Dollar General and the like.....

[BillyGr]

But is the higher unit price even any different than what customers would see in any other store for the smallest size package available at any other store?

For instance if you can find it the (previously 10 ounce, then 8 ounce, now 7.5 ounce) Dawn or Palmolive at the drug store chains is about 1.99 (Walgreens 1.29 on the smallest Dawn trying to compete with Dollar Tree)... Wal Mart has these at 1.24 in a couple varieties... it is 1.25 at Dollar Tree. This small container is a higher per unit price than a 20 ounce container at any store.

There are many reasons to buy smaller packages. It is not always a false bargain. And if these publications are going to attack small size packages those comments apply to all retailers. Not only Dollar Tree.

I mean I don't use much milk so I often buy a pint of milk. 16oz 99cents. Kroger still sells pints unlike Safeway who charges more and downsized to 14oz. A whole gallon is in the 3.59 range. I am paying WAY more per unit for the pint. But it is all I can use within a week or so of purchase.

In fact, I seem to remember having those same Dawn bottles in the Dollar General $1 section at one point (though they may not any longer).

You are definitely right that much of what Dollar General carries is exactly the same sizes as supermarkets, and in at least some cases also cheaper for the item.

Not to mention that in many cases, they may also be closer than the supermarket (as they are in many areas where a supermarket is not found, in addition to ones that they are), which makes them worthwhile for many even if they can't get everything there (to limit the number/frequency of longer trips to a supermarket).

Here's one odd one for Dollar Tree as well - Scotties Tissues. I have here two boxes, as follows:
128 Tissues 9x7.9" (71.1 Sq. Inches)
110 Tissues 8.2x8.4" (68.88 Sq. Inches)

Both 2 ply, both purchased around Dec of last year, both $1.25. And the one from Dollar Tree is... the one with 128 sheets!
The 100 Count was actually regularly $1.79 at the supermarket in the same plaza (just on sale 4/$5 that week).

There are likely other similar items, that is just one I happened to notice, having been out of them and wanting to get a quantity without looking like I was cleaning out a store or something

[Romr123]

I've noticed several sizes (batches) of Suavitel softener at Dollar Tree...some look like they were the laaaast "sold for $1" shrunken size, others are bigger (that are more in keeping with the $1.25 price). I think Colgate-Palmolive is especially skilled at doing this (also the pump sizes for Softsoap/squeeze bottles for Palmolive/tubes for Colgate toothpaste); slightly more so than P&G (which doesn't seem to have quite as much package size flexibility).

[storewanderer]

I've noticed several sizes (batches) of Suavitel softener at Dollar Tree...some look like they were the laaaast "sold for $1" shrunken size, others are bigger (that are more in keeping with the $1.25 price). I think Colgate-Palmolive is especially skilled at doing this (also the pump sizes for Softsoap/squeeze bottles for Palmolive/tubes for Colgate toothpaste); slightly more so than P&G (which doesn't seem to have quite as much package size flexibility).

Same with some of the dish soaps.

The Colgate is interesting. Last I saw Colgate Total 1.3oz Tube at Dollar Tree. Cost of 1.25.

Meanwhile the 3.3oz Colgate Total size at Walgreens is 4.00 on sale (use coupons get register reward pay almost nothing net) regular 5.49, costs 5.29 at Rite Aid and CVS...

[mjhale]

I've noticed several sizes (batches) of Suavitel softener at Dollar Tree...some look like they were the laaaast "sold for $1" shrunken size, others are bigger (that are more in keeping with the $1.25 price). I think Colgate-Palmolive is especially skilled at doing this (also the pump sizes for Softsoap/squeeze bottles for Palmolive/tubes for Colgate toothpaste); slightly more so than P&G (which doesn't seem to have quite as much package size flexibility).

Same with some of the dish soaps.

The Colgate is interesting. Last I saw Colgate Total 1.3oz Tube at Dollar Tree. Cost of 1.25.

Meanwhile the 3.3oz Colgate Total size at Walgreens is 4.00 on sale (use coupons get register reward pay almost nothing net) regular 5.49, costs 5.29 at Rite Aid and CVS...

Interesting you mention toothpaste. I was in Dollar Tree a couple of weeks ago. I noticed that they had 2.6 oz tubes of Crest Pro Health toothpastes. Two tubes for $2.50 with a total size of 5.2 ounces is a better deal than one 4.6 oz tube at Walmart for $3.97. These bigger size toothpaste tubes are marked as a 3 times (!!) the size of the regular 0.85 oz tube. The 0.85 oz tube at $1.25 isn't any deal at all versus the 4.6 oz tube of the same toothpaste. I'm going to try to get back to Dollar Tree to see if they have any more of the 2.6 oz tubes of Crest. This is one of the few real deals I have found at a dollar store. Otherwise, dollar stores seem to be filled with off brands and cheap junk that isn't really much of a deal. Don't even get me started on the mess the stores are constantly in. If there are any name brand deals they seem to be these special larger size packages that I'm guessing are done as special promotions. I have a friend who loves the dollar stores and shops heavily there. I just don't see the attraction.

[BillyGr]

The Colgate is interesting. Last I saw Colgate Total 1.3oz Tube at Dollar Tree. Cost of 1.25.

