A Former Winners Employee Shared 11 Things You Should Always Buy Elsewhere

Over-the-ear headphones

Some things are worth splurging on, and over-the-ear headphones are high up on that list, the employee told Narcity Québec.

"Winners headphones are really not worth it, especially headphones similar to Beats," she said. "They often break after a week or two."

Rubber phone chargers

Basic wires are a no-go, per the ex-employee. "Depending on where you plug it in, the wire will often break easily because it's too bent, so it's really better to get one with that [thicker] type of cord."

Opting for a charger with more of a fabric-like feel helps ensure you get the most out of your purchase, even if you're only wasting the cost of a cheap lunch.

Bath towels

Low-quality, high-cost towels are not the vibe if you're looking for a luxurious, or at the very least enjoyable, post-shower experience.

The ex-employee told Forget that Winners' "towels are really expensive. It's like $10 for a towel, whereas elsewhere you could buy them [in bulk] and then it's really a deal."

So search for your next bath towels at a different mega-chain, if you must, but don't go to Winners for them if you can avoid it.

Melii brand containers

These are "a type of children's Tupperware with a little animal on the lid," according to the ex-Winners employee. "It's really cute, but honestly, they're cheap. It's hard to open, it's hard to close, and it leaks from everywhere."

Not a stellar review by any measure. It's best to leave these in the aisles where they belong.

Kitchen utensils

Winners offers packages of wooden kitchen utensils, the ex-employee said, but they're "the same as at the ones at Dollarama, so you're much better off buying the $1 wooden utensils there than buying a [more expensive] package that ends up doing the same thing."

Dollarama may not be known for its quality either, but if you're looking for something functional and cheap, you're better off there for kitchen items.

Sugar-free flavour syrups

Buying food of any kind at Winners is what some may consider unwise, but everyone's thought about it at least once, no?

The former employee advised us all against investing in these sugar-free syrups, though. "It just doesn't taste good. Everybody wants to try it, and then they always end up saying it's no good, and then the food is not exchangeable or refundable. All the stuff like that, that says no sugar [at Winners], it's disgusting," she explained.

So beware of buying non-refundable items you don't already know you love, and definitely opt for the sugared versions of whatever you're buying, if you can help it.

Sauces

Speaking of edible items, Winners offers a line of sauces, and the former employee says they're not all bad.

"There are some really good sauces there," she said, "It's just that you have to look at the expiry date, then if you find it looks a bit odd in the jar, it's probably because it's past its date."

That's right, sometimes Winners will sell items that are no longer within their best-by dates, and it's up to you, the intrepid shopper, to figure out if that's the case. Not ideal, but it keeps you on your proverbial toes, I guess.

Makeup

"Makeup is really worth it," the ex-employee said, "but I often advise people to open the packaging the product comes in and check it's clean. Sometimes, people open everything and put their fingers in.

"Eyeshadows, blushes, open them first because you might find a fingerprint in there, and then it's no fun," she explained.

"Like the sauces, you also need to look at the expiry date, especially for discounted stuff, since the reason it's so cheap is [that it's] expired makeup."

Face masks

These budget items are often worse for your body than you might assume, considering they're intended for use on your skin.

"It's really not good for your skin," though, the former employee said. "It's fun for your kid in a Christmas stocking or something, but as long as you're using something like that once a week on your face, you're better off buying the masks that Sephora offers that really do have better ingredients."

Sometimes it's worth it to spend those extra dollars to make sure your skin doesn't hate you forever.

Hair dryers and straighteners

These larger tools aren't always high-quality when they're sold at the Winners price point, the ex-employee said.

"Very often, people come back to us after a week or two to tell us that they really don't work properly, or that it's not effective enough. You're going to pay a lot of money, so in my opinion, it's better to invest in a real flat iron or dryer. Even on Amazon, they'll be more than worth it."

Suitcases

Last but not least, suitcases at Winners are hit or miss.

"Suitcases, it depends," the ex-employee said. "Test it and get the most expensive one, because if you get a cheap one, it's going to break after one flight and then you can't take it back. [Once it's broken], it's over."