When you've been ducking into The Reject Shop for a quick birthday card for over four decades, empty greeting card displays can feel like losing an old friend. But what's happening across Australia's 395 stores isn't just a temporary stock shortage—it's the beginning of the end for one of our most beloved discount retailers.
That familiar red-and-yellow shopfront is disappearing as The Reject Shop prepares to become something entirely different: Dollarama.
The transformation represents more than just a name change—it's the end of an era for a uniquely Australian shopping experience that began in 1981.
The greeting card shortage that's been puzzling customers isn't about making room for a new range, as staff have been telling shoppers.
It's part of a methodical transformation as Canadian retail giant Dollarama, which bought The Reject Shop for $259 million earlier this year, begins 'selectively phasing in Dollarama products across categories'.
'The transformation represents more than just a name change—it's the end of an era for a uniquely Australian shopping experience'
What's really happening to The Reject Shop
The Reject Shop began in 1981 when founders Ron Hall and John Shuster opened the first store in South Yarra, Melbourne, selling seconds and discontinued lines. Over the past four decades, it grew into a beloved retail empire spanning nearly 400 locations nationwide.
Now, this transformation won't happen overnight, but shoppers will start to notice small changes happening within stores during this 'methodical' and 'slow and steady' approach. 'This will be a gradual process, which will continue through to the end of fiscal 2027'.
Once Reject Shop stores have a critical mass of Dollarama products, the company will bring them under the Dollarama banner. The rebranding and store conversion is expected to be completed within three years.
But here's what might surprise you: while Dollarama's CEO didn't confirm specific Australian pricing, he indicated prices would be coming down to turn the heat up on competitors like Kmart, Big W and Target. In Canada, Dollarama has built its reputation as the go-to destination for items '$5 or less'.
Where to find your cards during the transition
Don't panic about finding affordable greeting cards. While The Reject Shop's card aisles empty out, several excellent alternatives are waiting for your business.
Affordable card alternatives for seniors
Kmart: Greeting cards at 'famously low prices' with delivery or click & collect options
Moonpig: Birthday cards starting at just $7.99 with personalisation options
Earth Greetings: 100 per cent recycled Australian-made cards using post-consumer recycled paper
Local newsagencies: Still stocking traditional card ranges
Australia Post shops: Wide selection in most locations
For those who appreciate supporting Australian businesses, companies like The Nonsense Maker offer hand-drawn cards made in Melbourne, and when you buy directly from the source, you're supporting the artist and Australian small businesses in their network.
Earth Greetings, Australia's original eco-friendly card brand, donates 10 per cent of profits to Australia's wildlife and habitat—so your card purchase helps local conservation efforts too.
A retail transformation unprecedented in scale
The scope of Dollarama's Australian ambitions is staggering. There are already 395 Reject Shop stores in Australia, with plans to expand the Dollarama chain to up to 700 outlets by 2034, making it bigger than most of its competitors combined.
To put this in perspective: Wesfarmers has 447 Kmart and Target outlets combined, while there are currently fewer Big W stores operating. This Canadian invasion could reshape Australia's discount retail landscape entirely.
Former Reject Shops will evolve into low-priced general merchandise supermarkets, similar to Dollarama in Canada, which feature supermarket-like shelving running lengthways throughout the stores.
What to expect over the next three years
- Gradual replacement of Australian products with Dollarama ranges
- Store layouts changing to supermarket-style shelving
- Lower price points on many items
- Complete rebranding to Dollarama by 2027
- Expansion from 395 to potentially 700 stores by 2034
The bigger picture: losing our retail identity
A Yahoo Finance poll of nearly 11,000 readers found 74 per cent wanted The Reject Shop to keep its original name rather than adopt Dollarama's Canadian branding. The sentiment reflects a deeper emotional connection Australians have with homegrown retail brands.
It's another chapter in the story of Australian retail being absorbed by international giants. We've watched Woolworths take over Safeway, seen international fashion chains dominate our shopping centres, and now one of our quirkiest, most democratically priced retailers is joining the list.
For consumers struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, cheaper prices will likely be welcome. As one researcher noted: 'A lot of households are struggling to make ends meet right now, and the cheaper options are attractive. It will give competition to Kmart for this segment'.
What this means for your shopping routine
The Australian arm will take years to deliver meaningful profits for Dollarama, but company executives say the long-term potential is strong. This suggests they're committed to making it work, even if it means significant changes to what we've come to expect.
For now, Father's Day cards are still available at The Reject Shop's remaining displays, starting at $1 each. But as the transformation continues, it's worth exploring your alternatives and perhaps discovering some new favourites along the way.
