How are things so cheap? Which products should you avoid? We're revealing the dollar store secrets you should know.
12 Things Dollar Store Employees Won’t Tell You
Updated on Jul. 11, 2025
We know everyone buys unnecessary things
Whether you shop at a chain dollar store such as Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar or your local 99 cent store, not everything that’s on sale is necessarily worth purchasing. Bryan Waring, a former Dollar Tree employee, says that you’re not alone in buying more than is necessary from these stores. “It seems basic, but everyone falls for this trap,” he says. “You go into a store where everything is cheap, and you walk out with things you don’t need.” He suggests walking into any store—yes, even a dollar store—with a shopping list of things you truly need.
It might be less expensive to buy in bulk
In a Reddit AMA, an assistant manager at a Dollar Tree says most hand soaps for sale smell nice and work well—but suggests you may be able to get an even better deal buying these products in bulk, rather than at a dollar store.
Everything is cheaper after the holiday season
Patricia, a seasonal worker at a Dollar Tree, says that the post-Christmas season means even better deals on everything from decorations to sweets. “After Christmas, all the gift wrap paper went to 50¢, and all Christmas items were half price,” she says. “Even candy bars are 89¢ versus $1.”
Products are less expensive because of their size
In order for dollar stores to keep their prices low, product sizes are usually smaller than normal, according to Cheapism. Dollar stores aren’t the only ones guilty of this hack. Cheapism also reports Walmart is guilty of doing the same thing to lure in customers.
Employees don’t get discounts
Dollar Tree employees reportedly don’t receive discounts, although a few varying reports claim employees receive discounts on damaged goods, per that assistant manager at Dollar Tree.
Higher earners shop at dollar stores too
Earning more doesn’t necessarily mean shopping at pricey stores instead of dollar stores. More than 22% of dollar store shoppers make more than $70,000 per year, according to the New York Times. Another report found that 29% of millennial households earning more than $100,000 per year shop at Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, Forbes reports. The same report estimates that these shoppers represent 25% of total sales from the three combined chains.
Employees are jacks and jills of all trades
Dollar store workers often take on multiple responsibilities and roles. A few of the chain dollar stores previously came under fire for giving managers too much responsibility as a way to keep staffing costs low, per HuffPost.
Household products are the best deals
Dollar stores are a catch-all for everything from housewares to greeting cards to balloons. The most popular and best things to buy, however, are household items, Waring says. This includes toilet paper, cleaning supplies, dish rags and paper towels. “Regular stores sell these items for prices five times what they should be,” he says.
Avoid buying brand-name items
Although you can find name-brand products at dollar stores, you can usually find these products for less at other stores, Business Insider reports.
Always check expiration dates on food
Make sure to check the expiration date on any food items you might buy at a dollar store. Some of the best options to buy include baking mixes, canned beans and chicken broth, as they have a long shelf life. But products that may expire sooner, such as chips and candy, are probably some of the last things you want to buy.
More chain dollar stores are on the way
Chain dollar store locations are growing fast. A study found that dollar store locations outnumbered drug store locations in the United States, TIME reports. The two biggest dollar chains, Dollar Tree and Dollar General, have more stores combined than the six biggest U.S. retailers, according to Forbes. Plus, between 2010 and 2013, Family Dollar opened 1,500 new stores—more than one a day, per the Guardian. Data from Statista predicts that the increase in dollar store locations will continue to rise.
The inventory constantly changes
Chain dollar stores—including Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree—regularly rotate items so customers don’t get bored. “The fun thing is that items are constantly changing, I think that’s what excites the customer,” Patricia says.
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Sources:
- The Guardian: “Dollar stores are thriving – but are they ripping off poor people?”
- Statista:Â “Number of dollar stores in the United States from 2017 to 2025”
- Time: “Are There Really More Dollar Stores Than Drugstores in the U.S.?”
- HuffPost: “Join The Booming Dollar Store Economy! Low Pay, Long Hours, May Work While Injured”
- Forbes: “Why Are Affluent Millennials Shopping In Dollar Stores?”
- New York Times: “The Dollar-Store Economy”
- Cheapism: “27 Dirty Secrets Dollar Stores Don’t Want You To Know”
- Reddit:Â “IamA Dollar Tree Employee AMA!”
- Bryan Waring, former Dollar Tree employee
