I know that Dollar Tree raising prices from $1 to $1.25 is old news at this point (they rolled out that company-wide change back in 2021), but something weird has been happening with Dollar Tree prices lately that we need to talk about. And it's not last summer's buzz about some Dollar Tree items going back to $1.
The latest news is that we're finding a handful of items now priced up to $1.75 as of March 2025, which is a 40% jump.
"I've seen less and less name brands and 'deals' at Dollar Tree lately in the regular $1.25 stuff," says KCL deal hunter Casey.
Without much press coverage or fanfare, Dollar Tree has been quietly raising prices on a handful of items, sometimes by as much as 40% - 60%, as well as introducing new items at even higher price points. If that sounds a little shocking and overly sensational, hear me out. I visited my local Dollar Tree store to confirm every single price increase on this list, from the 1.25-liter sodas to the helium balloons. Then I did the math to calculate how much each price went up.
Even though we're big fans of Dollar Tree couponing, price increases are never good news, especially when they're introducing items up to $15 or $20 like the ones we share below.
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Dollar Tree Price Jumps We've Been Tracking
While the vast majority of in-store Dollar Tree products are still priced at $1.25, we've spotted a handful of items that are more expensive now, sometimes by as much as 60%.
We'll continue to keep this post updated as we see proof of higher prices at our Dollar Tree stores.
Foil Wrap and Foil Pans, $1.75
How much the price went up: 40%
As of March 25, 2025, the manager at a Dollar Tree store in Brandon, Florida, told us that the new $1.75 tags have been on shelves for about a week on foil wrap and foil pans. Previously, these items cost $1.25 each. That means the price has increased by 40%, with no change to the product sizes or varieties.
We suspect the increase in price is tied to the rising cost of aluminum, which many outlets have reported is tied to a 25% tariff on aluminum imports that went into effect on March 12.
But I should point out that paying $1.75 for a 40-square-foot roll of aluminum foil at Dollar Tree ($0.04 per square foot) is still a slightly better deal than the store-brand foil they sell at Walmart ($0.05 per square foot). And foil pans at Walmart range from $1.55 - $2.50 each, so for some pan sizes, the Dollar Tree option may still be cheaper.
Bread and Buns, $1.50
How much the price went up: 20%
Another March 2025 update is the new price on packaged bread and buns (like Thomas English Muffins and Sara Lee Golden Wheat Bread), which were previously $1.25 each. They're now priced at $1.50 according to in-store shelf tags, a price jump of 20%.
For comparison, a 6-pack of Thomas English Muffins is priced at $3.48 each at Walmart, so the Dollar Tree option is still a better deal. Same goes for Sara Lee Golden Wheat Bread — the 20-ounce loaf costs $3.48 at Walmart, so the $1.50 Dollar Tree price is lower.
Reading Glasses, $1.50
How much the price went up: 20%
People on Reddit first noticed back in October 2023 that Dollar Tree's prices for reading glasses increased from $1.25 to $1.50. At my store, the new price is indicated with a big red "$1.50" sticker on the display. But you can totally see that it's just covering up the old $1.25 price circle right underneath.
Helium Balloons, $1.50
How much the price went up: 20%
Helium balloons used to be $1.25 at Dollar Tree, but no more. Now they're $1.50 each (helium included, if your store has it in stock).
Sunglasses, $1.50
How much the price went up: 20%
Just like the reading glasses, sunglasses at Dollar Tree now cost $1.50 — even for the smaller kids' styles.
Wall Calendars, $1.50
How much the price went up: 20%
Dollar Tree typically releases a new batch of 12-month calendars each summer, but as of June 2023, they quietly increased the price from $1.25 to $1.50.
It's still a good deal for a yearly calendar, though, especially when you consider that similar 12-month calendars start around $5.99 each on Amazon.
Mini Weekly Planners, $1.50
How much the price went up: 20%
Just like the 12-month calendars, the weekly planners got 20% more expensive at Dollar Tree in summer 2023. They're up to $1.50 each now. Keep in mind that these are the hardcover planners, and they're small enough to fit in a purse.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi, 1.25 L, $1.75
How much the price went up: 40%
As recently as January 2024, I paid $1.25 for Coke and Pepsi in the 1.25-liter size at Dollar Tree. But as of February 2024, a 1.25-liter of Pepsi, Coke, Sprite, or Seagrams was up to $1.75.
At my store, they first used custom-printed signs to announce the new price, which looked a little unofficial. But another KCL staff member spotted the same signage at her store (in another state), and they also list the new $1.75 price on DollarTree.com.
KCL TIP: Dollar Tree is actually not the best place to buy brand-name 1.25-liter soda bottles. You'll pay less at Walmart, where a 1.25-liter Coke is $1.52 and a 1.25-liter Pepsi is $1.48. And don't even think about buying the generic soda 2-liters at Dollar Tree — they're a prime example of what not to buy at Dollar Tree.
Ice, 7 lb, $2
How much the price went up: 60%
The exact poundage at your store may vary — mine keeps 7-pound bags in the cooler — but expect to pay $2 for ice at Dollar Tree now.
They blame this price hike on the vendor, though, according to comments made by Dollar Tree’s chief merchandising officer in 2023.
“We were on the verge of losing the ice program at $1.25,” he said. “It was custom-made. The vendor […was…] raising the price, and we had nowhere to go."
KCL TIP: The cheapest places to get ice are typically the Sonic Drive-In, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, and some grocery stores. You’ll need to look to beat Dollar Tree’s $0.29 per pound price.
New Dollar Tree Items That Are More Than $1.25
It's not just price increases that we're tracking at Dollar Tree. They're also rolling out tons of new items lately that are priced higher than the usual $1.25. This is all part of their new multi-price expansion strategy.
