Dollar Tree vs. Five Below: Which One Has the Best Deals on Snacks?
Candy and chewing gum prices were 9.6% higher in July than they were a year earlier. Even the price of cookies increased by 2% since last year, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Dollar Tree and Five Below both promise a wallet-friendly way to stock up. But which one actually makes the snack run go further?
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MoneyLion compared prices on several tasty snacks at both popular retailers to find out where you can secure wonderful savings.
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Dollar Tree Keeps Candy at $1.25
For the candy-aisle classics, Dollar Tree gets the first point.
A M&M’s Milk Chocolate Candy Movie Theater Box costs $1.25 there. Five Below charges $1.50 for the same-size M&M’s Milk Chocolate Candies.
That quarter-per-box advantage is not a one-off. Dollar Tree also sells Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Candy, 4 ounces and Junior Mints, 3.5 ounces for $1.25 each. The same-size Reese’s Pieces Movie Theater Candy Box and Junior Mints Theater Box Candy are $1.50 each at Five Below.
Put all three in the basket and the total is $3.75 at Dollar Tree, versus $4.50 at Five Below. That’s an easy 75 cents to keep without trading down to an unfamiliar brand.
Five Below Is Better for a Full Bag
A bag of Takis shows why the cheaper shelf price isn’t always the better snack deal.
Dollar Tree’s Takis Fuego Hot Chili Pepper & Lime Flavored Tortilla Chips, 2-ounce bag costs $1.25. Five Below’s Takis Fuego Rolled Tortilla Chips, 9.9-ounce bag costs $4.25.
Dollar Tree is the low-risk option for a quick chili-lime fix. Five Below is better when the bag is meant to be shared or opened more than once. It offers nearly five times as much for $3 more.
That works out to about 43 cents an ounce at Five Below, compared with 63 cents at Dollar Tree.
Dollar Tree Has the Popcorn Steal
Popcorn brings the comparison right back to Dollar Tree and this one isn’t close.
An 8-ounce bag of Brim’s Butter Popcorn is $1.25. Five Below charges $4 for Pop-Secret Movie Theatre Butter Popcorn, 5.5 ounces.
The brands are different, so this isn’t a head-to-head taste test. But Dollar Tree offers 2.5 more ounces and costs $2.75 less.
Five Below Packs More Trail Mix
Trail mix is where Five Below’s larger-package strategy pays off.
Five Below sells The Nut Shop Ultimate Nutrition Keto Mix, 14 ounces for $2.50. It combines pumpkin and sunflower seeds, coconut, almonds, and walnuts.
Dollar Tree’s Tropical Trail Mix, 4.5 ounces costs $1.25. The blends aren’t exactly the same, but one extra $1.25 at Five Below buys more than three times as much mix.
That makes the Five Below bag the smarter buy for a desk drawer, packed lunches or regular snacking.
So, Which Store Wins?
Dollar Tree takes the overall win for the quick, familiar buys in this comparison. Its candy and popcorn prices are tough to beat, and the $1.25 packages keep a snack stop from quickly turning into a $10 haul.
Five Below earns its place when a larger bag will actually get eaten. Its Takis and trail mix cost more upfront, but less for the amount inside.
The practical split is simple. Dollar Tree is the better first stop for a small treat, while Five Below makes more sense for snacks when a handful isn’t enough.
Editor’s note: Prices and availability are subject to change.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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