Please complete your profile to unlock commenting and other important features.

Please select your date of birth for special perks on your birthday. Your username will be your unique profile link and will be publicly used in comments.
Narcity Pro

This is a Pro feature.

Time to level up your local game with Narcity Pro.

Pro

$5/month

$40/year

  • Everything in the Free plan
  • Ad-free reading and browsing
  • Unlimited access to all content including AI summaries
  • Directly support our local and national reporting and become a Patron
  • Cancel anytime.
For Pro members only Pro
Summary

A Winners Employee Says Canadians Are Shopping All Wrong & Here's How To Get It Right

This you? 👀

A Winners store exterior. Right: The interior of a TJ Maxx store in the U.S.

A Winners store exterior. Right: The interior of a TJ Maxx store in the U.S.

Creator

Shopping at Winners Canada is something a lot of bargain-hunters do when they're searching for a deal or a significant discount.

But, would you believe it, there are probably a ton of things you're doing wrong when visiting Winners that are stopping you from getting those great finds and low prices.

In fact, there are actually a ton of tips, tricks and hacks you're probably missing out on while you shop at the iconic store.

Narcity sat down with Greg*, a former employee, to discuss some of the things that customers seem to always get wrong.

From coming to the store too late, to neglecting to properly research, to coming in with too-high expectations, here's what you need to know.

Arriving too late

At Winners, all of the best deals are grabbed by the early birds.

Greg explained that, around the store's opening, employees comb the store and apply that day's price markdowns to everything.

"If you want to get to the markdowns, you have to be there right as soon as the store opens," he said.

"And people do that," added the former employee. "They will wait outside before the store opens so they can get to the markdowns."

The early bird gets the worm, especially so in the world of Winners.

Failing to research

Sure, a price might seem low, but just because it's at Winners, it doesn't mean it's the best price you can get for it.

A little research is usually needed to make sure you're actually getting the best deal possible.

"Google is your friend at Winners," said Greg.

It's important to know that if you're a Winners shopper thinking you're getting a killer deal, you should get used to "using your phone to research how much it costs at other stores to see if it actually is a good deal."

Not double-checking the price 

As Greg said before, markdowns on products happen in the morning, but sometimes employees can miss items that are slated to get a cheaper price.

So, if you have reason to believe that an item is on sale, ask!

"People did that pretty frequently," Greg revealed.

It's not always going to be marked down further, but that doesn't mean you can't ask! What's the worst thing they can say?

Being too particular

Due to the nature of the store, specific items are almost always really hard to find. As a matter of fact, a lot of the time, the employees themselves don't even know what's coming in on a day-to-day basis.

"That's not really the name of the game at Winners," explained the former employee. "You should come in with more of an open mind and maybe more of a 'concept' of what you're looking for."

"If you're coming into the store being like 'I would like to find this specific kind of pie dish,' it's not going to fly."

So, come in with some flexibility because going in looking for a specific item might not always work out.

Not checking the final clearance

In case you didn't know, the store's final clearance takes place around January and February and that is when you'll find the rock-bottom prices you might be craving.

"[Final Clearance] is when you're getting stuff for like $1," said Greg.

But, at such low prices, sometimes these are items that they're trying to get rid of.

"You can find some pretty, I would say, fun stuff," said Greg. "Maybe not what you're going to wear every day, but some funky outfits."

Great news for that 'out-there' fashion fan.

Having unrealistic expectations

Yes, Winners is a place to get some good deals on all sorts of things. But, it's not the place where you're going to find luxury products for less than $10.

"Sometimes people would actually expect more of a deal [at the store]," said Greg.

While a big discount is always fun, Winners is not a place where those Gucci slides all the Instagram fashionistas are wearing will cost the same as a McDonald's meal.

Missing the best sections

There are a ton of sections of the store that Greg recommends people check out. Often, it's easy to find great items in the least visited places.

"I think the jewelry section is totally slept on," he said."It's got quite reasonable prices. You can get something pretty nice for like $20."

Other sections that Greg raved about include the chocolate section, which has the same Lindor chocolates you can get at other stores but severely marked down.

"If you're a total Lindor freak like me, I recommend going there," he revealed.

Other sections he recommends shopping in include makeup and seasonal items. Don't miss out!

Hopefully, on your next trip to Winners, you'll be a little more prepared to get the best deals with the best plan.

Happy shopping, Canada!

*Names have been changed to maintain confidentiality. Narcity has verified their identity.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

  • Creator

    Tristan Wheeler (he/him) was a Toronto-based Creator for Narcity Media. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2020 where he was the Blog & Opinion Editor at the campus publication, The Ubyssey, for two years. Since then, his work has appeared in publications such as Curiocity, Maclean's, POV Magazine, and The Capital Daily, delving into topics such as film, media criticism, food & drink, podcasting, and more.

Walmart is lowering prices on hundreds of items and here's what you can save money on

Lower prices are meant to make the total cost of your basket cheaper!

12 stores in Canada where you can shop to save money on groceries

Not just grocery stores, but discount retailers too!