An iconic Aussie brand, a budget battler’s sanctuary and a brilliant photo op – it’s no surprise that the $259 million takeover of The Reject Shop by Canadian retailer Dollarama earlier this year sent ripples of anxiety up and down budget aisles nationwide.

Then a week or so ago, Dollarama chief executive Neil Rossy popped up in the media again – this time keen to share his “vision” for the chain’s 390-plus stores, which included removing the familiar red-and-yellow iconography and replacing it with a green-and-gold palette and shiny new name: Dollarama – effective immediately.

Then-prime minister Tony Abbott walks past The Reject Shop in 2015.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

It didn’t take long for those ripples to turn into a giant wave of discontent. Shoppers flocked online to voice their distress, with 74 per cent of more than 12,700 readers polled by Yahoo Finance calling for the name to stay.

Sure, Aussies love a bargain, but as I too hit “stay”, I couldn’t help feeling that Dollarama was messing with more than just signage – this was sacred turf. And, no, not just because of those classic,

© The Sydney Morning Herald