Meanwhile the 3.3oz Colgate Total size at Walgreens is 4.00 on sale (use coupons get register reward pay almost nothing net) regular 5.49, costs 5.29 at Rite Aid and CVS...

Interesting you mention toothpaste. I was in Dollar Tree a couple of weeks ago. I noticed that they had 2.6 oz tubes of Crest Pro Health toothpastes. Two tubes for $2.50 with a total size of 5.2 ounces is a better deal than one 4.6 oz tube at Walmart for $3.97. These bigger size toothpaste tubes are marked as a 3 times (!!) the size of the regular 0.85 oz tube. The 0.85 oz tube at $1.25 isn't any deal at all versus the 4.6 oz tube of the same toothpaste. I'm going to try to get back to Dollar Tree to see if they have any more of the 2.6 oz tubes of Crest. This is one of the few real deals I have found at a dollar store. Otherwise, dollar stores seem to be filled with off brands and cheap junk that isn't really much of a deal. Don't even get me started on the mess the stores are constantly in. If there are any name brand deals they seem to be these special larger size packages that I'm guessing are done as special promotions. I have a friend who loves the dollar stores and shops heavily there. I just don't see the attraction.

Perhaps that is part of why they will do that with toothpaste? After all, as Storewanderer points out, they are quite often a cheap price at other stores (to add to the Walgreens, CVS had the same this week at 2/$7.98 with a $7 digital coupon to load, and ShopRite has next week 2 for $6 with a $5 digital coupon).

Thus, once the manufacturers reimburse stores for these coupons (as they are manufacturer coupons), they may actually make more from selling Dollar Tree that seemingly cheap tube than they do from other stores with much higher regular pricing (as the Dollar Tree sizes are generally made to not work with any paper coupons that they may occasionally still issue for Crest or Colgate, since those could be used there if they did match).

[storewanderer]

Dollar Tree will accept manufacturer coupons also... if the item qualifies. I've never seen anyone redeem a coupon there.

[BillyGr]

Dollar Tree will accept manufacturer coupons also... if the item qualifies. I've never seen anyone redeem a coupon there.

Right, the issue is that the coupons for CVS etc. are digital, thus only good at that store(s). There have been very few paper ones as of late, and the ones that I saw for Colgate) would not have worked with Dollar Tree sizes/styles.

There were quite a few more matching options when Dollar Tree first started taking coupons, but the manufacturers seemed to catch on fairly quickly to make those that are issued to not work for sizes that DT offers (even if other stores have the same sizes as well).

[mjhale]

Dollar Tree will accept manufacturer coupons also... if the item qualifies. I've never seen anyone redeem a coupon there.

Right, the issue is that the coupons for CVS etc. are digital, thus only good at that store(s). There have been very few paper ones as of late, and the ones that I saw for Colgate) would not have worked with Dollar Tree sizes/styles.

As long as the end price is decent with a digital coupon I will use it. The problem I am seeing with HBA items is that the grocers and drug stores regular pricing is astronomical as compared to Walmart and Target. When paper coupons were all that was out there, you could use the paper coupon at Walmart or Target and get the price below what was likely the lowest price in town. Now, with digital coupons being store specific you have to wait to see if the store will have a sale price plus digital coupon that will get you below a discount store price. In my area, we just don't have the screaming deals on things like toothpaste that you and storewanderer describe. This is where some careful shopping at the Dollar Stores might be useful if one can find a deal like the one on toothpaste that I described. Thankfully, for food items, cleaning products and detergents, the grocery stores near me have aggressive sales and with their digital coupons you can get to or below Walmart and Target pricing. Add Aldi in the mix for staple items and my Walmart shopping is down quite a bit.

[BillyGr]

As long as the end price is decent with a digital coupon I will use it. The problem I am seeing with HBA items is that the grocers and drug stores regular pricing is astronomical as compared to Walmart and Target. When paper coupons were all that was out there, you could use the paper coupon at Walmart or Target and get the price below what was likely the lowest price in town. Now, with digital coupons being store specific you have to wait to see if the store will have a sale price plus digital coupon that will get you below a discount store price. In my area, we just don't have the screaming deals on things like toothpaste that you and storewanderer describe. This is where some careful shopping at the Dollar Stores might be useful if one can find a deal like the one on toothpaste that I described. Thankfully, for food items, cleaning products and detergents, the grocery stores near me have aggressive sales and with their digital coupons you can get to or below Walmart and Target pricing. Add Aldi in the mix for staple items and my Walmart shopping is down quite a bit.

Interesting - understandable that the grocery offers will vary from chain to chain (though many of the digital coupons tend to pop up on most stores lists at about the same time), but I would have thought that the CVS deals were fairly much at all the CVS locations (such as that one from last week with the 2/$7.98 with $7/2 digital coupon).

[Alpha8472]

Many coupons are very specific about the package size covered by the coupon. Often a smaller size such as Dollar store sizes do not match the coupon and get rejected. Even at Walmart or Target, if the size doesn't exactly match or the product is a different scent or flavor it will reject.

Even eye drop coupons given by doctors reject for no reason at all.

The problem is that since you were already lured to the store, you just bought an extra basket full of items. Coupons bring customers to the store where they spend on other items. I would say coupons increase business for stores even if the coupons don't work.