The greeting card shortage is just the beginning. Over the next few years, we'll watch a uniquely Australian shopping experience morph into something borrowed from across the Pacific. Whether that's progress or just another loss of local character is something each of us will have to decide with our wallets.
What are your thoughts on The Reject Shop's transformation? Have you found good alternatives for affordable cards, or will you miss the familiar red-and-yellow shopfronts? Share your experiences and recommendations in the comments below.
Original Article
https://honey.nine.com.au/money/the...-shelves/23a38b9b-9299-420b-92ab-0d164104bb3a
Farewell to The Reject Shop? New look, new name, big reactions | YourLifeChoices
Cited text: That’s exactly what’s happening to The Reject Shop, Australia’s beloved discount retailer, as it prepares to become something entirely different: Doll...
Excerpt: That familiar red-and-yellow shopfront is disappearing as The Reject Shop prepares to become something entirely different: Dollarama.
https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/life/reject-shop-dollarama-transformation-divides-shoppers/
The Reject Shop changes name after 44 years in Aussie retailer's $259 million takeover
Cited text: Dollarama CEO Neil Rossy revealed in a recent call with analysts that shoppers will not only notice an aesthetic change, but also a reduction in price...
Excerpt: It's part of a methodical transformation as Canadian retail giant Dollarama, which bought The Reject Shop for $259 million earlier this year, begins 'selectively phasing in Dollarama products across categories'
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/t...illion-takeover-to-rival-kmart-222433537.html
Farewell to The Reject Shop? New look, new name, big reactions | YourLifeChoices
Cited text: The Reject Shop began in 1981 when founders Ron Hall and John Shuster opened the first store in South Yarra, Melbourne, selling seconds and discontinu...
Excerpt: The Reject Shop began in 1981 when founders Ron Hall and John Shuster opened the first store in South Yarra, Melbourne, selling seconds and discontinued lines.
https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/life/reject-shop-dollarama-transformation-divides-shoppers/
The Reject Shop changes name after 44 years in Aussie retailer's $259 million takeover
Cited text: Rossy said this won't happen overnight, but shoppers will start to notice small changes happening within stores during this 'methodical' and 'slow and...
Excerpt: this transformation won't happen overnight, but shoppers will start to notice small changes happening within stores during this 'methodical' and 'slow and steady' approach.
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/t...illion-takeover-to-rival-kmart-222433537.html
Reject Shop to disappear as new owners reveal plan to tackle Kmart—News | InDaily, Inside South Australia
Cited text: Rossy said once Reject Shop stores had a critical mass of its products, the company would bring them under the Dollarama banner. The rebranding and st...
Excerpt: Once Reject Shop stores have a critical mass of Dollarama products, the company will bring them under the Dollarama banner.
https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2025/09/02/reject-shop-dollarama
The Reject Shop changes name after 44 years in Aussie retailer's $259 million takeover
Cited text: Rossy didn't confirm if prices would be that cheap at new-look The Reject Shop stores, but indicated they would be coming down to turn the heat up on ...
Excerpt: while Dollarama's CEO didn't confirm specific Australian pricing, he indicated prices would be coming down to turn the heat up on competitors like Kmart, Big W and Target
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/t...illion-takeover-to-rival-kmart-222433537.html
Farewell to The Reject Shop? New look, new name, big reactions | YourLifeChoices
Cited text: ... Dollarama has built its reputation in Canada as the go-to destination for items '$5 or less', though the company hasn't confirmed whether Australi...
Excerpt: Dollarama has built its reputation as the go-to destination for items '$5 or less'
https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/life/reject-shop-dollarama-transformation-divides-shoppers/
Greeting Cards
Cited text: Explore Kmart's range of Cards at famously low prices.
Excerpt: Greeting cards at 'famously low prices' with delivery or click & collect options
https://www.kmart.com.au/category/home-and-living/greeting-cards/
Greeting Cards
Cited text: Shop our greeting card range today at irresistibly low prices.
Excerpt: Greeting cards at 'famously low prices' with delivery or click & collect options
https://www.kmart.com.au/category/home-and-living/greeting-cards/
Birthday Cards Online | Moonpig AU
Cited text: Our “happy birthday” cards start at just $7.99, which leaves plenty of room in the budget for presents.
Excerpt: Birthday cards starting at just $7.99
https://www.moonpig.com/au/personalised-cards/birthday/
Earth Friendly | Australian Made | Recycled | Greeting Cards | Stationery | Gifts | Wholesale
Cited text: Australian made and earth friendly, 100 per cent recycled greeting cards, Australian wildlife cards, sustainable stationery and zero waste gifts.
