After months of speculation, it’s now official that a Five Below discount store will open in Champaign’s North Prospect shopping corridor.
Very popular with tweens and teens, Five Below carries a lot of seasonal items, character and pop culture merch, and room decor/knick knacks, as well as games, accessories, bath and body items, candy, clothing and crafts.
It is not yet known when Five Below will open its doors.
Although it’s not yet listed on the Five Below website, the company posted a sign on North Prospect this week announcing its intentions. Building permits filed by Five Below with the City of Champaign indicate that its signs have been approved, but the permits to start construction on the store’s interior remain in process.
The store will be located right next door to retail discounter Burlington, which announced plans to open a new Champaign location this spring back in September. Burlington has not yet identified a store opening date, but is hiring.
Both stores occupy the footprint of a building that once housed Gander Mountain as well as Circuit City.
Once open, shoppers can find Five Below and Burlington in the same Champaign shopping center that is anchored by Target on the north end and Lowe’s to the south.
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Five Below today has over 1,000 stores in 38 states, include 52 in Illinois. The closest store to Champaign is located in Bloomington; there’s also one in Bradley.
The store makes no secret of its target audience: Gen Z kids and Millennial/Gen X parents. It claims that 2 million + kids shop its stores per month.
Five Below buckets its merchandise in eight “worlds”: “Style, Room, Play, Create, Party, Candy, New & Now and Ten Below Tech. Some of its most popular brands/characters featured include Spalding®, Sour Patch®, Bluetooth®, L.O.L. Surprise!™, JoJo Siwa™, Lego®, Hershey®, Marvel®, Disney©, & Fortnite™.
Its tagline: “We know life is way better when you’re free to “let go & have fun” in an amazing experience filled with unlimited possibilities. With most items priced $1-$5, and some extreme value items priced beyond $5, we make it easy to say YES! to the newest, coolest stuff.”
It’s not uncommon for Burlington and Five Below to locate near one another. Recently the two have opened stores in close proximity in Traverse City, Michigan; and Cincinnati.
The store prides itself on giving back to charity. It also offers a way for local schools, teams and other non-profit organizations to fundraise.
To get a flavor for Five Below, visit its website.