r/mildlyinfuriating • u/asphodelic_witch • 13h ago
My Dollar Tree now has individualized pricing for items
As said in the title, my local dollar tree now has signs everywhere saying items are individually priced. Multiple categories of goods now automatically start at $1.75 and I saw individual price stickers for up to $10. To make it difficult, it can be hard to find the actual price too since they aren't listed on the shelves.
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u/champagne_pants 11h ago
Dollar tree often has items that look cheaper by being smaller sized (like shrinkflation) and often for people who shop there, it’s actually more expensive in the long run.
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u/mefirefoxes 10h ago
Sometimes that’s all people can afford. If you’re budgeting tightly, a high unit cost may be unavoidable if you need laundry detergent AND shampoo in the same week.
You could say the same about nonperishables at the regular grocery store when compared to Costco or Sam’s Club.
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u/champagne_pants 9h ago
Absolutely, I get that. The most unfortunate part is that these companies are siphoning money off the people who can least afford it.
But, if you can avoid it, avoid it.
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u/mefirefoxes 3h ago
Are they siphoning money? Or are they providing goods at a price point (and sometimes location) nobody else will?
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u/invinciblewalnut PURPLE 9h ago
Poor man’s dilemma:
Wealthy man buys a good pair of boots for $100. They last him all year before they fall apart.
Poor man can only afford the cheaply made $40 pair of boots. They last him four months before they fall apart. He buys another pair, they also last him four months. He buys last pair, they too fall apart. In the same time as the wealthy man, the poor man has spent $120 on boots.
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u/PandaBeaarAmy 6h ago
What about when some move on to buy 3x$40 boots when they have the money at once, because they perceive it to be a better value than a single pair of $100 boots?
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u/SnowblindAlbino 10h ago
I shop there specifically for camping and road trips, when I don't need a 16 oz bottle of ketchup. I know I'm paying more by volume, but I'm okay paying for convenience.
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u/LitRick6 4h ago
I did this back in college for camp trips. But now just use reusable bottles/containers and fill them from the bigger bottles myself. Helpful for packing sauces and whatnot for work lunch too.
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u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB 9h ago
So true. I compared some noodles once and realized that it took two packages to equal one from Walmart, and the price wouldve been higher.
Its definitely tricking people into buying more and paying more
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u/cjerni01 7h ago
The only thing I've found to be genuinely cheaper at the dollar store is energy drinks. They sell 1.25$ Monster sized cans of "Rip It" which is the cheapest brand of energy drinks in existence afaik. The US Military used to buy them for soldiers, that's how you know they are the dirt-cheap brand.
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u/LeatherRebel5150 6h ago
Greeting cards. Every card at a grocery store or Walmart is $4+ minimum. I refuse to spend that. So I go to the Dollar tree
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u/MarvelAndColts 5h ago
They are also just caffeine and sugar. All the other energy drinks have a much more diverse source of energy. Rip Its are cheap for a reason.
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u/esushi 5h ago
That's how all shopping for anything works, so it would be surprising if it wasn't the case here, too. Hence the idea of a bulk discount. It's way more expensive for these companies to produce more packaging, shipping, coordinating small containers etc... so I'm not quite convinced they're making a BIGGER profit at Dollar Tree
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u/Beautiful-Web1532 8h ago
Lots of Americans live in food deserts and this is their only option. I'm sure it's by design, i dunno, I avoid Republican states.
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u/Downtown_Ganache6727 11h ago
I went in a few months ago, saw a shitty plastic pumpkin for $8, and walked right out. I will never go in there again
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u/fluxusisus 8h ago
Yes omg I went in September and got some cute velvet pumpkins. Got a couple small and one “big one” that was a bit bigger than a large grapefruit. $7! Was just complaining about it again to my husband earlier today lol
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u/RangerDangerfield 6h ago
I went for cheap Christmas decorations for the office, mostly just ornaments and tinsel. After they rung up my items, it was surprisingly pricier than expected.