Excerpt: 100 per cent recycled Australian-made cards using post-consumer recycled paper
https://www.earthgreetings.com.au/
Greeting Cards | Buy Australian Made Recycled Greeting Cards Online | Flora & Fauna Cards
Cited text: Australian made using 100 per cent post-consumer recycled paper, our cards are produced with a strong commitment to reducing our environmental impact.
Excerpt: 100 per cent recycled Australian-made cards using post-consumer recycled paper
https://www.earthgreetings.com.au/greeting-cards/
Greeting Cards—Made in Australia | The Nonsense Maker
Cited text: Hand drawn and Made in Australia.
Excerpt: companies like The Nonsense Maker offer hand-drawn cards made in Melbourne, and when you buy directly from the source, you're supporting the artist and Australian small businesses in their network
https://www.thenonsensemaker.com.au/collections/greeting-cards
Greeting Cards—Made in Australia | The Nonsense Maker
Cited text: When you buy Melbourne made greeting cards online from the source you are directly supporting the Melbourne artist, and all the creative Australian sm...
Excerpt: companies like The Nonsense Maker offer hand-drawn cards made in Melbourne, and when you buy directly from the source, you're supporting the artist and Australian small businesses in their network
https://www.thenonsensemaker.com.au/collections/greeting-cards
Earth Friendly | Australian Made | Recycled | Greeting Cards | Stationery | Gifts | Wholesale
Cited text: Our purpose is to inspire feel-good giving that contributes to a brighter future for our planet, with 10 per cent of profit donated to Australia's wildlife an...
Excerpt: Earth Greetings, Australia's original eco-friendly card brand, donates 10 per cent of profits to Australia's wildlife and habitat
https://www.earthgreetings.com.au/
Reject Shop to disappear as new owners reveal plan to tackle Kmart—News | InDaily, Inside South Australia
Cited text: There are already 395 Reject Shop stores in Australia with a plan to expand the Dollarama chain to up to 700 outlets by 2034, making it bigger than mo...
Excerpt: There are already 395 Reject Shop stores in Australia, with plans to expand the Dollarama chain to up to 700 outlets by 2034, making it bigger than most of its competitors combined
https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2025/09/02/reject-shop-dollarama
Reject Shop to disappear as new owners reveal plan to tackle Kmart—News | InDaily, Inside South Australia
Cited text: Wesfarmers has a 447 Kmart and Target outlets, while there are currently Big W stores.
Excerpt: Wesfarmers has 447 Kmart and Target outlets combined, while there are currently fewer Big W stores operating
https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2025/09/02/reject-shop-dollarama
Reject Shop to disappear as new owners reveal plan to tackle Kmart—News | InDaily, Inside South Australia
Cited text: Wesfarmers has a 447 Kmart and Target outlets, while there are currently Big W stores.
Excerpt: Wesfarmers has 447 Kmart and Target outlets combined, while there are currently fewer Big W stores operating
https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2025/09/02/reject-shop-dollarama
Reject Shop to disappear as new owners reveal plan to tackle Kmart—News | InDaily, Inside South Australia
Cited text: It is expect the former Reject Shops will evolve into a low-priced general merchandise supermarket, similar to Dollarama in Canada, which feature supe...
Excerpt: Former Reject Shops will evolve into low-priced general merchandise supermarkets, similar to Dollarama in Canada, which feature supermarket-like shelving running lengthways throughout the stores
https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2025/09/02/reject-shop-dollarama
Farewell to The Reject Shop? New look, new name, big reactions | YourLifeChoices
Cited text: Peter Wilkinson, Corporate communications specialist ... A Yahoo Finance poll of nearly 11,000 readers found 74 per cent wanted The Reject Shop to kee...
Excerpt: A Yahoo Finance poll of nearly 11,000 readers found 74 per cent wanted The Reject Shop to keep its original name rather than adopt Dollarama's Canadian branding.
https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/life/reject-shop-dollarama-transformation-divides-shoppers/
The Reject Shop changes name after 44 years in Aussie retailer's $259 million takeover
Cited text: 'A lot of households are struggling to make ends meet right now, and the cheaper options are attractive,' Garg said. 'It will give competition to Kmar...
Excerpt: For consumers struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, cheaper prices will likely be welcome.
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/t...illion-takeover-to-rival-kmart-222433537.html
Reject Shop to disappear as new owners reveal plan to tackle Kmart—News | InDaily, Inside South Australia
Cited text: Rossy said the Australian arm would take years to deliver meaningful profits, but said the long-term potential was strong.
Excerpt: The Australian arm will take years to deliver meaningful profits for Dollarama, but company executives say the long-term potential is strong
https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2025/09/02/reject-shop-dollarama
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