If you’re experiencing pains and aches, you should probably head to your nearest Dollarama for some Tylenol.
Going to another chain store in your area might cause you a little more pain — in the money department.
A post on the Reddit group “Loblaws Is Out Of Control” by user Prolific-Failure shows the shocking price difference between Tylenol sold at Dollarama and, allegedly, Shoppers Drug Mart.
Posts from the loblawsisoutofcontrol
community on Reddit
A 24-pill pack of extra-strength Tylenol appears to sell for only $4.75 at the dollar store and $8.49 at the Loblaw-owned store. The exact location of either store is not known.
“It’s a supply-and-demand issue,” commented Reddit user ApplesOverOranges1. “Shoppers will supply you with the product and demand you pay more.”
Daily Hive checked Shoppers Drug Mart’s online shopping website and found the 24-pack on sale for $6.79, down from the regular price of $7.99.
Even on sale, the product is at least a couple of bucks pricier than Dollarama.
Shoppers Drug Mart
Daily Hive has contacted Loblaw and will update this story when it responds.
We also quickly checked Walmart’s price for the same medication, and things got confusing.
The same pack retails for $5.97, $1.22 more than Dollarama.
Walmart Canada
Many Canadians consider Walmart a more affordable store, so this high price might come as a shock. But hey, it gets worse.
Things look even more dismal when you look at other Tylenol formats on the Walmart Canada website, with a two-pack of the extra-strength Tylenol — a total of 48 tablets — retailing for $32.99, or $16.49 per box.
That $32.99 is the “reduced price,” down from $41.99, which makes each pack $20.99 outside of sale prices.
Daily Hive has contacted Walmart Canada to explain this price difference.
Meanwhile, the online shopping website for membership-only big-box giant Costco, lists a massive jar containing 390 extra-strength Tylenol tabs that retails for much less — $29.99.
Some people commenting on the aforementioned Reddit post say the prices can get even lower when shopping in-store.
The next time you want to restock your medicine cabinet staples, you should probably head to Dollarama. If you don’t have one near you, you’re probably best off sticking to cheaper store-brand acetaminophen.
For $14.49, you can get a hundred 500 mg tablets from Life Brand at Shoppers. Or try a 400-tab jar of extra-strength acetaminophen from Walmart’s house brand, Equate.