Dollarama is a Canadian value retailer founded in 1992 by Larry Rossy, when he converted one of his family’s stores in Matane, Quebec into the first Dollarama location offering all items for $1.00 or less. [1] The company’s visual identity is built around a green and yellow palette that has become closely associated with the brand across its more than 2,700 Canadian locations. [1]
Design and History
The current Dollarama logo features the wordmark “DOLLARAMA” in bold yellow lettering on a green background, accompanied by a coin-like circular emblem bearing a dollar sign. [2] The design has been described by observers as “iconic yellow-on-green branding” that is ubiquitous across Dollarama stores in Canada. [3]
The logo’s coin motif is documented in official trademark records. A Canadian trademark filed by Dollarama L.P. describes a design containing “one medal or coin,” “currency symbols,” and “two polygons, one inside the other,” with the colors yellow, gold, and green listed as features. [4] Australian trademark records for Dollarama International Inc. similarly describe the mark with indexing terms including “POLYGON,” “COIN,” “STYLISED DOLLAR SYMBOL,” and “CURVED ARC.” [5]
The logo underwent a notable change in 2009, when Dollarama began offering products at price points above $1.00. In September 2008, ahead of this shift, news reports noted that “the famous logo will be altered to read ‘$1-plus.'” [6] The company’s official history confirms that in 2009, Dollarama started offering products at three new price points: $1.25, $1.50, and $2.00. [1] The trademark for the updated design, registered as “DOLLARAMA $1PLUS,” includes the verbal elements “DOLLARAMA,” “$1 PLUS,” and “1 PLUS.” [4]
Canadian trademark records show that Dollarama L.P. filed logo applications on September 3, 2008, with registrations published in November 2009, consistent with the rollout of the updated identity around the time of the price point expansion. [7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The coin-shaped emblem in the Dollarama logo directly references the Canadian one-dollar coin, commonly known as the “loonie.” [8] The design has been described as “showcasing the iconic Canadian dollar.” [9] The green and yellow color combination is documented in official trademark records as part of the mark’s distinguishing features. [4]
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