Fall floral arrangement at Dollarama. Centre: Fall decor at HomeSense. Right: Fall wreath at Dollarama.
It's that time of the year so you might be thinking about buying fall decor at Dollarama and HomeSense.
But if you want to get the most bang for your buck, how do products at these Canadian discount retailers compare when it comes to price and quality?
Both are discount retailers which means you can get items for cheaper if you want to save money this season.
HomeSense is an "off-price retailer" so products are always marked down and typically 20% to 60% cheaper than regular prices at other retailers.
You can find kitchenware, accent furniture, lighting, rugs, home decor, bakeware and more products at HomeSense.
Dollarama is a dollar store with prices that range from just over $1 to $5 for products including home decor, hardware, kitchen supplies, food, and more.
If you're looking to give your home a fall refresh this season while also saving money, Dollarama and HomeSense are stores in Canada that can do the trick!
So, here's a comparison looking at price, size and quality of home decor products you can get for autumn at both retailers.
Fall floral arrangement
Fall floral arrangement at Dollarama. Right: Fall floral arrangement at HomeSense.
Quality: Dollarama's fall floral arrangement and HomeSense's fall floral arrangement look pretty similar
The vase is much nicer with the HomeSense product and it seems like it would last for many years while the Dollarama one seems like a lesser quality.
Size: Both of these products are about the same size but the vase at HomeSense is a bit taller.
Price: You can get this floral arrangement for $1.75 at Dollarama and for $12.99 at HomeSense.
Plush pumpkins
Plush pumpkins at Dollarama. Right: Plush pumpkins at HomeSense.
Quality: This plush pumpkin at Dollarama looks nice but it's not the best quality. The twine that's wrapped around the pumpkin easily frays and falls apart.
Also, the pumpkin feels like there's not much in it and you could probably rip it apart if you pulled on it with just a little bit of strength.
The plush pumpkin at HomeSense seems to be more stuffed so it's more substantial and it has a sold stem that doesn't seem like it'd fall apart like the twine.
Size: Both of the pumpkins are the same size but you can also find bigger versions at both stores.
Price: The plush pumpkin at Dollarama costs $2 while the one at HomeSense costs $12.99.
Fall garlands
Dollarama fall floral garlands. Right: HomeSense fall floral garlands.
Quality: These fall garlands at Dollarama feel a bit cheap, like the leaves would fall off if you were to move them around a lot.
You can find typically better quality garlands at HomeSense as long as a bunch of people haven't rifled through them already or if they haven't been returned.
Also, there is more variety at HomeSense with fall florals coming in many colours and types of leaves instead of ones that mostly have orange, red and yellow maple leaves at Dollarama.
Size: The strands of autumnal garlands are longer at HomeSense.
Price: One garland will cost you $4 at Dollarama whereas one will cost you $29.99 at HomeSense.
Halloween signs
Hocus Pocus sign at Dollarama. Right: Halloween sign at HomeSense.
Quality: These Halloween signs — one with "it's just a bunch of hocus pocus" and one with "home sweet haunted home" — are the same quality.
Both are simple wood boards with a themed decal on the front.
Size: The signs for Halloween are also the same size with a slight variation since the Dollarama one is a pumpkin with a stem.
Price: You can get the hocus pocus sign for $1.50 at Dollarama.
The haunted house sign will set you back $5.99 at HomeSense.
Ghosts
Spooky ghost sign at Dollarama. Right: Ghost decor item at HomeSense.
Quality: This HomeSense ghost decor product seems more substantial given that it's made of wood but the spooky ghost sign from Dollarama is actually good quality as well since it's metal.
Size: There is just one ghost with the Dollarama item while the HomeSense product has four ghosts so it's bigger.
Price: It costs $4.25 at Dollarama for the one sign and $39.99 at HomeSense for the four-piece decor product.
Fall wreaths
Fall wreaths at Dollarama. Right: Fall wreaths at HomeSense.
Quality: Even on the shelf, the Dollarama fall wreaths were falling apart a bit and some of the twigs that are the base of the wreath were sticking out in every direction.
There are really lush and neat fall wreaths at HomeSense with lots of seasonal foliage.
Size: The wreaths at Dollarama are tiny, almost like flower crowns instead of wreaths.
Meanwhile, the HomeSense wreaths are huge!
Price: The tiny fall wreaths cost $5 at Dollarama and the wreaths at HomeSense cost $29.99, $34.99 and $39.99 depending on which style you get.
Gnomes
Fall gnome at Dollarama. Right: Halloween gnomes at HomeSense.
Quality: Each of the seasonal gnomes at Dollarama and HomeSense are good quality for what they're made of. The Dollarama product is ceramic and the HomeSense item is plush.
Size: The fall-themed gnome at Dollarma can fit in the palm of your hand but the Halloween-themed gnome at HomeSense is much bigger.
Price: It costs $2.50 at Dollarama and $12.99 at HomeSense.
Mini pumpkins
Dollarama mini pumpkins. Right: HomeSense mini pumpkins.
Quality: While both of these fall home decor items are mini pumpkins, they're made out of different materials.
The Dollarama one is seemingly styrofoam so it's not the best quality and the HomeSense product seems like a knit fabric that's not the best but also not terrible.
Size: Both products are the same size but the Dollarama pumpkins come in a six-pack while the HomeSense pumpkins come in an eight-pack.
Price: You'll spend $1.50 at Dollarama for a pack of six which works out to $0.25 per pumpkin.
At HomeSense, you'll spend $16.99 for a pack of eight which works out to $2.12 per pumpkin.
Thanksgiving signs
Thanksgiving sign at Dollarama. Right: Thanksgiving sign at HomeSense.
Quality: Both of these Thanksgiving-themed signs are good quality but the Dollarama product has a chalkboard on the back which is something the HomeSense product doesn't have!
Size: The products are about the same size but have different configurations. The one from Dollarama is an easel while the one from HomeSense is a plank.
Price: It costs $4.50 at Dollarama and $9.99 at HomeSense.
While Dollarama is the clear winner when it comes to cheap prices, HomeSense definitely takes the prize for having higher quality products.
So, is cheaper always the better choice or are you willing to spend a few extra dollars to get an item that's made well this fall season?
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.