Retailer Five Below opening first Ann Arbor store this week

Trend-right, extreme value, high quality items. That is what director of marketing Liz Romaine calls the merchandise at Five Below, a retailer that will be opening its first Ann Arbor location on Friday.

The Ann Arbor store — in Arborland Mall — will be Five Below’s 17th Michigan location, the next closest being in Brighton. Romaine says the company will open about 50 stores this year, bringing the total to 242 nationwide by the close of the year.

Five Below is headquartered in Philadelphia. The first store opened in 2002 in Wayne, Pa., by founders Tom Vellios and David Schlessinger, who also founded the now-defunct Zany Brainy Toy Store.

Stock analysts say Five Below is trying to appeal to the aspirational teen customer with unique products at a price point that teens/pre-teens can afford. According to iStockAnalyst, “Five Below focuses on a niche market that has no direct retail competitor today.”

The Ann Arbor store will open in the southwest corner of Arborland, sharing the space that was once Border’s with soon-to-open Ulta. Five Below will hold 7,500 square feet of property organized into ‘worlds’ of bins and barrels of merchandise all priced at $5 and below.

Romaine says the company has been looking for an excellent location in Ann Arbor, where families and value-minded shoppers - particularly in the preteen and teen age-group-- already frequent.

The store has mostly completed its hiring, and 35 employee positions were filled. The employees are gearing up for a grand opening that will run through the weekend.

“We try to make it a carnival like event, with lots of events and giveaways,” explains Romaine. “The first 300 shoppers this Friday, Saturday and Sunday will each receive a free Five Below T-shirt with purchase. We also offer our famous 5 cent hot dogs.”

The hot dogs have been a part of every grand opening for Five Below, and will be available from 3-6 p.m. on Friday, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Shoppers on Saturday also can expect a visit from the Detroit Lions mascot, Roary, along with other games and activities.

Five Below - Arborland is at 3529 Washtenaw Ave.