Dollar Tree is one of the biggest discount dollar stores in the United States and was historically known as “The store where everything costs $1.” In 2022, though, Dollar Tree had to increase its prices on items to $1.25 to keep up with rising inflation. The store still offers incredible deals, though.
Although Dollar Tree has expanded into Canada (with over 240 stores), Canadians still cannot shop at Dollar Tree’s online store in Canada. At this time, only US-based customers can shop online with the company.
However, there is a clever workaround that Canadians can use to order Dollar Tree online in Canada. Keep on reading to learn more!
Can I Buy From Dollar Tree Online In Canada?
If you’re a frugal spender like myself, then Dollar Tree is nothing but a paradise. It’s one of the only stores in the entire North American continent where you can walk in without having to check a price tag, as everything (and I mean everything) costs $1.25.
Dishes, kitchen gadgets, personal hygiene items, snacks, drinks, school supplies… you name it – it’s only $1.25.
While Dollar Tree sells some arguably low-quality items, it’s a great place to get essentials that would cost you much more at a typical store like Walmart or Superstore.
Personally, I really like Dollar Tree’s selection of party and office supplies, which are far more affordable than Party City or Staples.
Unfortunately, Dollar Tree does not have an online store available for Canadians. This means you’ll have to visit one of Dollar Tree’s brick-and-mortar stores to take advantage of the incredible savings.
Since the company primarily ships and distributes from its US-based warehouses, Dollar Tree would have to charge exuberant amounts for shipping, which would completely defeat the purpose of shopping with the discount retailer in the first place.
To me, it seems like Dollar Tree just doesn’t want to deal with the logistical headache of cross-border distribution.
That being said, there is a way to get around the geo-restrictions by using a package forwarding service, which I’ll show you below.
Shop Dollar Tree Online In Canada With Package Forwarding
Package forwarding is the process of using an intermediary warehouse as a kind of loophole to get around international shipping restrictions. Here’s how it works:
- You’ll create an account with a package forwarding service
- As a registered account holder, you’ll be given a virtual address that you can use to ship items to
- This virtual address will be located within the country where you’re buying from, which means that you’re not interfering with the retailer’s international shipping restrictions
- You’ll use the virtual address when checking out with the retailer
- Once the package forwarder receives your package, it will be placed in temporary holding until you decide when and where you want to forward the package
- Some package forwarders offer long-term holding, which can be useful if you’re travelling; otherwise, you can just ship the package directly to your Canadian address
Before you get too excited, though, I should provide you with a disclaimer – using a package forwarding service can be rather expensive due to costly international shipping and handling fees.
Even the cheapest shipping options (four or more weeks for shipping) can cost upwards of $50 or more. If you want fast shipping (which still takes around two weeks), expect to pay at least double this amount.
That being said, package forwarding can be incredibly useful if you’re travelling internationally or if there’s a specific international brand that you want to buy from.
Most recently, I used a package forwarder to buy some snow boots that I really liked From ASOS, which is based in the UK.
How To Shop For Dollar Tree Online In Canada: Step-By-Step
Above, I gave you a brief overview of the steps to use if you want to utilize a package forwarding service to ship US-based Dollar Tree Online orders to Canada. If you’ve never used package forwarding, though, you still might be scratching your head a bit.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the process. Keep in mind that this same process can be repeated for just about any international brand. You just have to make sure that the package forwarder:
- 1) Has a warehouse located in the country where you’re buying from
- 2) Offers shipping to Canada
As long as the forwarder meets these two criteria, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Step 1: Sign Up For A US-Based Package Forwarder
First thing’s first – you’ll need to sign up with a package forwarding company that has a US-based warehouse and offers shipping across the Canadian border. Some of the top package forwarding companies that meet these criteria are:
- Planet Express
- Shipito
- MyUSaddress
- NYBox
- Fishisfast
For a more detailed breakdown of your options, check out my post on the best package forwarding companies with service to Canada.
Step 2: Mask Your Canadian IP Address With A VPN Or Proxy
Personally, I’ve never shopped with Dollar Tree’s US online store from Canada, so this step may not be entirely necessary. However, based on my experience with other US-based retailers, you’ll probably need to mask your Canadian IP address and make it appear as if your device is located in the US.
Express VPN is a low-cost service that not only allows you to disguise your computer’s IP address but also protects all of your data with military-grade encryption. This is a great feature to have, especially if you’re using your credit card to make purchases online.
Once you sign up for the service, all you need to do is change your IP address to a VPN server that’s located in the United States. Now, when you visit Dollar Tree’s site, you should be able to view the entire selection of items available on the US Dollar Tree site.
Step 3: Add Dollar Tree Items To Your Cart
Now, it’s time for the part that you’ve been waiting for… shopping!
With your VPN connected, you’ll be able to peruse through the online store’s entire inventory and add your items to your shopping cart.
Step 4: Checkout & Ship Items To Your Package Forwarding Address
When you initially signed up for the package forwarding service, you should have received a virtual mailbox address. If not, double-check your account details with the package forwarder to find it.
As far as checking out on Dollar Tree’s website goes, you’ll follow the same process as you would with any Canadian-based online retailer. The only difference is that you’ll enter your virtual mailbox address to the package forwarding warehouse instead of your real home address.
Step 5: Forward Your Dollar Tree Order From The US To Canada
Depending on the shipping option that you opted for, the package forwarding warehouse should receive your Dollar Tree order within a week. Once it arrives, the forwarding service will send you a friendly notification asking you for a forwarding address.
At this point, you’ll be able to choose between various international shipping options and enter your Canadian mailing address.
Does Dollar Tree Have Stores In Canada?
I’ll be honest here – you’re far better off visiting a Dollar Tree retail store in Canada than you are trying to go through the expensive and time-consuming task of package forwarding your Dollar Tree online order to Canada.
Currently, Dollar Tree has 240 locations (and growing) throughout major Canadian cities and towns.
This isn’t much compared to Dollar Tree’s 16,000-store empire in the United States, but it’s still something. Additionally, there are several other discount dollar stores in Canada that you can shop at as well.
Dollar Tree Alternatives In Canada
If you’re not lucky enough to have a Dollar Tree store in your city or town, then you can always try to look for one of the other Canadian-based discount dollar stores. Some of my go-to favourites are:
- Dollarama
- Buck or Two
- Absolute Dollar
It’s worth noting that pretty much every dollar store in Canada has had to increase its prices from $1. Due to increasing inflation and the cost of doing business, items that were previously sold for $1 typically cost between $1.25 and $2. For certain items, though, this is still an incredible deal.
Conclusion – Is It Worth Shopping Dollar Tree Online In Canada?
Unless you’re purchasing large bulk amounts of product, it’s probably not worth the long wait times or the costly international shipping fees to use a package forwarder to shop with Dollar Tree online in Canada. It’s better just to visit a Dollar Tree retail store or another dollar store like Dollarama or Absolute Dollar.
Dollar stores are a great place to save money on essentials, which is why they’ve become so popular. If you’re looking for more great ways to save money, be sure to check out my list of the best couponing apps in Canada next!
