r many products sold at dollar stores, you’re not wrong about quality and value, as we told you in 18 Worst Things to Buy at Dollar Stores.
But there are also a number of good deals lurking at the dollar store, and with inflation eating ever deeper into household budgets, everyone is looking for a way to save. Analysts note the Dollar Trees of the retail world are widening their selection – and, with it, their range of customers. Alongside those with tight budgets, you’ll also find people less short on cash (as well as ever more millennials) bargain-hunting in the aisles of dollar stores.
The NPD Group, which studies consumer spending for the retail industry, recently found that 19% of the money spent at dollar stores came from households with annual income exceeding $100,000. “Considering that nearly one in five dollars spent there is contributed by the affluent, dollar stores’ value proposition clearly resonates across economic segments,” says NPD’s Andy Mantis.
Another consumer spending tracker, Checkout Tracking, found millennials with annual incomes of $100,000 or more made purchases at these stores nearly 13 times a year and spent more than $135.
We spoke with shopping experts and prowled stores in central Virginia to identify some of the best buys at dollar stores. Take note, however, that our price comparisons aren’t always oranges-to-oranges. Brands and package sizes vary between products stocked by Dollar Tree – manufacturers do this deliberately – and those carried by other retailers.
A quick tip out of the gate, from consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch: Shop online! Many don’t realize that price comparisons are possible before you even pull into the dollar store’s lot.
“Plus,” she notes, “ you can find coupons to save on those online dollar store purchases through deal aggregators like CouponFollow.com.”
Here’s what else we found.
17 Worst Things to Buy at Dollar Stores (Dollar Tree Included)
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Greeting Cards
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Greeting Cards
Do you get sticker shock when shopping for greeting cards in the supermarket aisles? Four dollars for someone’s old joke on a piece of paper? Dollar Tree, where every greeting card is (still) $1 or less, is the place to stock up. These aren’t cheap knockoffs, either. They’re mostly from one of two Hallmark card lines, Expressions by Hallmark or Heartline by Hallmark. An even better deal came in the Heartline lineup of cards. They were two for $1. At a nearby Walmart, Hallmark cards started at $2.97, or nearly three times the price of a Hallmark card at Dollar Tree.
“Given all the different occasions and situations you can buy a greeting card for, it's no surprise the costs can add up quickly,” says Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews. “One card at a standard big box store can set you back $5 or more, depending on how fancy it is. ... The message inside is what matters, so opt for stocking up at your local dollar 3iskstore – that way, you'll have them on hand whenever an occasion arises.”
Bonus: The Dollar Tree Hallmark cards don’t have the price on the back. Your recipient need never know.
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Pregnancy Tests
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Pregnancy Tests
Buying pregnancy test kits from the dollar store? You might have your doubts. This is important stuff.
Indeed, “paying a buck to se