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Bulk Barn
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 9 am - 9 pm
Sun 10 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
13 reviews for Bulk Barn
12 reviews in English
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Review from U U.
Toronto, ON
4/30/2012
Pros:
-Awesome location - a bulk store (that carries regular, run-of-the-mill items, versus higher-priced organic / foodie fare) in the heart of downtown.
-The people who work here are really nice.
-There are always enough workers to help you find what you are looking for.
Cons:
-None observed yet. Everything I have ever bought has been fresh and tasty. Bonus points, because this place stocks the no-sugar-added version of Grace Coconut Water, for only $1 per can. -
Review from Tracy W.
Toronto, ON
4/30/2012 5 Check-ins Here
Oooh, Bulk Barn. My sweet sugary nemesis. Rows and rows of tidy bins, full of handsome offerings. Seasonal candies, sweet tarts, chocolate covered bits and bits if tasty things, and colorful saccharin goodies abound, with me, traipsing dewy eyed through the aisles. I can have whatever I want, and my Mom will never know!
However, my dentist will. And so will those jeans that don't fit.
However, love/hate relations aside, this is a great place for all sorts of finds. Coming down from the sugar high, one will find every bakers delight, nut hungry squirrel's envy, and even enough to please the cleanest of eaters. All this, within neatly organized confines, reasonable prices, and efficient staff. Even a solid health food section is available here. Fantastic.
The only way I could love this place more is if I had a little restraint. I'll make a note to get on that. -
Review from Cassiopeia B.
Toronto, ON
3/16/2012
It's great having a Bulk Barn right downtown; I've missed having one nearby since I moved. This is a smaller (and I mean cramped) Bulk Barn with not as much selection as the ones further out of the city and beyond.
It is for the most part clean, and hot-ticket items like candy cycle through pretty quickly so it doesn't get too stale, but I've had some bad natural almonds at this location.
The huge lineups are rarer now that the novelty of a new store has worn off. There's no real place to line up per se, except in the last aisle with all the baking chocolate, which is what the staff encourage.
A couple of tips:
If there are red twist-ties around the items you want, don't write the number down. If there are big white tags, write the number on them (not just the name). A lot of those items look similar, like the different types of flour or powdered items. It will save you time at the checkout when the cashier is scrolling through their item code wheel.
If the candy you want is all the same price, you can mix them in one bag.
Go to the spice section first and stock up on small bags if you're getting candy or snacks. The regular bags are HUGE and you don't realize how much you're actually getting. If it seems more expensive than buying it pre-packaged, you probably just got too much. -
Review from Vivek S.
2/14/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Endless bins of edibles, unlimited portion control, and pricing by weight. What's not to love? There is no place with a wider variety of goods. It's mere footsteps between chocolate covered espresso beans and handfuls of ground millet. You need nut butters? They have nut butters. Five different kinds of raisins? Of course. They have everything: bird seed, baking ingredients, candy, drink mixes, beans, and nuts galore. You need, they got it, bub.
And get this: you no longer have to write numbers on those little paper tags. The staff have *memorized* all the products and their SKUs. I am picturing the Ludovico treatment[1] (still pictures of bulk goods, Beethoven, eye drops and shock therapy), though the training process is probably something more humane. On ambiguous items, like chocolate covered what-have-yous, I try to make a little mental note of the code. This inevitably impresses the cashier, which makes me feel like a Big Man. "Wow," they might say. Or even, "thanks."
I then carry on with my sad, sad life. (sung: Bulk Barn!)
Obligatory Title Pun: Get the inside SCOOP.
Menu Readability: Don Watt-esque. I can't say enough about the No Frills aesthetic.[2]
Need to mention: It's counterproductive to cost savings to purchase a kilo and a half of gummi worms.
What this place teaches me about myself: I have a compulsive need to impress the cashier. This better not be a pyschosexual thing.
_____
[1] "And viddy films I would..." http://www.youtube.com...
[2] Seriously, don't get me started.Listed in: Let's Cook At Home
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Review from Elvis A.
2/26/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This is a new bulk barn and is thankfully easily accessible by subway.
The store is a decent size with aisles and aisles of items than one can buy.
