00:00What do slime, beauty dupes, and a candy aisle have in common?
00:03They're powering a $4 billion retail machine.
00:06This is Five Below, a company that has emerged as one of retail's comeback stories this winter,
00:10thanks to a turnaround in targeting teens.
00:12It's not exactly a dollar store, not exactly a toy store either.
00:15It's a fluorescent maze of $5 impulse buys,
00:18Stanley-style tumblers, bluey bracelets, pickleball sets, mystery boxes, shelves of slime.
00:23Almost nothing here is in need, and that's kind of the point.
00:26After a messy 2024, trend misses, too many stores, soft spending, the company had a reset.
00:32Revenue hit $3.9 billion last year.
00:35The stock has more than doubled from its lows.
00:37Retail analysts say kids don't just want stuff, they want the freedom to choose it.
00:40Five Below is basically TikTok in physical form.
00:42A trend-driven treasure hunt where the investment is low and the payoff is instant.
00:47And when the trend dies, you're only at a few bucks.
00:49That may not sound revolutionary, but in the uncertain 2026 retail landscape, it's working.
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