[AlbertC]

Canada's Dollarama beats sales estimates on consumer stockpiling

June 10, 2020

Canadian discount retailer Dollarama Inc beat estimates for quarterly sales on Wednesday, as consumers bought more groceries and other essentials per visit to its stores amid the coronavirus crisis.

Deemed an essential business, Dollarama saw higher demand for basic products, including cleaning supplies and packaged foods, in late March and early April, as most of its stores remained open while the coronavirus crisis brought many Canadian businesses to a virtual halt.

Dollarama said it witnessed a 22.6% increase in average transaction size even as the number of transactions declined 17.9%, as consumers visited less frequently yet bought larger quantities of goods.

Same-store sales, excluding temporarily closed stores, rose 0.7%, while analysts on average had expected a 1.76% decline. As of June 8, 32 Dollarama stores were temporarily closed, it said.

Sales rose to C$844.8 million ($631.30 million) from C$828 million, beating estimates of C$839.8 million. Excluding items, it earned 27 Canadian cents, compared with Wall Street estimate of 26 Canadian cents, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Canada's Dollarama beats sales estimates on consumer stockpiling

Canadian discount retailer Dollarama Inc beat estimates for quarterly sales on Wednesday, as consumers bought more groceries and other essentials per visit to its stores amid the coronavirus crisis. Deemed an essential business, Dollarama saw higher demand for basic products, including cleaning...

ca.finance.yahoo.com

 

[AlbertC]

Coronavirus: Dollarama workers in Montreal demand health be put above profits

Mostafa Henaway of the Centre for Immigrant Workers, the organizer of the demonstration, alleges that behind the walls of its warehouses and its distribution centre, the Quebec retailer is content with the bare minimum and sometimes even violates the law.

In particular, Mr. Henaway said that physical distance is almost impossible to respect in the distribution centre, where nearly 1,000 workers work side by side. Employees are constantly on the move, passing around boxes, there is only one bathroom and break room, he said.

---------
Several employees who complained about working conditions in the context of COVID-19 were dismissed outright, protesters say, so that a climate of fear prevails in the company’s facilities.

One of them, Aines Charles, despite his 10 years of service, is said to have been dismissed after having indicated to a supervisor the presence of numerous cases of COVID-19 among his colleagues.

Management then asked the employment agency that employed him to terminate his employment, according to protesters.

Another was also reportedly removed from the ranks of the company for calling for more protective measures.

“I was called to the office the same day and terminated my contract after three years of work,” said the statement.

Coronavirus: Dollarama workers in Montreal demand health be put above profits - Montreal | Globalnews.ca

Dollarama employees and supporters protested in Montreal on Saturday to demand better health and safety measures to fight COVID-19.

globalnews.ca

 

[AlbertC]

Dollarama to open more than 600 stores in Canada over next decade​

March 31, 2021

Dollarama (DOL.TO) is expanding, and will open hundreds of new stores in Canada over the next decade, after the company saw sales rise in a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Montreal-based company, which reported fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday, said it will open more than 600 new stores in Canada by 2031, bringing its overall store count to 2,000. That's an update from its previously disclosed target of 1,700 stores nationwide by 2027. According to Dollarama, there are 1,356 store locations across the country as of Jan. 31.

"Our hard-earned position as a weekly shopping destination for millions of Canadian families has been reconfirmed and strengthened by the pandemic," chief executive Neil Rossy said on a conference call with analysts on Wednesday.

"Based on our experience, our historical performance and what we see going forward, we feel very confident in raising our long-term store target."

Dollarama to open more than 600 stores in Canada over next decade

"We feel very confident in raising our long-term store target," chief executive Neil Rossy says.

ca.finance.yahoo.com

 

[Mr. Rexdale]

Took this photo a few weeks ago at Kipling Plaza (2141 Kipling Ave.) in Rexdale. The grey marquee to the right has since been painted green. Rumour
has it that a Dollarama will be set up here.

There's also another rumour floating around that two vacant stores (which stand side by side) in the Albion Mall (Your Dollar Store with
more & Ardene) will become a Dollarama as well.

Personally, I can't see it. The two vacant spaces seem too small. Plus, there's already a Dollarama set up down the street at the
Finch-Albion Centre.

 

[AlbertC]

Dollaramas across the street from each other in the Yonge & Eg area

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[SubHuman]

There's two plazas in Mississauga across the road from each other that both have Dollaramas, on Dundas east of Dixie (1475 Dundas St E, and 1476 Dundas St E are their addresses as listed on the Dollarama website).

