Five Below from the eyes of a sales associate - Sales Associate/Freight Crew Member Five Below Employee Review

2.0
Nov 23, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The two main pros are the relaxed environment and the flexibility. Usually the managers are really chill and relaxed as long as you get your job done and overall there's a really relaxed vibe to the store. They are also really flexible with your schedule which is especially nice when you're a student.

Cons

Working at Five Below comes with a lot of cons. First the pay is bad. You get minimum wage as a sales associate and as a freight crew member which is very unfair considering how much more labor intensive Freight is compared to being a cashier. Also you are required to capture emails for the companies if you do not, or your capture percent is to low, your managers will talk to you and get on you about not getting enough which can be frustrating because people don't ant to get spammed with five below emails. Secondly you should not expect to be getting many hours. Even if you come on as a part time employee which usually means you get 20 hours a week you will not get that here. You will usually only get 10 or so hours a week. Also there is no room to move up in this company the only way to do so is if someone quits or a new store is opened even then you usually wont get the job unless your GM puts in a word for you. They always tell you if you work hard and are customer oriented here that you will get promoted which is untrue. When they see you're a hard worker they exploit that and try to squeeze every last drop out of you without increasing your pay or hours. Lastly management is a huge problem here. There are a ton of managers who are not properly trained and don't do their jobs correctly causing a lot of dysfunction. The managers don't know how to communicate to their employees and would rather talk about them behind their backs.

Explore other reviews about Five Below

5.0
Jun 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fun environment Fun coworkers Always something new to discover

Cons

Low pay Not enough hours

1.0
Jul 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Salary and bonus opportunities, and talented colleagues.

Cons

I rarely write reviews, but I hope this helps others understand the culture I experienced. I joined the company excited about the opportunity and dedicated myself to delivering results, building strong cross-functional partnerships, and supporting the business. Throughout my time there, I consistently received positive feedback from stakeholders and colleagues and was never made aware of any performance concerns or gaps. I was a top-performing team member and delivered consistent business results. My employment ended without warning. The explanation I received was simply that the company had “decided to move in a different direction." There had been no prior coaching, performance improvement plan, or conversations indicating my role or performance was at risk. It was a complete shock—not only to me, but also to many of my peers who reached out expressing surprise and frustration. The most disappointing part wasn’t just the decision itself, but how it was handled. Transparency, honest communication, and respect seemed to be missing from the process. Employees deserve timely, candid feedback and the opportunity to address concerns before life-changing decisions are made. Instead, I was left trying to make sense of a decision that didn’t align with the feedback I had consistently received. No workplace is perfect, and difficult business decisions sometimes have to be made. However, if you’re considering joining this organization, I encourage you to ask thoughtful questions about leadership communication, performance management, and how employees are supported when priorities shift. Your experience may depend heavily on the team and leadership you work under. Cons: Lack of transparency, inconsistent communication, limited psychological safety, and an environment where employees may not receive honest feedback until it’s too late.

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