Save Money by the Case

I was picking up a few items at Dollar Tree on Washington Road the other day (my mother taught me well), and I stumbled across a money-saving opportunity for people who like to buy in bulk. Dollar Tree has started a company-wide program, Dollar Tree Direct, which allows anyone to order from the store’s catalog or online and take advantage of their low prices.

There are items ranging from toothpaste to classroom supplies. Immediately, I thought about teachers who are trying to stock their classrooms. These savings can also benefit people who might be throwing weddings or parties. I called Dollar Tree Direct’s corporate office to get some details on the program.

Here’s the tip of the day:

Do you like to buy in bulk? The Dollar Tree Direct program can help you save money - and time. There are no membership dues like many warehouse chain stores. Simply place your order and pay the designated amount.

Curtis Corl, the vice president of Dollar Tree Direct, said that customers include teachers, day care facilities, nursing homes and nonprofit organizations. The program, which is available to consumers and Fortune 500 companies, was started in March 2006 when customers started requesting items in bulk. Previously, they had to visit all store locations in their area and buy as many items as they could find - which required extra time.

The most popular items are cleaning supplies, glassware and decorative items such as vases and dried flowers, Mr. Corl said.

The program allows people to order toiletries (soap, deodorant and razors), classroom supplies (pencils, dictionaries, activity books and flash cards), toys, party supplies, kitchen and tableware, and household cleaning supplies. The Dollar Tree Direct program has about 500 items in stock.

Merchandise orders must be placed in case quantities. All items at Dollar Tree cost $1, so the price for your case is $1 multiplied by the number of units the case contains.

For instance, a case of #2 yellow pencils containing 72 of the 20-count packs costs $72.

A case of Ivory Soap with 144 of the 3-packs of 3.1 oz. Ivory soap bars is $144. There are 144 units per case.

Please note: If you place a large order, make sure you have the proper facility to receive and store the merchandise. There is no limit on how many cases customers can purchase.

The Dollar Tree Direct program also offers free shipping if your order is sent to your nearby Dollar Tree store. It takes a few days to about one week to receive your order. There is a $4.95 handling fee for all orders, but the fee is only charged once for an entire order, not by the case. So, if you're ordering large quantities, perhaps the savings you get with Dollar Tree's prices will cancel out the fee.

If you prefer your items to be shipped directly to your residence, you must pay for the shipping fee. For more information about the Dollar Tree Direct program:

Visit www.dollartreedirect.comor call 1-877-530-TREE (8733). Business hours are Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Customers should have their SKU numbers available when placing their order.

Consumers can also fax their orders to (757) 321-5245. Customer order forms can be downloaded and printed from www.dollartreedirect.com.