Family Dollar, Dollar Tree or Dollar General: Which One Is Cheapest? (2024)

Family Dollar, Dollar Tree or Dollar General: Which One Is Cheapest? (1)

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In theory, the dollar store seems like it might be a one-way ticket to paradise. A store full of all of the items you need and, yes, some of the items you want — all for the price of a dollar. What could be better?

Most Americans seem to agree. In the last four years, the number of dollar stores in the U.S. have gone up, totaling more than 34,000 in 2022. In fact, there are more dollar stores in the United States than McDonalds, Starbucks, Target and Walmart retailers — combined. Almost half of the new stores opened in the U.S. in 2021 were chain dollar stores, based on a 2023 report.

Still, it’s important to distinguish real dollar stores from their mere imitations, of which there are many. Atthe end of 2021, popular chain Dollar Tree announced that it would be raising the price on most of its products from $1.00 to $1.25. The traditional dollar store was becoming a dollar store in name only. There may only be one true dollar store left in America: Mighty Dollar, which says it still sells goods for only $1.

Other businesses like Dollar General and Family Dollar might sound comparable, but they just sell their items for less. Dollar Tree was the last of the major behemoths to inhabit the true ethos of a dollar store. And this year, even that last shred of vintage Americana died.

Still, we’ll leave you with a silver lining here: Dollar stores remain an inexpensive alternative to the big box stores where you’ll typically find your essentials, like laundry detergent, trash bags and body wash. In fact, you might be surprised by what you can find for a discount at the dollar store, items like socks, vases, greeting cards and even party supplies.

But is it really cheaper — and worth the potential inconvenience — than simply going to your local grocery store, Walmart or Amazon? We crunched the numbers to find out how each dollar store compares on the variety of products you need—and how they compare to the big box stores themselves.

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When we say crunch the numbers, we mean compare prices. We can’t ultimately decide which option will be best for you based on location, access and products. But we can tell you which will give you the most bang for your buck.

What I Bought (and How Much It Cost)

Our methodology is simple: We picked 10 items you need around the house and compared prices at three dollar stores, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and Dollar General. In some cases, we couldn’t find the exact same product at each, but this should give you a good basis of comparison.

Here’s what we found:

1. Toilet Paper

2. House Cleaner

3. Body Wash

4. Canned Vegetables

5. Pasta

6. Spices

7. Laundry Detergent

8. 13-Gallon Trash Bags

9. Coffee

10. Cereal

So, Which Dollar Store Is Best?

Here are our grand totals, bearing in mind that these aren’t exact product comparables.

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  • Family Dollar: $38.10
  • Dollar Tree: $12.50
  • Dollar General: $36

Rather than declare an outright winner, I think it’s fair to call a tie between Dollar Tree and Dollar General.

It ultimately depends on the kind of experience and items you are hoping to find. At Dollar Tree, all of the items are $1.25 in price—reflected by the fact that the grand total for 10 items was $12.50. But that also means that you have limited options from which to select. Instead of a name-brand body wash, like Dove or Suave, you’ll find SpaSoap. In general, the sizes are smaller and don’t come in bulk.

If your goal is to stock up for a veritable army, then Dollar General is likely your best bet. While we didn’t do a current in-store comparison, our writer’s previous experience at Dollar Tree was lacking. Some of the containers were so small, she said, that she’d have to buy 10 bottles of laundry detergent to make up for the size.

Her best store experience was actually at Dollar General, which she found to have the friendliest employees. Given how this chain fared based on our numbers crunch, it seems to be the obvious winner.

Still, there’s one last metric to run this all through: how do all three stack up compared to some of our non-dollar-store favorites? Let’s take a quick look at how much these items would run you at Walmart and Amazon.

Here’s how much we would have spent for roughly the same items:

  • Walmart: $43.29
  • Amazon: $54.62

The number crunch shows that you pay for convenience and experience when you buy from Walmart and Amazon versus a more humble dollar store. The price difference with Amazon, in particular, is surprising. That, of course, doesn’t include shipping or a Prime membership. It’s easy to get lulled into the ease of Amazon, but the prices aren’t always actually cheaper.

What we have shown is the practicality of the dollar store. So if you were ready to haul these institutions off to a museum, don’t write them off just yet. One of these dollar stores just might help you stock up your house in a way that doesn’t break the bank.

Writer Elizabeth Djinis is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder, often writing about selling goods online through social platforms. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Smithsonian Magazine and the Tampa Bay Times.

