Moving to another country can be difficult, but there are ways newcomers to Canada can make that move a little easier on their bank account.
That includes shopping at Canadian stores with cheap prices, discounts and rewards programs to save money.
Whether you’re looking to spend fewer dollars on groceries, home decor, clothing, shoes or books, there are so many stores across the country offering all of that and more.
Those are retailers like Canadian Tire, Dollarama, Bulk Barn, HomeSense, Costco, and more, and many have locations all over the country.
So, if you want to spend less, here are nine stores that every Canadian newcomer should know about and shop with at least once to save money.
HomeSense
HomeSense is a Canadian discount retailer that offers kitchenware, bakeware, accent furniture, lighting, rugs, pillows, wall art, bedding and bath, home decor, toys, storage, pet supplies and more products.
Prices are generally 20% to 60% lower than regular prices at other retailers, including department stores.
Since it’s an “off-price retailer” and products are already marked down, HomeSense typically doesn’t have promotions, sales or coupons.
Also, unlike other stores that get products seasonally, HomeSense has new items arriving several times a week which means what you can find at each store changes a lot.
Dollarama
Dollarama is a Canadian value retailer with more than 1,000 locations across the country.
Prices range from just over $1 to $5 for products like cleaning supplies, office supplies, home decor, kitchen items, food, health and beauty items, hardware, party supplies, electronics, toys and pet supplies.
You can pretty much get everything you need at Dollarma, whether you want to decorate your home or stock the pantry, without spending hundreds of dollars like you would at other stores.
Canadian Tire
There are more than 1,700 Canadian Tire retail locations in Canada.
Along with offering automotive products like tires, car batteries, windshield wipers, floor mats and more, the retailer also lets you book auto service appointments for your vehicles.
You can shop for hardware, home, pet, sports, recreation, party, outdoor living and seasonal products at stores all over the country.
Also, you can rack up Canadian Tire money with the retailer’s rewards program which gets you money off your purchases!
Giant Tiger
Giant Tiger is a Canadian discount store with more than 260 locations across the country.
It offers cheap prices on so many products including clothing, home decor, bedding, kitchenware, tech, furniture, outdoor supplies, groceries and more.
GT VIP is the retailer’s free loyalty program which offers members exclusive lower prices on groceries every week, member-only offers on home and fashion items and access to exclusive benefits.
Costco
Costco is known for passing savings on to members with bulk-sized items and the retailer’s own private label brand, Kirkland Signature.
Even though you have to pay for a membership to be able to shop there, Canadians have shared that the products and savings make a membership worth it.
The Executive membership, which has a $120 annual fee, gets you access to online shopping and all Costco locations worldwide along with an annual 2% reward on warehouse, online and Costco Travel purchases.
There is a cheaper option, the Gold Star membership, which gets you access to all Costco locations worldwide and online shopping with an annual $60 fee.
Costco has groceries, furniture, home decor, school and office supplies, tech, clothing and more available to members.
Some locations also have gas stations so you can fill up your tank for cheaper.
Indigo
Indigo is known for being a book store but the retailer also sells wellness, fashion, home decor and stationery products along with games and electronics.
So, you can find what you need whether you’re looking for school supplies, books that are on your to-be-read list, mugs for your morning coffee, or pillows for your reading nook.
Also, the retailer has a loyalty program — plum Rewards — that you can join for free and earn five points on almost every dollar spent so you can get money off your purchases.
Indigo has more than 100 store locations across Canada.
Zellers
Zellers is a Canadian discount store that was brought back in 2023 with more than 20 locations within Hudson’s Bay stores.
The retailer offers products across these departments: home living, toys, kids and babies, men’s and women’s clothing, pets, and wellness.
Making sure that shoppers get the best deals possible every day is at the core of Zellers, the retailer has said.
So, there are no sales or discounts because items are always at a cheaper price — just like at HomeSense.
Also, Zellers has its own in-house brand, Anko, which offers design-led items at low prices.
The Shoe Company
If you’re looking to save money on footwear, The Shoe Company is a Canadian shoe store that sells shoes, boots, sandals, handbags, wallets, socks, backpacks and more.
You can sign up for the retailer’s rewards program — Shoe VIP — for free and you’ll get 5% back in rewards.
Also, you get points for every dollar you spend along with extra points earned and revealed with every purchase that gets you money off purchases.
Bulk Barn
Bulk Barn, as you might have guessed from the name, is a Canadian bulk foods store with over 3,000 products including hard-to-find international products.
You can find baking ingredients, candy, cereal, grains, chocolate, coffee and tea, cookies, dried fruit, fillings and spreads, nuts, pasta and rice, spices, sugar and flour, vitamins and supplements, and more.
Since it’s a bulk foods store, you can typically find items for cheaper than you would at a grocery store.
Also, you can save money by bringing in your own reusable container on Sundays and getting 15% off!
Bulk Barn has more than 275 stores across Canada.
If you’re looking for more ways to save money as a newcomer to Canada, there are quite a few budget grocery stores you can shop at too that won’t break the bank.
Also, if you want to get even more savings when shopping, many stores in Canada offer discounts when you sign up for their mailing list, including Kitchen Stuff Plus, Roots, Bath & Body Works, and The Bay.
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