Dollarama’s shelves always seem to be full of surprises, especially if you haven’t given the store a proper walk-through in a while.
We recently published a story called These 12 name-brand items are worth buying at Dollarama, according to shoppers, based on picks from MTL Blog readers. The responses were solid, and they got me curious.
I’m more of a casual dollar store shopper myself, usually popping in for a birthday card or a couple of mini cans of soda. But after reading what people had found, I figured it was time to do some browsing of my own.
While not everything here is necessarily cheaper than what you’ll get at a big box store, here are nine name-brand products I didn’t expect to spot at Dollarama.
Kellogg’s and General Mills cereal (full-sized boxes)
While the mini bowls of Frosted Flakes or Froot Loops didn’t surprise me, I was kind of floored to find regular, full-sized boxes of Rice Krispies, Cheerios, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch on the shelf. Prices ranged from $2.75 to $3.50, which is pretty decent considering what they go for elsewhere.
Farberware knives
Farberware might not be high-end, but it’s definitely a step up from most dollar store kitchen gear. For $5, the value’s hard to beat, especially since the same knife set sells for around $20 at Walmart.
Sensodyne toothpaste
I knew Dollarama had Colgate tubes, but I was a little taken aback at the size of their toothpaste section.
Seeing rows of Crest, Sensodyne, and Arm & Hammer made me feel like I was in a pharmacy.
Tostitos chips and dips
From what I can remember, Dollarama has always carried chips. But something about seeing an entire display of large Tostitos bags — along with glass jars of salsa and cheese dips — made me forget I was shopping at a dollar store.
But at $3.75 a bag and $4 a jar, it’s not exactly a great bargain.
Tylenol
I’ve never associated Dollarama with over-the-counter meds, but here we are. Tylenol in small-size formats. It’s limited, sure, but handy in a pinch.
Silk almond milk
The lack of refrigeration makes these an easy sell.
Seeing boxed dairy alternatives like Silk and Earth’s Own on the shelf was unexpected (in a good way). At $2.50 a box, it’s about what you’d pay at grocery stores when they’re on sale. Not bad if you’re stocking up.
Kraft cheese
Take it from an Italian — Kraft’s parmesan isn’t real Parmigiano Reggiano, but it still does the trick as long as it’s not the staple ingredient.
The fact that you can buy Kraft-branded shredded cheese at Dollarama felt more like Costco than a dollar store. I didn’t check the expiry date too hard, but it looked fine and was selling for $4.25 a jar.
Frank’s Red Hot
This one genuinely caught me off guard. Frank’s is a staple in a lot of fridges, and seeing it alongside no-name hot sauces was kind of funny. At $1.75 a bottle, it’s a great value if you’re running low.
Yves Rocher sun cream
Yves Rocher isn’t some random off-brand — it’s legit French skincare, and seeing $4.50 tubes of sun cream on the shelf next to hand sanitizer felt like a glitch in the matrix.
And in case you’re wondering, these bad boys go for about $20 on Yves Rocher’s website.