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Family Dollar, Dollar Tree or Dollar General: Which One Is Cheapest? (2024)

FAQs

Which is cheaper, Dollar Tree or Dollar General? ›

Pricing. There's no doubt that both of these stores offer affordable prices, but if you're looking for more low-cost options, then Dollar Tree is the way to go. While Dollar General sells products ranging from $3 to $10, Dollar Tree sells everything for just $1.25.

What is cheaper, Dollar General or Family Dollar? ›

At Family Dollar, prices range from $1 to $10, with most inventory priced between $3 and $5. Dollar General is even pricier than its counterparts, with only a handful of items at $1 and most prices from $3 to $10, but it carries more name brands and a greater selection, Ramhold says.

What is the difference between Dollar General Family Dollar and Dollar Tree? ›

While Dollar Tree is a great option if you want everything to cost just $1.25, the quality and variety of products may not be as high as what you would find at other stores. Dollar General and Family Dollar both offer a wider range of items and may have more sales and promotions, but their prices can vary.

Does Dollar Tree have items that cost more than a dollar? ›

Now introducing a new world of variety and value at Dollar Tree, shop our new expanded range of more choices, popular brands, and favorites beyond $1.25—giving you more possibilities to discover!

Is Dollar Tree cheaper than Family Dollar? ›

But that selection comes at a price — literally. Many of the products at Family Dollar are far too expensive for a store like Dollar Tree to carry for just $1.25.

Why is everything cheaper at Dollar Tree? ›

Purchase Cost

Dollar stores buy a lot of inventory at a time so they can sell things cheaply. Much of the inventory dollar stores purchase cost less than a $1 because they're damaged. But it's buyer beware with items like toys, which can break easily at times.

Do you really save money at Dollar General? ›

Just because an item is priced lower at the dollar store doesn't necessarily mean you're saving anything. Discount stores may offer what looks like the same product for less but they may actually be more expensive. Doing some comparison shopping before you buy can ensure that you're getting the most bang for your buck.

What is cheaper, Walmart or Family Dollar? ›

A new head-to-head comparison of Walmart, Family Dollar, and Dollar General says Wally World is 6.6% cheaper than either of the dollar stores in the food category. The price research done by investment firm Sterne, Agee & Leach found Walmart leads in food and beverages, but lags in other areas.

Why are things cheaper at Dollar General? ›

Instead of selling items in bulk, Dollar General sells small quantities of items to keep the cost of each transaction down.

Who is Dollar General's biggest competitor? ›

The main competitors of Dollar General include Target (TGT), Dollar Tree (DLTR), Big Lots (BIG), BJ's Wholesale Club (BJ), Ollie's Bargain Outlet (OLLI), MINISO Group (MNSO), Five Below (FIVE), PriceSmart (PSMT), Almacenes Éxito (EXTO), and Walmart (WMT). These companies are all part of the "variety stores" industry.

What is the most successful dollar store? ›

Dollar General is the largest dollar store operator both in terms of annual sales (more than $34 billion in 2021) and total store count (some 18,000 locations in 46 states).

How to save money shopping at the dollar store? ›

Don't purchase items that need to last

Dollar stores keep prices low by selling items that aren't built to last or for multiple uses. So, it's a great place to stock up on items like seasonal decor, paper goods or office products. But you may want to avoid picking up tech items or fragile goods with multiple parts.

How much is one item at Dollar Tree? ›

Although many items available at your local Dollar Tree, like personal care, food and beverage items, will see a new cap price of $7, up from a max price ceiling of $5 set in June 2023, not all items will be affected by this increase. The vast majority of items will remain priced at $1.25.

Is the Dollar Tree going up to $7? ›

This year, across 3,000 stores, we expect to expand our multi-price assortment by over 300 items at price points ranging from $1.50 to $7,” Dreiling said. Higher-priced items will include food, snacks, beverages, pet care, personal care and more.

Why is Dollar Tree not a dollar anymore? ›

Well, Dollar Tree is now offering prices as high as $7 on some of its products. According to the business, there are two reasons: inflation and the influx of higher-income customers who can better afford it. The retailer's CEO, Rick Dreiling, announced the change during an earnings call earlier this month.

Is Dollar General only $1 dollar? ›

Even though Dollar General has the word “dollar” in its name, everything in the store doesn't go for a buck; their merchandise is just low priced. Family Dollar is another chain that has the word “dollar” in its name but sells items for more than a buck.

Which is cheaper Dollar General or Walmart? ›

Walmart was cheaper overall, and beat Dollar General in 10 out of 12 of the items in our basket. Not only that, but Walmart also had a wider selection of goods and offered more opportunities to save by buying in bulk.

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