If you're heading north to Canada, must-visit places include Niagara Falls, Banff National Park, Toronto's iconic CN Tower, and — as far as one TikToker is concerned — a Bulk Barn.
TikTok user yunggravysfuturewife (@yunggravysfuturewife) had her mind blown when she walked into one of Bulk Barn's 275-plus locations in Canada.
@yunggravysfuturewife im mind blown… is there something like this in america or no
♬ original sound - yunggravysfuturewife
"My jaw is on the floor. This is the craziest place I've ever been," exclaims the bewildered Bulk Barn rookie as she wandered the aisles of food-filled bins.
In case you've never strolled through the doors of a Bulk Barn, it is Canada's largest bulk food retailer. Many grocery stores have a few items in bulk, like coffee beans, nuts, and candy — but Bulk Barn is wall-to-wall bulk items.
"You literally just take out macaroni and cheese (powder), chicken soup mix, cereal," the TikTok user says, pointing at bins around her. "You can just get lemon pie (filling), dulce de leche (filling) by itself — this is wild!"
The TikToker could not get enough of the ingenious concept of the bulk bonanza, saying, "This is the smartest s*** I've ever seen, like, you take as much flour and salt and everything — red velvet cake mix!" she says with a joyful squeal.
Buying in bulk is a great way to save money — there's a reason Costco was the fifth-largest retailer in 2022.
The great thing about places like Bulk Barn is that you can also buy as little as you want. Being able to buy the exact amount of food you need significantly reduces food waste which, in turn, reduces money waste.
Feeding America reports that Americans throw away 119 billion pounds of food yearly, which mean more than $408 billion in food being wasted.
Not only do stores like Bulk Barn help cut down on food waste, but they also cut down on packaging waste — especially plastic. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that companies generated 14.5 million tons of plastic packaging in 2018.
The TikToker's elated reaction amused many people.
"As a Canadians this is so amusing to me, I didn't realize other places didn't have bulk barns," wrote one user.
Another user admitted, "I guess we really are taking bulk barn for granted out here."
For one Canadian, the thrill of a Bulk Barn has not faded. "This is me every single time I enter a bulk barn. I've lived in Canada my whole life and it still gets me excited," they wrote.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to shop smarter, live cleaner, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
