German Chancellor Olaf Scholz takes the oath from President of the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) Baerbel Bas during a session at the Bundestag (lower…
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-shelf-at-dollarama-right-the-outside-of-a-dollarama-store.jpg?id=60346373&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>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.</p><p>We recently published <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/dollarama-brand-name-items" target="_blank">a story called These 12 name-brand items are worth buying at Dollarama, according to shoppers</a>, based on picks from MTL Blog readers. The responses were solid, and they got me curious.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><h3>Kellogg's and General Mills cereal (full-sized boxes)</h3><br/><img alt="Cereal boxes on a shelf." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c4b365600dcaf201c62045d0b5e457e8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="d5996" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/cereal-boxes-on-a-shelf.jpg?id=60345613&width=980"/><p>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.</p><h3>Farberware knives</h3><br/><img alt="A knife set on a store shelf." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a1e7b65127b4ecd312753b32147afb5d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="27c32" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-knife-set-on-a-store-shelf.png?id=60345623&width=980"/><p>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 <a href="https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Farberware-6pc-Prep-Set/6000187835928?selectedSellerId=0®ion_id=202400&cmpid=SEM_CA_32613_SWQ2SLIHH8&utm_id=SEM_CA_32613_SWQ2SLIHH8&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=always_on&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20038495635&gbraid=0AAAAADv6L0RxpxGU1F8VFPNluGYQcYh59&gclid=CjwKCAjwruXBBhArEiwACBRtHV_Kb53fk7DlnsxaPfDqXsarjllTEei6eugzKAiqSdPrhu8o0VXCNxoCcvcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">same knife set sells for around $20 at Walmart</a>.</p><h3>Sensodyne toothpaste</h3><br/><img alt="The Dollarama toothpaste section." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="566ba5182c9ac0f28e02ec0dc5f65a4d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="81421" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/the-dollarama-toothpaste-section.jpg?id=60345634&width=980"/><p>I knew Dollarama had Colgate tubes, but I was a little taken aback at the size of their toothpaste section. </p><p>Seeing rows of Crest, Sensodyne, and Arm & Hammer made me feel like I was in a pharmacy.</p><h3>Tostitos chips and dips</h3><br/><img alt="The Tostitos section at Dollarama" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="311780107dc5579171a3e9d8f7dc2d23" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="e1edb" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/the-tostitos-section-at-dollarama.jpg?id=60345691&width=980"/><p>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. </p><p>But at $3.75 a bag and $4 a jar, it's not exactly a great bargain.</p><h3>Tylenol</h3><br/><img alt="A shelf at a Dollarama store." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5aaa9906198213beb25d9f6ed61de601" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="f64e6" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-shelf-at-a-dollarama-store.jpg?id=60345698&width=980"/><p>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.</p><h3>Silk almond milk</h3><br/><img alt="The oat milk shelf at Dollarama." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f9b3ce8055b27bbcd257b55a9fec7922" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="6e286" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/the-oat-milk-shelf-at-dollarama.jpg?id=60345702&width=980"/><p>The lack of refrigeration makes these an easy sell.</p><p>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.</p><h3>Kraft cheese</h3><br/><img alt="Kraft cheese on a store shelf." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="58bfa2804ac127e012865132500a9353" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="19d66" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/kraft-cheese-on-a-store-shelf.png?id=60345721&width=980"/><p>Take it from an Italian — Kraft's parmesan isn't <em>real</em> Parmigiano Reggiano, but it still does the trick as long as it's not the staple ingredient.</p><p>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.</p><h3>Frank's Red Hot</h3><br/><img alt="Hot sauce on a shelf at Dollarama." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ea9c88b48a9baba8b0ec230f799616ee" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="c8a51" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/hot-sauce-on-a-shelf-at-dollarama.jpg?id=60346203&width=980"/><p>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.</p><h3>Yves Rocher sun cream</h3><br/><img alt="Yves Rocher creams at a dollar store in Montreal." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ccf409bada1a968dcaceb7c9e25b2053" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="af8bf" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/yves-rocher-creams-at-a-dollar-store-in-montreal.jpg?id=60346205&width=980"/><p>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. </p><p>And in case you're wondering, these bad boys go for about $20 on <a href="https://www.yvesrocher.ca/fr/solaire-peau-parfaite/c/PT?srsltid=AfmBOoqU7hdfTvdEo9iNBLvbb3wYcSyTawsaXqt4WkVgdk4tSxtIIuHH" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yves Rocher's website</a>.</p>