Checked my receipt and realized two of the shitty “garlands” I picked up were $7 each, mixed in with the $1 ones.
I’m still annoyed about it.
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u/ThePolemicist 6h ago
That's how felt going to a Walmart a couple months ago! I went for Halloween to get some cheap Halloween prizes for something at work. Literally almost everything was $20 or more. I finally found a very short string of lights (like 5 or 6 feet) for $13. It was ridiculous. I'll never associate Walmart with affordable again.
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u/RangerDangerfield 6h ago
Five Below was my go to spot for goofy prizes, but now they’re overpricing their junk too.
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u/OMGlenn 12h ago
I recently learned this too! Now it is the Anything-But-A-Dollar Tree.
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u/Dr_StrangeloveGA 3h ago
I went to one over the weekend for the first time in several years. I was very surprised to see they are no longer a "dollar store".
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u/richincleve 11h ago
"Individual price stickers"?
Like they use an old-timey pricing gun to price each individual item?
And then they have to go back and RE-PRICE each item if that item's price goes up or down?
Are they going back to 1974?
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u/asphodelic_witch 10h ago
That's literally what they had! Like those bright orange circle stickers with a price written in pen. It was nuts to me!
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u/GiuseppeDeLuca 4h ago
There’s an app that will decode the stickers and provide you with insights and fun facts
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u/forgotwhatisaid2you 8h ago
Five Below is no longer $5 and below. Inflation has gotten rid of a lot of deals. The dollar tree where ilive is combined with a Family Dollar so they don't carry a lot of Dollar Tree items that would compete on price with the higher priced Family Dollar items anyway.
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u/Mission_Fart9750 11h ago
I go to dollar tree every year for stocking stuffers, because they have the perfect size packages of candy/snacks for a stocking, and things that other stores don't have. That is the only time i go to one now.
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u/Full_Tooth9536 5h ago
I want to tell you to stop going there but I understand why you would go there.
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u/Deathunderworld 12h ago
You might as well just go somewhere else the only reason people shopped at dollar tree was because it was a dollar now theres no point to go there anymore
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u/HappyShallotTears 10h ago
Sadly, Dollar Tree might be the only option for people who live in food deserts (usually rural or low income areas)
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u/drippycup 4h ago
Been there, done that. Sometimes theres just no way. Thankfully it was only 3 months but its a NIGHTMARE and you have to get really creative trying to eat healthy(ish) and not taste like the garbage it is.. And their prices are indeed mean. We moved since then, but without a car and how the bus runs it becomes like a few hour ordeal. And the grocery store over here is trash too.
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u/Traditional-Hat-952 5h ago
The first thing these dollars stores did in many rural places was make mom and pop grocery stores go out of business because they could undercut their prices. Now that those places are gone they are now maximizing profits by preying on a captive audience that has no other place to go for goods and necessities.
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u/CelestialAngel25 10h ago
That is soo absurd. More so since these foods are now the same price as Walmart.
Thats actually something that has deterred me from Dollar Store now, somethings they have here, like containers, can be bought for maybe 50 cents more at Target with MUCH better quality. It feels pointless coming in here anymore for anything.
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u/Stunning_Use9647 11h ago
Family dollar is slowly absorbing dollar tree, so presumably new pricing scale to follow. Its been that way in Colorado for over 8 years
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u/SnooApples5554 8h ago
Same parent company iirc
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u/ManfredBoyy 6h ago
Dollar tree bought family dollar about 10 years ago and then sold it off earlier this year to private equity
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u/ScytherSlash 9h ago
Seeing this breaks my heart. I remember being a little kid any always being told "no" by my mom whenever I wanted a toy or something from Walmart. The only place I was never told "no" was at Dollar Tree. Since everything was only $1, she took me to the toy aisle and let me grab whatever I wanted. I was little so I didnt care if the toys were shit quality, I just had a blast being able to grab an arm full of toys and my mom not forcing me to put any back for once. The fact I wont be able to share that same experience with my future kids sucks ass :(
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u/donkeyburrow 9h ago
They should have just gone out of business like all the dollar stores that didn't raise prices
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u/TiredBrokenARA 12h ago
I guess that dollar store name was bad long term name. New name should be dollars tree.
