Five Below — Local services in Alameda

Store was pretty cool. Lots of Knick knacks, toys, candy, etc…. Was having a great time until my daughter and I needed to pee and weird bad customer service ensued.

We noticed the restrooms in the back. Both bathroom doors were locked. So I ran to the front of the store and asked if we could access the bathroom, the lady at the register said hold on and called another employee. I waited for a good 5-10 minutes.

I didn’t know the bathroom czar would come. That other employee came up and she said to the other employee that “the bathrooms outside in the restaurants are closer”. And that “we always refer our customers to go outside”. I said, “my daughter needs to use the restroom”. And she said “it’s a farther walk to OUR bathroom than any restaurant outside” and she asked me where my daughter was, I said she’s waiting by the bathrooms. She said frustratingly that she needed to get the key. I asked why the bathrooms were locked anyway, she said because customers were bringing merchandise into the bathrooms.

It seemed like we were bothering that employee so much to use the bathroom. Didn’t feel good, so we decided to listen to her. We left the store and went to a restaurant that let us use the restroom with no trouble at all. Come to think of it, I’ve never once had a bathroom experience like this at Southshore shopping center EVER before yesterday. Five Below is the only store that has given a hard time just to go to the bathroom. Usually employees will go out of their way to help make sure family members can use the bathroom.

So to sum up, cool place to shop and score novelty stuff at the $5 mark! But make sure you pee first or else you may get reprimanded for wanting to pee in their bathrooms that are “supposedly” provided for you...

Went to Five Below tonight. Well, had a horrible experience. We saw a tub of scented mystery Squishmellows in a package for $2 (sign stated it)

We go to buy two at register and they ring up $5 each. We bring to the cashier attendants attention that they are mispriced. He just said ok and walked away from us.

After running to Safeway, we go back there and take pics of the product where the $2 sign is (there were at least 10 more there too, so it wasn't just one or two).

The time before this particular visit, kids were throwing footballs across the aisles, kicking soccer balls from aisle to aisle, and skateboarding and causing a huge disturbance. Not one worker said anything to them, and I know someone saw them while they were in the electronics area in the back of the store. Other customers couldn't even go towards there because they were afraid of being hit by an incoming football. They finally left quickly after throwing a football and...

I've visited this 5 Below location a few times and have noticed a significant improvement. Initially, the store was disorganized and understocked. However, my recent visit revealed a much more organized and well-stocked space.

My daughter was easily able to find the freeze-dried candy she wanted, and the store overall felt cleaner and more efficient. The only area that could be improved is the self-checkout process. It seems counterintuitive to have a cashier assist with self-checkout while other stations remain closed. Perhaps this is a theft prevention measure.

Overall, I'm pleased with the progress this 5 Below...