The Major Flaw With Ordering Food From Dollar Tree's Website

One of the food myths about Dollar Tree is that it stocks low-quality products to maintain its affordable prices. However, the discount store carries several top-notch name-brand items because it buys them in bulk or snaps up cheaper liquidated stock, which all equates to better deals for in-store shoppers. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about ordering food from Dollar Tree's website, as the store requires customers to buy several identical items to meet its minimum order quantities and qualify for delivery. This major flaw means shoppers have to bulk buy to get their hands on a product they could otherwise purchase individually in-store.

While ordering food via the website does allow shoppers to avoid common customer complaints about Dollar Tree, such as its messy setup, it also excludes patrons who are on a tight budget and prefer to buy single food products versus locking their cash up in bulk purchases. For instance, a 2-ounce tin of private label Supreme Tradition black pepper costs $1.25 in store, which is relatively cheap, but shoppers have to order a minimum quantity of 24, hiking up the total price to $30 overall. The same can be said for name-brand products too. For example, customers must order a minimum of six pouches of Honey Nut Cheerios, taking the price from $1 to $6. Food items at Dollar Tree are sold by the case, which means if you want to buy 14 packets of Brim's cinnamon twists (which come in a case of 12), you'd actually have to buy 24 packets overall.

Dollar Tree's website states that "many items are shipped in cases that cannot be divided up. The bulk selling allows us to pass savings on to you." This makes sense, as the store isn't spending on fulfillment costs, such as picking and processing individual items, like other stores. Indeed, if any Dollar Tree items are only available online in a full case, the store doesn't "separate, mix, or divide the assortment," advising customers to check with a local store if they want to buy a single item.

If you still want to order food from the discount store, you might be better off purchasing items with a long shelf life that you know you will use up, such as dried seasonings and spices, versus those Dollar Tree food finds that you're unfamiliar with. You don't want to buy an entire case of snacks and find out you don't like the taste or end up with packets of cereal that you can't eat through before they reach their expiration date. For single items, either buy in-store or order online from a supermarket like Walmart or Kroger that allows customers to order individual products.