It's no secret that Dollar Tree is one of the best retailers to go to when you want to save. Not only does it have unbeatable prices—$1.25 for each item—but it also offers a wide range of essentials, from art supplies and holiday decor to cleaning solutions and toilet paper. That means you can pick up all your necessities at once without breaking the bank. If you've ever wondered what was going on behind the scenes at your local dollar store, you're in luck. Read on to discover the five secrets Dollar Tree employees want you to know.
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1 | Dollar Tree items move quickly.
ShutterstockIf you see an item you want at Dollar Tree, you should purchase it on the spot. According to employees, these items cycle through the store fast—and what's there at the beginning of the week likely won't be there at the end. "We have people coming in to buy $50 and $100 or more worth of stuff," writes former employee Karisma on Medium. "Stores sell out fast, some more than others. It depends on where your store is located, the population, and if there are more stores around that store."
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2 | The best deals are on paper goods.
ShutterstockIt turns out your last-minute runs to Dollar Tree for toilet paper and napkins are a smart savings strategy. “The items that my employees and I purchase at Dollar Tree for value would definitely be toilet paper, paper towels, birthday cards, candy, balloons, plastic ware, paper plates, envelopes, [stationery] products, and the daily newspaper,” a former Dollar Tree store manager told Mental Floss. While these products may be somewhat smaller in size than their supermarket or big-box store counterparts, according to Wall St. Watchdog, the fair quality and convenience factor more than make up for it.
3 | Working at Dollar Tree is more physically demanding than you might think.
KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStockIf you think a shift at Dollar Tree includes little more than ringing up a series of odds and ends, think again. "Dollar Tree does not stock its shelves in bulk on pallets, which means that each and every item has to be removed from the box and placed onto the shelf by hand," writes Reddit user butterfly_breeze. "There are no night-stockers that come in to re-stock the shelves during the night. This means that everything has to be unloaded from the trucks and brought into stock during the day while the customers are shopping and checking out." In other words, workers cannot shelve large quantities of items at the same time, but rather one by one.
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4 | Employee training could be improved.
Victoria Nochevka / ShutterstockIf you're checking out at Dollar Tree and notice the cashier is struggling to ring you up, it could be due to a lack of training. TikTok user @qtyjulie noted that ahead of her first shift—and first cashier job ever—she barely received a five-minute rundown of how to ring someone up. This resulted in her throwing away a set of coupons she was supposed to save. "I stood there in front of my manager with rubber gloves on digging through three bins of trash to find those coupons," she said in a video. "The most humiliating thing ever."
5 | The Dollar Tree website is just as amazing as the store.
iStockOne other thing Dollar Tree employees wish you knew? There are deals to be had outside of the store. According to The Krazy Coupon Lady, you can find great savings on bulk items like party favors, paper towels, sports drinks, and more on the Dollar Tree website. Each item will still cost $1.25, but there will be a wider selection and larger quantities. What's more, the retailer offers free in-store pickup so you don't have to splurge on shipping.
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