March 30 2022 - Dollarama Deals or Not

 

It seems like Dollar Stores such as Dollarama have been with us a long time.  The first all-dollar store began in Montreal in 1910.  Salim Rassy (later Rossy) was the founder. His son George took over in 1937 and then grandson Larry assumed the lead after George's death in 1973.  The first store with the Dollarama name happened in 1992 and has grown to over 1400 stores in Canada.  We have the most in Ontario. I have a notion that Dollarama products are significantly lower quality than their counterparts in traditional retail and grocery stores.  Things like detergent - is the product watered down? Do the products follow our food and safety standards?  I decide to find out what the situation is. This is one of the sorts of internet topics that many people have weighed in on. From Reader's Digest to Bob Villa.  Here's what they say about Dollarama (we're excluding Dollar Tree in the US).  This is what not to buy: Electronics - PVC content Plastic cooking utensils - BFRs Canned goods - BPA in the lining Toys - untested for consumer safety Tools - poor quality Knives - poor quality, i.e. not sharp Batteries - poor quality Back-to-school - poor quality Pet food or treats - pet safety due to expiry and ingredients Makeup, toiletries, medicine - expiration dates, contents  What might the good deals be?  Household products and cleaning supplies  Party supplies Seasonal decor Brand name candy Notebooks, colouring books Home storage and organizing supplies Vases and decorative bowls Greeting cards So I am safe on the vast amounts of Christmas decorations (for the Fantasy of Trees), the greeting cards, and all those plastic containers storing the decorations. I had previously questioned how Dollarama could sell name brand items at big discounts. A MacLean's article from 2017 HERE outlines their knock-off practices which infringe on patents.  The contents or quality of these products cannot be assured.  Dollarama says it is not trying to "trick customers".  So much for some of the "good deals". Today's image is our April calendar - a multiple exposure picture of the garden around the corner at the end of April last year.  These multiple image pictures are created in the camera which has a setting for this.  Somehow when they are merged in the camera they appear more abstract than if 6 images were taken separately and merged in Photoshop.  It seems like magic to me.

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