I Shopped At Dollar Tree For The First Time & Compared To Dollarama, It Was Pretty Chaotic

The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

I'm a Dollarama guy. I'd rather not be. But, I'd also rather not take out a small loan to pay for my groceries. So, here I sit, an accidental super fan.

"Always shop somewhere that's willing to shave a little off the merchandise," my grandmother used to say.

Now that we've established that I'm in save-or-die mode and that's it pretty important for me to shop at the dollar store consistently, preferably one that's nearby, I'm here to tell you which one is the best.

It's worth mentioning that I live in Toronto, and our two biggest retail contenders in that space are Dollarama and Dollar Tree.

Weirdly enough, I've spent my whole life solely relying on the former, never bothering to even take a quick look inside a Dollar Tree until this year and the experience proved to be surprisingly eye-opening, one that would change me as a person for the rest of my life — just kidding, but hey, I did learn something!

First impression

The paint splatter. Patrick John Gilson | Narcity

As I walked through the doors of the Eglinton West Dollar Tree, one of the brand's only locations within the confines of the city of Toronto, I was immediately taken aback by what a mess it was. Unlike, the Dollarama I frequent, where things sit cleanly on shelves labelled with price tags, walking through Dollar Tree felt like walking through a classroom that had just hosted an abominable pack of kindergarteners. Books, toys and other knick-knacks were scattered about so carelessly that the clean freak in me nearly started organizing it all just to scratch the mental itch the mess was causing me.

While travelling through the store's arts and crafts aisle I noticed a trail of painted footprints leading away from a massive splattering of colours. Up close I could see that the accident wasn't fresh, the spilled paint had already crusted over into a permeant abstract collage.

No one had bothered to clean it up. It was bleak.

I don't know what Dollar Tree's standards and practices are for maintenance, but they might want to go back to the drawing board.

While the cleanliness of this particular location reflects very little of the actual Dollar Tree brand itself, my first impression here wasn't the best.

Its biggest strength is the selection

The candy aislePatrick John Gilson | Narcity

After being underwhelmed from the get-go, I had all but written off Dollar Tree until I set my eyes on its glorious candy and soda aisle.

Yes, just when I thought it was down-and-out, Dollar Tree revealed an amazing selection of dupe candy brands, and I have to admit the quality of the stash, which features knock-offs of everything from Sour Cherries to Snickers, is undeniable.

I also noticed that Dollar Tree was selling iconic bottled soda brands such as Jones and Dad's for $1.50 a pop, which is something I've never seen Dollarama attempt to do. I never knew how much I needed this until I saw it. I bought 11.

Almost nothing sells for over $1.50

You know what? I've come to a realization. Between Dollarama and Dollar Tree, it's Dollar Tree that truly lives up to its name. I mean, I bought a bunch of stuff there, and when I looked at my receipt, it was like a surreal moment. Almost everything I bought was priced at the exact same amount: $1.50 per item. I had to do a double-take because it seemed so out of the ordinary.

It hit me later that I had been mentally prepared for my bill at Dollar Tree to match what I usually pay at Dollarama. But boy, was I in for a surprise! Not only did I get what I needed, but it ended up being even cheaper than I had expected. Talk about a pleasant shock! Dollar Tree definitely has some sneaky good deals hidden in its aisles.

Good luck finding one

Perhaps, the worst part about being a blossoming new Dollar Tree fan in Toronto is that they've practically gone extinct here. I mean, there are a few scattered across the GTA, but the only ones in the city itself are located on opposite sides of Eglinton, which is basically just a giant construction site these days.

Admittedly, even my own attempt to reach the Dollar Tree for this article turned into quite an accidental adventure. It took me just over an hour to get there via public transit, along a TTC route that forced me to make several annoying transfers.

So, really, no matter how much I enjoyed my experience at Dollar Tree subjecting myself to that exact journey every two weeks was always going to sound like torture in the long run.

They are mostly the same

The layoutPatrick John Gilson | Narcity

It is hard for anyone to come up with a compelling distinction between Dollarama and Dollar Tree, especially given their incredibly similar layout and pricing. They are the Coke and Pepsi of the Canadian dollar store world, subtly different and preferably in their own way, but, also, laughably similar.

Dollar Tree locations may be more elusive, therefore more mysterious to us who live in central parts of Toronto. But, travelling to one isn't worth the hassle to me, especially since there's a Dollarama around practically every corner of the downtown core these days.

In conclusion

Alright, folks, the verdict is in, and it's pretty clear to me. Despite Dollar Tree winning me over with its tempting snacks and consistent pricing, I have to stay loyal to my Dollarama roots. Sure, Dollar Tree had its charms, but the chaotic store setup and inconvenient location made it an easy decision for me to stick with Dollarama.

So, I'll continue my affair with Dollarama, navigating its sultry, neatly-labelled shelves for the price of a more expensive shop. After all, a true Dollarama guy like me knows that convenience and organization can go a long way in making the shopping experience enjoyable.

If you want to know more details about my co-dependant relationship with Dollarama, you should check out a few of the other analysis I did, like this one, which highlights some of the store's best deals, or this gem I did on my attempts to survive on what I am calling "the dollar store diet."

Until next time.