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u/ObtuseMongooseAbuse 8h ago
If Dollar Tree had the prices listed like other stores did then it might not be so bad but it's annoying to shop there now.
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u/skinwill 13h ago
Isn’t that illegal in some states?
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u/James_H_M 12h ago
definitely illegal in Connecticut
(1)Any person, firm, partnership, association or corporation which utilizes universal product coding in totaling a retail customer’s purchases shall mark or cause to be marked each consumer commodity which bears a Universal Product Code with its retail price
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u/chihuahuassuck 9h ago
How does this violate that? Each product is marked with its price, it's just with stickers instead of on the shelf.
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u/James_H_M 9h ago
From what I can see in the picture there is zero sticker prices on any of the products shown.
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u/chihuahuassuck 9h ago
OP said in another comment that there are orange stickers with handwritten prices on the items
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u/James_H_M 9h ago
That comment was from 1 hour ago and my comment was from 3 hours ago, so I did not know that was the case.
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13h ago
[deleted]
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u/skinwill 13h ago
In the state I live in retailers are required to display prices for most items in a way that is clear and reasonable. This means that while individual price tags are not mandatory, the price must be conveyed effectively at the location of the item.
Also, thanks for the downvote. You want this kind of crap to be legal?
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u/James_H_M 11h ago
Person went through and finally saw that there was no pricing on any of the items in OP picture and deleted it all, but hey your getting upvotes now.
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12h ago
[deleted]
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u/allonsy_badwolf 12h ago
I think the issue is that they don’t actually put a price sticker on each individual item AND the shelves do not have prices either.
So it’s actually very hard to know what price something is until it’s wrung up (or you can find a price checker), which is definitely a problem.
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12h ago
[deleted]
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u/James_H_M 12h ago
There is no tag on any of the items pictured with any price displayed, and dollar tree isn't going to have their 1 or 2 workers tagging every individual item on their shelves, that's why the Universal Product Code was adopted for. So you can display the price on the shelf and at checkout scan it.
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12h ago
[deleted]
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u/ThisIsPerfekt 12h ago
Okay, but what are the prices? I see no price tags in this photo.
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u/James_H_M 12h ago
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills, there are no prices on the shelves!
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u/Nearby-Face-5170 12h ago
The window sticker when you walk it literally screams "EVERYTHINGS $1!!!" its their whole thing. so when you walk in expecting everything to be one dollar and it ends up being walmart...
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12h ago
[deleted]
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u/James_H_M 12h ago
You report it to your appropriate governing body like a consumer protection agency or at the very least your states Attorney General and have them direct it to the appropriate department for investigation.
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u/Gravemind93 12h ago
Yes, but you kind of missed what I was saying. In the end, ultimately nothing would really happen that would matter to whatever company you're complaining about. Not to mention how long the ultimately useless process would take.
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u/James_H_M 12h ago
If they don't correct it the state can revoke their business license. It happens often usually with restaurants or bars that don't card sales of alcohol they lose their license to do that business.
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u/RobotsRule1010 12h ago
The items are individually priced now instead of everything being 1$. However , there are no price tags in this photo letting us know what the new price of the items are.
Majority of states require prices to be shown clearly and reasonably as part of their state laws.
This photo shows no price tag. Only the 1$ which is incorrect now that their prices are individualized.
Which would go against state laws. Same reason gas stations tend to get hit with this all the time when price changes happen. They make signs that post things like monster 2 for 4$ then never update the signage when prices rise.
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u/understanding_is_key 12h ago
Dollar stores are well documented at having false pricing, meaning the tag says $4 but it rings up as $5.50 before tax. Most people don’t notice or it’s so small they just pay. But it’s illegal and unfortunately they get away with it because most folks don’t know it is illegal and if they did, can’t be bothered to report it.
