The discount retailer has seriously upped its game, and you can find some great stuff that easily holds its own against pricier products.
After plenty of tried-and-tested items (some wins and some fails), I've built a pretty solid list of my favourites.
Here are 13 Dollarama dupes that have actually replaced brand-name products for me.
Hand sanitizer
Paul Frank hand sanitizer.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
I've been buying hand sanitizer at Dollarama for years, and now you can get this Paul Frank dupe of Touchland's spray sanitizer. Touchland isn't cheap, selling for around $14 a bottle, so the $2.50 price tag here is a steal. The only tough part is actually finding it because it keeps selling out (at least at my local store).
Price: $2.50
Eyelash curler
An eyelash curler.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Brand-name eyelash curlers cost way more than they should. A Revlon version goes for almost $8, while a Sephora Collection one costs $22. When mine broke, I went straight to Dollarama to see if they had one, and I was pleasantly surprised to find this Pure Silk curler. It's been my go-to ever since.
Price: $2.75
Travel tumblers
Travel tumblers at Dollarama.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Dollarama is the king of dupes for water bottles and travel tumblers. Over the years, I've picked up S'well and Stanley lookalikes, and more recently, the Nespresso Travel Tumbler dupe caught my eye at Dollarama.
I've been using it for iced coffee and smoothies, and I love that it costs just $4 compared to $30 for the original.
Price: $4
Dinner napkins
Napkins.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
I've been buying these dinner napkins for years. They're a classic white, they feel high-quality, and I honestly can't tell the difference between these and pricier brands. A 75-pack of Royale napkins at Walmart can cost $7.97!
Seriously, why would you buy them anywhere else?
Price: $1.75
Scrubber sponges
Scrubber sponges.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
I always have scrubber sponges stocked up at home for dishes and cleaning, and this pack at Dollarama comes with 10 sponges for $1.25, which breaks down to just $0.13 each.
I get that Scrub Daddy sponges are super popular right now and much cuter than these yellow ones. But they sell for several dollars apiece ($4 at Dollarama), so you can save a lot by just switching to these regular ones.
Price: $1.25
Spices
Spices at Dollarama.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Dollarama may not carry every spice, but the selection is solid. From paprika to onion powder and oregano, you can stock up on plenty of pantry staples. The best part? They're only $1 each, which makes the price hard to beat. For example, Walmart sells Club House paprika in a 119-gram package, which works out to $5.69 per 100 grams.
The Dollarama version is $1 for 62 grams, or $1.61 per 100 grams. That's a big difference.
Price: $1
Green olives
Green olives at Dollarama.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
I'm not picky about green olives, and I think the ones at Dollarama are just as good as the Unico ones you'd find at Walmart or other grocery stores. They're stuffed with red pepper paste and are nice and salty, so they're perfect for a charcuterie board, a salad or a Caesar. Walmart sells the same-size jar of Unico olives for $2.97, so you're saving almost $1 by shopping at Dollarama.
Price: $2
Wet wipes
Wet wipes at Dollarama.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Now that I have a toddler, spills and messes happen all the time, so I always have wet wipes in my car and bag. I used to buy Wet Ones, but at the rate I go through them, I switched to this Dollarama version a while ago. At $1.25 for a pack of 40, they work out to about $0.03 a wipe. A 20-pack of Wet Ones wipes at Walmart can cost $4.27, or $0.21 per wipe.
Price: $1.25
Easy erasers
Easy Erasers.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
These Easy Erasers are a dupe for Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, and they work just as well. I use them for cleaning around the house and even on the rubber soles of my sneakers. Dollarama also sells the name-brand version, but at $2 apiece for the Mr. Clean ones, these Easy Erasers are a win.
Price: $1.75
Hand soap
Moisturizing Cream Soap on display: Aloe & Chamomile blend.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
I buy both the small Spa Soap hand soaps and the big refills because the price is much better than at other stores. I personally also like that the scent of these Aloe and Chamomile Dollarama soaps isn't overpowering. The bottle pictured is 473 millilitres, which works out to $0.37 per 100 millilitres. A 332 millilitre bottle of Softsoap at Walmart sells for $3.47, or about $1.05 per 100 millilitres.
Price: $1.75
Bubble bath
Bubble bath at Dollarama.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
A bubble bath is the ultimate form of self-care for me, and I'm a sucker for anything lavender-scented. I love this one from The Spathecary at Dollarama, and at $4.50 for the bottle, it's a bargain compared to Dr. Teal's, which sells for almost $10 at Walmart.
Price: $4.50
Storage bags
Zipper Seal bags at Dollarama.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Not all zipper storage bags are created equal at Dollarama, but these Zipper Seal ones have passed the test at my house, and I always end up getting more. They're great for the freezer, and I especially love the write-on labels so I can jot down what's inside and when I froze it. A 30-pack of medium bags costs $1.25, while at Walmart, a 28-pack of medium Ziploc bags sells for $4.
Price: $1.25
Silicone muffin pan
A silicone muffin pan at Dollarama.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
I bake a lot of muffins these days, and I've been using these silicone muffin pans from Dollarama for over a year now. They've held up just as well as any pans I've used in the past, if not better, since the silicone prevents the batter from sticking. They're comparable to the Trudeau muffin pans, which come in a similar confetti design. That one sells for around $40 on Amazonon at regular price, so I'll stick with my $5 Dollarama version.
Price: $5
Khate Lessard dénonce des commentaires transphobes de la part d’un pharmacien
« Venant de quelqu’un qu'on est supposés "truster"… »
Dans une série de stories partagée sur son compte Instagram le 3 avril, Khate Lessard dénonce des commentaires transphobes qu'elle reçoit sous ses photos depuis un moment et ajoute qu'ils proviendraient d'un pharmacien qui travaillait à l'endroit où elle s'est déjà procuré certaines prescriptions.
C'est en voyant le nom de l'auteur des commentaires désobligeants que Khate s'est aperçue qu'elle le connaissait personnellement, selon ce qu'elle explique à sa communauté :
« C'est genre, un pharmacien qui travaille dans ma ville natale [...], je l'ai croisé vraiment souvent, j'ai même déjà travaillé à cette pharmacie-là. Et il commente de la m*rde à mon propos sur mes propres photos, genre il me dénigre », poursuit Khate.
Dans les commentaires d'une de ses photos, un.e abonné.e a complimenté Khate, ce à quoi un.e internaute que la créatrice de contenu désigne comme ledit pharmacien a ensuite répliqué :
« Au naturel? Sans artifice? Vous savez que c'est un homme? »
Khate a confié à Narcity que ça ferait quelques mois que cette personne écrit des messages à caractère transphobe sous ses photos :
« Mon pharmacien d’Abitibi qui se met à commenter mes photos Instagram en disant que je suis un homme, que les trans sont dégueulasses [...]. Je n'en reviens pas. »
N'habitant plus dans sa région natale, elle ajoute qu'elle n'a plus à le côtoyer à ce jour, mais qu'elle trouve qu'il s'agit tout de même d'un manque de professionnalisme :
« Je suis à Laval maintenant, mais c'est là-bas que j’ai commencé ma transition. Et oui, je suis allée chercher des hormones là-bas. Je trouve ça inacceptable comme comportement venant de quelqu’un qu'on est supposés truster et qui est notre référence quand on fait une transition. »
Elle a ensuite conclu son intervention dans ses stories Instagram en défendant qu'il est « malaisant » pour les personnes qui vont se procurer des médicaments dans le cadre d'une transition de savoir que le ou la professionnel.le derrière le comptoir pourrait juger ses client.es non seulement tout bas, mais aussi sur les réseaux sociaux.