When we asked Dollar Tree about these price hikes, they told us "We have not raised prices on any existing $1.25 items. Instead, we have expanded our selection to include items in a variety of price points."
The main categories that will see the higher-priced items are food and snacks, beverages, and pet care, for now. Here are a few examples our team has spotted:
Artificial Trees, $20
Last year, Dollar Tree's artificial trees were capped at a $5 price point. But in October 2024, we found trees priced up to $20. Options at Dollar Tree included a 4-foot unlit tree for $5 (same price as last year), a 3.5-foot pre-lit tree for $10, and a 6-foot unlit tree for $20.
Personal Heater and Fan, $15
Deal hunter Casey spotted a $15 personal heater and fan on a recent shopping trip to her Dollar Tree store in October 2024. Finding an item priced this high was a little shocking, as Casey added, "We're up to $15 items now?!"
Party Serving Kit, $10
We found this new item at our local Dollar Tree store in August 2024 — with a a whopping $10 price tag. You do technically get 11 pieces within the set, so it's like you're paying $0.91 per individual piece, I suppose.
Even though the price tag is way more than $1.25, this catering kit isn't a terrible deal compared to similar kits. For example, in early 2024, I found a 33-piece Party Serving Kit priced at $33.99 at a Costco Business Center, so the price per piece was actually more expensive at Costco ($1.03 per piece).
Energy Drinks, $2.50 - $3
In early March, I found 8.4-ounce cans of Red Bull marked at $2.50 in the drink coolers at Dollar Tree. But at that price, they're 20% - 37% more expensive than Walmart. That's because Walmart sells single 8.4-ounce cans for only $0.80 each online — or $1.83 per can if you buy the 12-pack for $21.98.
My Dollar Tree also has 12-ounce cans of Red Bull for $3, but you can get a better deal on those at Walmart ($2.75 per can for a 4-pack) or Amazon ($2.50 per can for a 4-pack).
Red Bull, $2.50 - $3
Celsius, $2.50
Coffee and Tea, $2 - $3
I found 13.7-ounce Dunkin' Iced Coffees priced at $3 at Dollar Tree, but Walmart has the same size drink (in the Mocha flavor) for as low as $1 each. The other flavors sell for $2.98 at Walmart, so you can see that Dollar Tree's price still isn't the best.
Dunkin' Iced Coffee, $3
Gold Peak Tea, $2
Bottled Water, $1.75 - $2.50
Another newcomer to the drink case at my Dollar Tree is a 23.7-ounce Smartwater sport cap bottle for $2.
But compare this to $1.67 per bottle with a 6-pack on Amazon, and you'll see that you're paying 20% more for the same size at Dollar Tree.
Gatorade, $2.75
BodyArmor Flash IV, $2.50
Propel, $2.25
Smartwater, $2
Vitamin Water, $1.75
History of Dollar Tree Price Hikes
In March 2024, Dollar Tree revealed that some items would be priced up to $7 in 3,000 stores.
Yes, you read right. Dollar Tree shoppers saw items priced as high as $7 in 2024 as the retailer expanded their "multi-price assortment," according to Dollar Tree CEO Rick Dreiling on a March 13 earnings call.
Dreiling said that customers would soon find "$5 bags of dog food next to our traditional $1.25 pet treats and toys, and our $3 bags of candy will be found in the candy aisle."
Dollar Tree plans to add a variety of food and snacks, beverages, pet care, and personal care to their future lineup, and that's where you may find those higher price points mixed in with $1.25 items.
Beyond 2024, they're considering going up to $10 on some items.
On their March 13 earnings call, Dollar Tree CEO Rick Dreiling gave an update on their $10 target price point, saying, "We continue to believe in the $10 target that we announced ... and we're continuing to march toward that goal."
But for now, "the path is to get to $7 in 2024, and we're intently focused on that," he said. So don't be surprised if this is just the start of a price trend at Dollar Tree.
And sure enough, in August 2024, we spotted our first $10 item on shelves (an 11-piece catering set).
The first big Dollar Tree price increase happened in 2021 - 2022.
Dollar Tree first raised their prices (from $1 to $1.25) back in late 2021, with all stores converted to the new price tag by the early part of 2022. The announcement marked the first time in 35 years the chain increased the cost of their budget-friendly items. The initial response from shoppers was lukewarm, and that’s putting it nicely.
But the company’s head honchos didn’t make this decision on a whim or even just to combat inflation.
At the time, company execs said that Dollar Tree raising prices was to help reduce volatility — so that they could keep expanding the company with remodels, new Dollar Tree Plus concept stores, and additional products.
More $3 and $5 Dollar Tree Plus items started arriving in 2019.
Dollar Tree has been low-key experimenting with even higher price points than $1.25 for a while now. As early as 2019, they were putting Dollar Tree Plus sections inside some stores, testing the waters with just how much their customers would pay. (The items in the Dollar Tree Plus section typically cost $3 - $5.)
Obviously, that test of Dollar Tree Plus went well. As of early 2023, about one in three Dollar Tree stores now carries Dollar Tree Plus products. And they continued that expansion, rolling out to 4,300 store locations by the end of 2023.
But you can still use coupons at Dollar Tree to drop prices lower.
Despite the price increases, the Dollar Tree coupon policy hasn’t changed. In-store Dollar Tree coupons aren’t really a thing since their prices are so low to begin with, but they’ve long accepted most manufacturer coupons.
KCL TIP: While you can use coupons worth more than the product itself, Dollar Tree will just adjust the amount down to $0 (so don’t expect any moneymakers at the Dollar Tree checkout line, unless you're using cash-back rebate apps).
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