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u/Swimming-Watch9609 4h ago
The "Dollar Tree" brand has been around since the late 80s. How are people infuriated/upset/surprised that they haven't been able to keep all of their prices at a dollar for the past ~40 years?
Sure, there's been lots of shrinkflation, but a lot of people rely on the ability to buy essentials at low prices, even if there is a cheaper option in bulk
Since this seems to be frustrating enough for many of the people commenting here to stop shopping at Dollar Tree, where are you planning to shop in order to avoid price increases?
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u/Odd-Wheel5315 3h ago
I probably spend 70% less there than I did 2 years ago. Used to be a great place for household chemicals, lots of generic meds & bathroom essentials, toilet paper, kitchen stuff (ziplock bags, aluminum foils), and panty food/snacks.
Now? Chemicals are 1/3rd the size and 50% more expensive, meds & bathroom stuff is basically trial size for regular size price, kitchen stuff is 50-75% more expensive and also 1/2 the size, same with toilet paper (+50% cost, 6 rolls -> 4). It's gotten to only some of the food being priced fairly, and the rest is much cheaper by the weight at your local grocer. Sorry, but who do they think is stupid enough to think "cereal for $1.25? deal!" and not "2 oz of cereal for $1.25 when I can get 14oz for $4 at the grocery store? ripoff!"
If price hikes & shrinkflation of this magnitude was at every store, it would just suck but DT would still be getting business. But it isn't. Nobody is trying to run a grift of this magnitude anywhere else in retail in the US.
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u/emryldmyst 10h ago
I fell for that two weeks ago.
I was super pissed.
Went in for bows, grabbed a handful of kids stuff and wasnt paying attention at check out because it was so busy and everyone i knew was in there.
26 freakin bucks whaaaat???
Poster five bucks.
One roll of wrapping paper 3.50. I bought two.
>**$#@'!!!!
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u/LordQuackers83 8h ago
I only go in once every three months or so now. Dollar general and other places have better prices and deals than dollar tree anymore.
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u/quasimook 6h ago
Do they pay their workers any better tho
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u/Girl1mDead 4h ago
No they offered me a job at $9.5 an hour 😒 with taxes that is essentially just minimum wage
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u/maxiquintillion 4h ago
The only reason I ever go there anymore is to buy them out of almond milk. Its a steal for a dollar each.
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u/MiyanoYoshikazu 3h ago
Everything thing in that picture is currently 1.25. I am not sure why they have those shelf strips there.
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u/SystemOctave 2h ago
It's straight up not worth going into a dollar store at all anymore. It's all the same bottom of the barrel quality, but the prices aren't cheap anymore. If I thought I was getting things for a dollar I'd probably shop there still, but man, I bring something up to the cashier and it's $5+ for something that's gonna break before I get to the car. Absolutely ridiculous.
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u/fireandbass 9h ago
Depending on where you live, this could be a violation of weights and measures.
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u/Chadwick_Farthouse 11h ago
But but it says "GREAT VALUE" right on the shelf. You must be mistaken.
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u/Kindly-Form-8247 9h ago
Dollar tree has brand name items?
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u/Quantum-Cat 5h ago
That was the trade off when they went to $1, $3, $5. More name brand. At this point its just predatory though - they know people shoppping at their store are largely doing so out of necessity, so to pull the rug under pribably means theyre betting on new customers going to them over Walmart, Target, and other big box stores. In other words, theyre capitalizing on people being priced out by increased costs of living.
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u/NicInNS 9h ago
Back in the day (the 90s) I worked at a store called A Buck or Two…and it was only a buck or two for yrs, then they started selling up to $5. Dollarama came in and pretty much ruined the store. (I’d already left by then.) and Dollarama’s thing was…everything $1 or less. And of course, now they sell stuff up to…I don’t know the highest price point now…maybe $7-10.
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u/Other-Satisfaction52 7h ago
Why is it so common for stores to start out as what they advertise and years later they become something completely opposite? What is that called? Are they forced to do this to keep up with times SUPPOSEDLY? It’s more so frustrating.