The aisles though tight are very clean (+1 in my opinion as other Bulk Barns I have visited are not this clean)
Staff is helpful and will help you out if asked and will get the info you require if they don't know the answer.
Prices are a bit on the higher side but hey you buy only the quantity you need here and they are offering you economies of scope rather than economies of scale here.
Some odd stuff is also available here like pie fillings ?!
A good spot to buy items that one doesn't need in bulk :) -
Review from Tara E.
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I went at 2pm and there was a LONG lineup! Like 20 people long. So you if you are popping by on a lunch break, or are just stopping in to grab a thing or two, check the line up situation before starting to shop!
The prices here are good, but I mostly find the good deals are on spices. They have really good prices on spices, especially when you only need a little. Instead of buying a $5 bottle, you can spend 30 cents-75 cents on a small bag. (But then you need to supply your own bottle.)
The prices on most other things that I compared it to are about average. I can get cheaper prices in Kensington on a lot of items. What Bulk Barn does have, however, is a really big selection. And a downtown location.
All in all, not my #1 bulk store of all time, but a good one to add to the rotation. (And YES, for all concerned, they DO have sour gum balls aka tear jerkers. They make my teeth hurt, but my heart sing!) -
Review from Jay M.
Toronto, ON
3/2/2012
I really only use this place for random candy missions on my way home from work when making the transit transfer from subway to streetcar (so perhaps not having the temptation of buying candy would be better after all), but I can't help but think this is a good addition to the area.
The actual space itself is pretty tight, but they did a good job of squeezing everything in. There is usually a pretty long line up that files down the one aisle at the side of the building, but the staff get the people through at a decent rate. On my last visit, even just being a Thursday evening they had 4 cashiers working which is good as there is nothing more depressing than standing in a long line that moves so slow and you can't even see the cashier to know how truly close you are.
While I'm happy that I bought an overwhelmingly large bag of easter candy for just $5 yesterday, this place still only gets 3 stars as its just another Bulk Barn. -
Review from Cindy C.
Toronto, ON
12/26/2011
Yes yes yes! Bulk Barn has finally arrived in the city!!!!
Despite its yucky reputation, for those that don't know... Big bins of food accessible to everyone, with or without clean hands.... Yes there are scoops. But like public transit, not everyone follows the rules....
I got a array of delicious cholocate goodies to make my holiday tree bark, it was a one stop shop for me and I loved it!! Good quality chocolate at a fraction of the price, who could ask for more!!!
I will be visiting again soon, bulk barn, we will meet again!!! -
Review from Grainne M.
Toronto, ON
1/21/2012
Love: -Bins of bulk items as far as the eye can see. Chocolate, sweets, sprinkles, nuts, sugar, flours, spices... I think they have everything. Nut butters, jams, cheeses and baking powder/flours are at the back.
-It's so convenient to get just as much as I want
Like: -They also have a range of baking tins and decorating supplies
-They have sales and coupons!
Dislike: -It's not like you make a huge saving really
Hate: -The lines are often crazy long. There are only three checkouts and the cashiers are super super slow. Leave all your emails unanswered so you can play on your phone while you're waiting. Otherwise, you might get a bit stabby while enduring the interminable wait to pay for and eat your treats. -
Review from Chris P.
12/20/2011 1 photo
This past Saturday Bulk Barn opened it's doors in the heart of downtown. This is a most welcomed addition to the neighbourhood as us urbanites can now get our bulky needs fulfilled much easier. The physical location is great with easy access to the subway and the new MLG Loblaws is a block away so you can get all your grocery shopping done in one trip.
There's nothing different about this store over any other Bulk Barn, it's just shiny and new.
Welcome to the neighbourhood!Listed in: December 2011
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Review from She S.
Toronto, ON
1/7/2012
I really like this place and the prices seem to be good
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Review from S K.
Toronto, ON
2/14/2012
Bulk Barn is Bulk Barn. Nothing exciting about this one. Except that it took me like half an hour to get through the lines. Brutal. There are, what, 3 cashiers?!? (Maybe 4? I don't remember). Either way, NOT good enough for a popular downtown location! It was so busy. And I couldn't find everything I wanted there. Definitely wouldn't go back.
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