost down,to cost per unit it should tell you whether you’re getting a good deal or not. It’s one way,we can make sure we’re getting the most for our money.K
True, but if you’re on a fixed income and/or have space issues, the dollar stores are a lifesaver. Example: Dawn dish soap in the store size is upwards of $3-$4. The local dollar store has a small size for $1.25. It serves my purpose, being a single senior in a studio unit with challenging storage space. Even some food in smaller sizes is good for someone like me, as it gets used up right away, rather than the balance of it going to waste.
i am sure the prices in those stores will be like the rest. but biden saids there is no problems. yeah ok.
Dollar Tree keeps me on budget. I don’t have the resources to shop everything from the big box stores. I have a dozen grandkids, that’s 12 Birthday bags and 12 Christmas bags and 24 cards a year. With tissue wraps for bags that’s $52.50 a year plus tax just at Dollar Tree. It’s 106.68 at the cheaper big box stores . That’s not even counting the rest of the family, and that’s only one small example.
I’m not going into debt to support corporate competition. What we really need is CORPORATE CONSCIOUS, that would solve both issues.
Cleaning goods are watered down, size of bottles are less, toilet paper has 100 sheets or less. You’re not really saving!
The greeting cards are the best buy & disposable party supplies!
Isn’t it interesting that many of the so called Dollar Stores are located in affluent neighborhoods in LA and are very busy all the time. Here they’re called 99cent stores. The one in my neighborhood which was connected to and in the same strip mall as Whole Foods has closed so now I have to drive maybe 15 minutes to one that is like an acre of great merchandise and unbelievable produce and even your dog is welcome. I love going there. It’s a happy place.
I shop at the dollar tree often because I love their prices and I’m always finding something new and when I don’t have it like that to spend in big supermarkets or stores I can go right to dollar tree especially for cards, gift bags and party items etc… I even bought hair products from there and my hair was growing tremendously with them cheap costing products so I wouldn’t knock them
DOLLAR STORES, FAMILY DOLLAR, AND DOLLAR GENERAL STORES ARE ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. AND YES, THEY HAVE AN AGENDA…THEY WILL SHUT DOWN EVERY OTHER STORE IN THE WORLD TO GET PEOPLE TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS. STOP SHOPPING AT THESE STORES UNLESS UR BUYING TOILET TISSUE OR FLOOR WIPES!
Thank You!!! Dollar 🌲helps a lot of families that are struggling. I shop there for cards, 🎄paper and other goodies that you can’t bet the prices, cause the “Big Stores” are gouging us with these unbelievable prices, and claiming “”INFLATION “” Right. All a big joke for lots of struggling family’s.
Thanks “All” for your experiences and your voices on this issue. “Be Safe”
And BLESSINGS for your family in “2024”
“Always Jackie”
36 pack of toilet paper for 30. aldis has a 30 pack for less than 19. its decent toilet paper. just because someone posts on these things doesnt mean they did enough research. check around.
“There are some reasons you should stay away from dollar stores when it comes to household shopping, even if the temptation is humongous.”
That’s the last line of the story on my device, an Android tablet. Not a single of the nine reasons I shouldn’t use a dollar store is listed. But lots of advertising, no problem there…
Spam! I’m blocking the email that led me here. -tom
I always buy Campbell’s tomato soup at Dollar Tree! Larger can, same money as Walmart!
It’s like any other store. You need to know the price of the same or like item in other stores. They are worth the trip on alot of items specially greeting cards that are very expensive for the “brand names” and the dollar stores are very nice cards.
I always shop $store why pay $10.00 for something when I can get the same thing for $1.00? Same brand. Most everything in my place is from $ store. They also have unique fun stuff other stores don’t have.
THANK GOD FOR THE DOLLAR STORE!!
I believe Dollar General was sued for their practices in changing prices and charging more at the register. Check it out. IMO, Dollar General is very dangerous in some areas to shop in My daughter was in one of their sores with her baby and someone tried to rob it while she was there. Everybody that works there is unhappy. Turnover is constant.
Yes, I truly agree. I drop my things there. I found out the proceeds go to the employees that may be homeless and need jobs. I LOVE THAT!! People trying to make a correction in their lives for the better. God bless them all.