Who doesn’t like the idea of buying things from a dollar store? There, you can find a variety of items in different shapes, sizes, and colors, all for just one dollar.
Although many items beckon for your attention, and you’re likely to comply because they are very cheap, it is only fair to give shoppers a heads-up, particularly those asking the looming question: “What items should you avoid at a dollar store?”
Items You Should Avoid at Dollar Store
Let us get right to it. Like yard sales, dollar stores often have a lot of toys in their inventory, and shoppers with young kids may be tempted to buy a couple of them.
However, many of these toys are cheap-budget productions and are poorly assembled. Some are undeniably alluring in their wholesome form but fall to pieces all too easily. Trust us, you don’t want to expose your kids to choking toys or incur huge medical bills after your kids get injured by these substandard toys. Surely, we can’t have it all. Tradeoffs are inevitable in business. If you get toys at a low price, they have either been subsidized or the quality is compromised.
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Batteries
Next, cheap batteries that sell at dollar stores are mostly carbon-zinc types, which don’t last as long and have the potential to damage devices.
Better alternatives are the alkaline-based batteries which are more durable, though a bit more expensive.
Garbage Bag
Imagine walking across your lawn, trash bag in hand, and the next minute, the underside of the plastic bag gives way. Such scenarios can be frustrating, but a likely possibility if you buy garbage bags from dollar stores.
Investing in a quality, sturdy garbage bag can avoid the headache of doing some extra clean-up each time you take out the trash.
Skin Care Products
If it is a reputable brand of skin care item, and it’s not expired, feel free to buy it, as these lucky buys sometimes find their way to dollar stores. However, that is more of a rarity than the norm.
Skin care products that shoppers would likely encounter at a dollar store are often unbranded. Indeed, most people don’t need to be told to avoid such items, causing these care items to gather dust on the store shelves. You don’t want to be the one taking home those deteriorated products.
School Supplies
Your kid returns from school every other day asking for new supplies, and no, they are not throwing them away; most of them just get damaged with minimal use. That’s the testimony parents are likely to hear if they buy school supplies from dollar stores.
It’s better to buy quality supplies from big box stores at a slightly higher price. They last longer and save money in the long run.
Tools
If you need tools for instructional demonstrations, maybe we could give you the green light to buy them from a dollar store. However, if you need durable tools that will stand the test of time despite frequent use, by all means go to your local hardware store.
Most hardware stores have a return policy for their tools, particularly power tools. Once that tool from the dollar store goes dead on you, there’s little hope of redemption.
Food
If you are not a food expert who can tell the nuances of food freshness and quality at a glance, it may be unadvisable to pick processed or fresh food items off a dollar store shelf.
No one can tell how long the food has been there, particularly the fresh items without labels. Visiting wholesale markets or grocery stores is a better option.
Plastic Food Storage
It is commonplace for people to store leftover food away in plastic containers; sometimes, we even microwave foods in these plastic packages. However, regulatory bodies in charge of plastic use recommend non-BPA storage for food purposes.
Unfortunately, it may be almost impossible to find non-BPA-compliant food storage plastics at dollar stores, so shoppers should avoid buying such sensitive items there.
What Sells the Most in Dollar Stores
Cleaning supplies and toiletries are some of the most sold items at dollar stores. Naturally, these items get replenished often even among shoppers who buy from grocery stores or other shopping outlets.
The prices of paper towels and toilet paper can be so alluring to pass. However, the quality is often substandard. So, next time you have the cause to visit a dollar store, leave these paper products off the shopping list.
Electronic Accessories
Electronic accessories available in cheap stores are often off-brand. No one wants to beat themselves up for damaging high-end and expensive gadgets because of a cheap accessory or, worse still, for setting their house on fire.
So, it’s better to buy accessories for laptops, phones, and other devices from accredited outlets and make sure they are compatible with the device in question.
ALSO READ: Family Dollar Stores Fined Due to A Warehouse Infested With Mice
Why You Should Avoid Purchasing These Items at Dollar Store
Now, your inquisition about discount stores may have transitioned from “What items should you avoid?” to “Why should I avoid them?” From all we have itemized so far, it is safe to summarize three reasons to avoid buying the above items from a dollar store. First, no one can vouch for the safety of many of their products.
Several dollar stores set up shop in rural areas for a good reason, to gain as much market share as possible, thus harming local businesses. Finally, we feel it is better to invest in a durable but expensive item than have to change one item multiple times a year because we love patronizing dollar stores.
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