With grocery prices getting more expensive in Ontario, I wanted to find out which stores have the lowest costs and if they are actually worth visiting.
I went to Bulk Barn and Dollarama in Toronto to compare the prices of items I usually buy to find out which store has them for cheaper — and honestly, the results shocked me.
Growing up in the Middle East, we don't really have anything like Bulk Barn or Dollarama. So when I moved to Toronto, visiting these stores for the first time made my jaw drop, and they continue to amaze me.
Bulk Barn is a spot, other than Costco, to buy things in bulk at a lower price. Dollarama, on the other hand, has a whole bunch of things to buy for less than $5.
Bulk Barn's prices vary by weight, compared to Dollarama, which has a set price per item. So, I did the math to accurately calculate the weights of products at Bulk Barn to match those at Dollarama and compare the prices.
I compared the prices of eight items at Bulk Barn with Dollarama, and there was a clear winner.
KitKat Minis
KitKat Minis at Dollarama and Bulk Barn.
Price Comparison:
- Dollarama: $2.25/104g
- Bulk Barn: $2.80/100g
Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups
Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups at Dollarama and Bulk Barn.
Price Comparison:
- Dollarama: $2.50/104 g
- Bulk Barn: $2.54/100g
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Chocolate-covered pretzels at Dollarama and Bulk Barn.
Price Comparison:
- Dollarama: $1.50/92g
- Bulk Barn: $2.10/100g
92 grams of the chocolate-covered pretzels at Bulk Barn would cost $1.93 compared to $1.50 at Dollarama.
Mini Cookies
Chips Ahoy! at Dollarama. Right: Mini cookies at Bulk Barn.
Price Comparison:
- Dollarama: $2.25/180g
- Bulk Barn: $1.15/100g
The mini chocolate chip cookies are the only item I found to be cheaper at Bulk Barn compared to Dollarama.
M&M's Peanut
M&M's at Dollarama and Bulk Barn.
Price Comparison:
- Dollarama: $2.50/120g
- Bulk Barn: $2.56/100g
If I were to buy the same weight at both, Bulk Barn's 120 grams could cost $3.07.
Spaghetti
Spaghetti at Dollarama and Bulk Barn.
Price Comparison:
- Dollarama: $1.00/450g
- Bulk Barn: $0.51/100g
Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar at Dollarama and Bulk Barn.
Price Comparison:
- Dollarama: $2.50/300g
- Bulk Barn: $1.59/100g
At Dollarama, you can buy organic coconut sugar for way cheaper than at Bulk Barn.
300 grams of coconut sugar at Bulk Barn can cost consumers $4.77 for 300 grams, nearly double the price of the one sold at Dollarama.
Plantain Chips
Plantain Chips at Dollarama and Bulk Barn.
Price Comparison:
- Dollarama: $1.00/85g
- Bulk Barn: $2.51/100g
85 grams of plantain chips from Bulk Barn would cost $2.13.
Other than the mini cookies, seven of the eight items I picked up from both locations were cheaper at Dollarama compared to Bulk Barn.
But if you don't need that much and want to spend less, Bulk Barn would probably be the way to go.
The price difference might not be so prominent in the greater scheme of things, and it won't alter your life decisions. But, when buying things in bulk, you might want to actually head to Dollarama instead of Bulk Barn.
If you buy individual packs of the same item from Dollarama, it'll most probably be cheaper than filling a bag and buying it at Bulk Barn — isn't that ironic?
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