 

[afransen]

I figure this is a bit like how Starbucks had been known to have locations on multiple corners of the same intersection. It's partly to cannibalize locations that might be otherwise overloaded with sales, and to crowd out other entrants.

 

[Fritter]

Wilson and King area of Oshawa, about 200 meters from each other.

 

[torontowest91]

London, ON has 2 dollaramas in the same corner (Oxford/Huron)

 

[christiesplits]

Interesting article contrasting Dollarama's success with the recent challenges facing U.S. dollar stores.

Profits at Canada’s Dollarama are skyrocketing while U.S. counterparts flail. Here’s why

Canadian value retailing giant posts a 24 per cent spike in Q4 profits to $323M

www.thestar.com

 

[Northern Light]

Interesting article contrasting Dollarama's success with the recent challenges facing U.S. dollar stores.

Profits at Canada’s Dollarama are skyrocketing while U.S. counterparts flail. Here’s why

Canadian value retailing giant posts a 24 per cent spike in Q4 profits to $323M

www.thestar.com

The story is one of :

Even greater extreme poverty in many parts of the U.S. limiting the ability of many U.S. dollar stores to raise prices (Dollarama maxes out at $5 CAD now, most U.S. stores are still at $1USD / or about $1.36CAD.

In addition to that, the U.S.retail market is more saturated and competitive, meaning lower margins.

Also noted though is that Dollarama retains among the leanest logistics in the business.

 

[Totti]

Recently I visited my local Dollarama and I noticed that they have been removing their self-checkout and only cashiers are present. Even at Dufferin Mall Dollarama a few months ago, they used to have the self-checkout and it got removed. I wonder why Dollarama has been removing self-checkout more recently.

 

[Mr. Rexdale]

Just about every Dollarama that I have gone to in the last three months has had at least one self checkout machine that was rendered out of service.
If the kiosks weren't already closed off, sure enough, there were store managers preventing shoppers from using them while other staff attempted to
reset the machine's interface.

On one visit, I had the unfortunate pleasure of discovering how to make a Dollarama self checkout malfunction. During my excursion, I had run
out of paper money and decided to use nickels and dimes to cover the rest of my bill. Admittedly, I must have put 12 to 15 coins in before getting my
receipt. Yet, 25 cents was still owed to me.

After a few whirling noises, the self checkout dropped 5 cents into the change tray. Perplexed, I checked my receipt and wondered where the rest of my
change went. Yet, just before I could finish thinking aloud, the checkout began firing up once again. 50 seconds later, another 5 cents dropped into the
tray. With nothing better to do, I stood by the machine for another 10 minutes as 5 cents continued to drop out at regular intervals. Eventually, a supervisor
decided to come over, check my receipt, wondered why the machine was still dropping out money after my transactions, and then told me the unit had
ultimately broken down.

So, the next time you take a glance at the spare change in your car's cup holder, show a little respect. Because enough of it can take down a Dollarama
Self Checkout.

 

[SubHuman]

Recently I visited my local Dollarama and I noticed that they have been removing their self-checkout and only cashiers are present. Even at Dufferin Mall Dollarama a few months ago, they used to have the self-checkout and it got removed. I wonder why Dollarama has been removing self-checkout more recently.

I noticed it at another Dollarama, and then the Dufferin Mall one earlier this year, but when I asked they said it's not a chain-wide thing, just the individual outlets making the decision. I can't help but wonder if maybe it had something to do with all the tents in the park across the street.
I know the Crossways Dollarama some time in the last few years briefly closed to install the self-checkouts. Within two weeks of re-opening, I went past it three times and each time saw different crack/meth enthusiasts (presumably after being confronted for repeatedly walking out without paying) yelling at unfortunate employees, and ever since then there has always been a hired security person at the front of the store, in addition to at least one store employee and often more at the checkouts. They also now limit the number of people they allow inside starting at about 11:30 a.m. on school days, with the lunch crowd of high school students from across the street, I assume also as an anti-theft measure.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/some-retailers-scaling-back-self-checkouts-1.7034047

... something the retail industry is not keen to talk about: theft.
"Theft is a big, big issue," ...

 

[Mihairokov]

Recently I visited my local Dollarama and I noticed that they have been removing their self-checkout and only cashiers are present. Even at Dufferin Mall Dollarama a few months ago, they used to have the self-checkout and it got removed. I wonder why Dollarama has been removing self-checkout more recently.

Dollarama at Front and Berkeley has self-checkouts. Dollarama at Sherbourne and Queen does not have self-checkouts. Want to take a stab at why that is?