Black Friday is basically the Super Bowl of discount shopping, but it’s gotten weird lately. A few years ago, you had to pitch a tent in a parking lot just to get a deal on a toaster. Now? Most of the big-box stores are staying closed on Thanksgiving Day itself, which has totally shifted how we think about the "early bird" rush. If you’re planning to hit up your local Five Below, you’ve probably realized their schedule doesn't always follow the same rhythm as a massive Target or a suburban mall.
People always ask me when the doors actually swing open. The reality is that five below hours on black friday can be a bit of a moving target depending on whether your specific location is tucked inside a shopping mall or sits as a standalone storefront in a strip center.
Why the 8:00 AM Start is the Magic Number
For the vast majority of Five Below locations across the country, 8:00 AM is the gold standard for Black Friday. It’s early enough to feel like a "rush," but late enough that you can actually grab a coffee and shake off the tryptophan fog before you start browsing the $5 (and now $5-plus) aisles.
While some retailers like Walmart might pull the trigger at 6:00 AM, Five Below generally waits a beat. This is intentional. They know their demographic isn't necessarily the person fighting over a 75-inch television. Their crowd is the parent looking for stocking stuffers, the teen looking for a cheap ring light, or the person who just realized they need twelve secret Santa gifts by Monday.
However, don't just take that 8:00 AM as gospel for every single zip code. If your Five Below is part of a major indoor mall, the store is often legally or contractually bound by the mall's overarching hours. If the mall opens at 6:00 AM to accommodate a Macy’s or a JCPenney, your Five Below might be open then too. Conversely, if you live in a more rural area, they might stick to a standard 9:00 AM or 10:00 AM opening.
Checking the App is the Only Way to Be Sure
Seriously. Don't just drive there. The Five Below app has a surprisingly decent store locator that updates in real-time for holiday shifts.
I’ve seen stores in high-traffic areas like Times Square or major Florida tourist hubs stay open until 10:00 PM or even 11:00 PM on Black Friday. Meanwhile, a quiet location in the Midwest might start turning off the lights by 8:00 PM because the foot traffic has completely died down. It’s all about the local vibe.
The Five Beyond Factor
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the price. For a long time, the name was the promise. Everything was five bucks or less. Then "Five Beyond" happened. On Black Friday, this section is actually where most of the action is.
You’re going to see things like $10 or $25 tech items—think Bluetooth speakers, weighted blankets, or even those mini-fridges that everyone seems to want for their skincare products. Because these items are higher value, they are the first to disappear. If you show up at noon, the "Beyond" section usually looks like a hurricane hit it.
The strategy here is simple. If you want the higher-tier electronics or the specific licensed Squishmallows that they drop for the holidays, you have to be there within the first two hours of opening. If you’re just there for candy, cheap phone cords, and graphic tees, you can honestly show up whenever you want. They have plenty of those.
Realities of the Friday Morning Rush
It’s crowded. Kinda messy. Honestly, it can be a little overwhelming if you don’t like tight spaces.
The aisles in a typical Five Below aren't exactly wide. When you pack fifty people with overflowing red baskets into those narrow paths, it gets chaotic fast. I’ve noticed that the most frantic area is usually the "New & Now" section right at the front. People congregate there like they've found buried treasure, even though most of that stuff is also stocked elsewhere in the store.
- The Line Situation: Expect to wait. Even with every register manned, the checkout process at Five Below can be slow on Black Friday because everyone is buying 20 tiny items instead of one big one. That’s 20 barcodes to scan. Every. Single. Time.
- The Inventory Myth: People think they restock throughout the day. They usually don't. What's on the floor at 8:00 AM is often all they have for the day, especially for the "hot" toys or the TikTok-viral items.
- The "Five Beyond" Curtains: Sometimes they keep the newer, more expensive items behind the counter or in a specific cordoned-off area to prevent shoplifting or damage during the rush. Don't be afraid to ask an associate if you don't see the specific tech item you saw in the flyer.
Is it Even Worth Going in Person?
With the rise of Cyber Monday, you have to wonder if standing in the cold is worth it. For Five Below, it sort of is. Why? Because shipping costs on a $5 item often kill the deal.
If you buy ten things online, you might pay $8 in shipping. If you go to the store, that’s $8 you can spend on more stuff. Plus, the "Five Below experience" is very tactile. You want to feel the quality of the fleece or see how big the remote-controlled car actually is.
That said, if you’re looking for a specific item that you know will sell out, many stores offer "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" (BOPIS). This is the pro move. You secure the inventory at 12:01 AM on Friday morning from your bed, then you stroll in at 2:00 PM when the crowd has thinned out and pick up your bag at the front. No stress. No wrestling over a yoga mat.
What the Employees Wish You Knew
I’ve talked to a few folks who work the holiday shifts. They are exhausted. They’ve been there since 6:00 AM prepping the floor.
One thing they always mention is that people forget about the "limit" rules. During big drops—like certain collectibles or high-demand tech—Five Below often imposes a limit per customer. Usually, it’s two or four of the same item. Don't be the person who tries to buy twenty to flip on eBay; the registers are often programmed to hard-stop those transactions.
Another tip? Look down. Because the shelves get so crowded, stuff falls. A lot of stuff. If you’re looking for a specific color of a shirt or a particular toy, check the very back of the bottom shelf or even on the floor tucked under the baseboards.
Actionable Steps for Your Black Friday Run
If you’re serious about hitting the Five Below hours on Black Friday without losing your mind, follow this specific sequence:
- Verify the Location Type: Determine if your store is "Standalone" or "Mall-Based." Standalone usually opens at 8:00 AM. Mall-based follows the mall's schedule (could be as early as 6:00 AM).
- Download the App Thursday Night: Use the store locator at 11:00 PM on Thanksgiving. It will usually show the updated holiday hours for the next morning.
- Check the "Digital Circular": Don't guess what's on sale. Look at the specific Black Friday flyer in the app to see which items are "Five Beyond" and which are the standard $5.
- Prioritize the "Beyond" Section: If you want the $10-$25 items, go to that back wall or the tech center first. Do not stop at the candy or the $1 bins on your way in. Those will still be there in thirty minutes.
- Use the BOPIS Hack: If you can't get there early, check the website at midnight. If the item is available for store pickup, buy it then. It saves you the headache of the morning crowd.
- Bring a Bag: Many Five Below stores are in states with plastic bag bans, or they charge for them. Bringing your own sturdy reusable bag makes navigating the tight aisles much easier than carrying a clunky plastic basket.
The reality is that Five Below remains one of the few places where you can actually get a "haul" without spending a fortune. Just remember that the 8:00 AM opening is the standard, but the local mall rules always win in a conflict. Get in, get the "Beyond" stuff first, and be patient with the staff who are probably on their fifth cup of coffee by the time you see them.