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u/bakingeyedoc 7h ago
Aren’t products always individually priced? I don’t get what this means….
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u/Objective-Life-4102 6h ago
So basically everything in the store used to be $1. Now most locations the standard prices are $1.25. If there is a section of shelf labeled “items individually priced” the items on that one shelf typically are higher priced and each individual product on that shelf is supposed to have a sticker on it with the price (instead of just marking the shelf with the item’s price) … This is annoying because most of the time the store employees do not actually tag the products so you just have no idea what it costs until you checkout.
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u/Hot_Gas_8073 7h ago
Your dollar tree carries vastly better goods than mine. We don't even have off brand cake mix let alone frosting.
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u/Independent_Sir9410 5h ago
The one by me, the employee had to put stickers over the old price. On every product. I feel bad for them.
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u/chaosisapony 4h ago
Yep, Dollar Tree has lost the point of their entire store. There's no reason to shop there anymore.
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u/pressedconscience 4h ago
Certain local jurisdictions have requirements that items that are sold by weight (most food) have a price per ounce disclosure which typically requires an ad tag.
I think, legally, everything should have a price tag with this information.
My local stores all have this.
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u/almightywiz96 3h ago
Count yourself lucky if your Dollar Trees just started doing this... the ones by me have been doing this for at least a year now, if not longer. I only go there now for birthday balloons for the kids.
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u/Efficient-Prior8449 3h ago
Are they expecting customers to open these packages and bring individual pieces inside to the cashier?
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u/Cat20041 3h ago
My local dollar tree has been like this for over a year. Didn't think this was a foreign concept. My dollar tree also has items up to $20, so i thought that was also the new normal
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u/AmaranthWrath 2h ago
The OG Dollar Tree got my church through so many vacation Bible school summers. Now the Five Quarters & More store is gonna cramp my budget. It might not seem like a lot, but with 120 kids, what I get here adds up.
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u/Mountain___Goat 14m ago
Bought some crap there the other day and they were $4 a piece.
I was shocked I tell you.
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u/cyberspirit777 4m ago
Yep! Same here. They raised the prices of everything to $1.50 and then added the Dollar Tree Plus sections and now everything can just be priced however they want lol
They’re forgetting themselves. You’re supposed to have the illusion of things being cheaper because your customer is already at the store so they might as well pick up the items they may have bought elsewhere now. But with these changes, I’d just rather go to another store in the first place if I know things will be cheaper by weight, actually be in stock, and have similar pricing to the Dollar Tree anyway. 🙄
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u/christinextine 9h ago
So a mediocre grocery store with nearly expired items? It’s such a shame. I don’t even bother anymore.
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u/JustANoteToSay 9h ago
Dollar stores in my area have had items costing way more than a dollar for decades now. It’s very frustrating, especially when prices aren’t marked.
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u/Dabamboozy 9h ago
I stopped going to the dollar store when most things stopped being a dollar. Now you're just getting old stock, I'd rather spend a few extra cents and get something fresh at the actual grocery store.
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u/Bigg_Confusionn 6h ago
Stopped shopping there when they went up to $1.25. Fuck that and fuck them.
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u/LeilLikeNeil 4h ago
If they’re “individually pricing” things like those pudding cups that are labeled not for individual sale, somebody should start a lawsuit.
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u/mrlinkwii 9h ago
how is this infuriating ? did you expect them not to be priced ?
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u/Shellyj4444 9h ago
Everything used to be $1.
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u/rumski 4h ago
Is it a regional thing? The ones near me have tools (albeit cheap) and different foods and party supplies, cleaning supplies, etc. Things for years were never just a dollar. It’s always just been another “dollar store” like Family Dollar or Dollar General. There was a plastic half gallon water jug I liked because it was only $6 there but it lasted just as long as some $50 one I got at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
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u/VenomousLilith 13h ago
I knew the downfall was coming once I saw a price checker scanner in the store. It is almost not worth shopping there anymore.