Fast-growing retailer Five Below has opened its first store outside northern Delaware in Dover.
The store opened at the Dover Towne Center in the northern end of the city off of DuPont Highway.
The property is the former home of Walmart, which a couple of years ago opened a supercenter north of the old store on DuPont Highway.
The site was converted into a big box center. Other tenants slated for the center are Petco, Ross, and Shoe Carnival.
The Delaware State News reported that patrons lined up around the store for the grand opening on Friday, despite the threat of rain.
The Towne Center has been good news for Dover, which has seen the flight of retailers such as Kmart.
Central Delaware has faced flat economic conditions over the years, due to cutbacks in manufacturing and declines in employment at Dover Air Force Base and the State of Delaware.
And despite its location as the state capital Dover does not have as large a concentration of jobs as its counterparts elsewhere in the country, since many agencies have large employment centers in New Castle County.
Five Below, specializes in items at or under $5. The company has prospered by catering to teens and younger “tweens.” It has become a “go to” spot for all ages when it comes to inexpensive cases and charging systems for smart phones and tablets.
The rapidly growing company at one time operated a distribution center in the New Castle area, but later moved to an expanded site across the bridge in New Jersey.
Five Below was founded in Philadelphia and opened its first stores in northern Delaware.
It now has more than 430 stores in more than two dozen states on the East Coast, Midwest and into Florida and Texas. The company also announced plans to expand into Louisiana. Sales of the company are moving toward the $1 billion mark.
More than 40 stores are expected to open this year, according to a list on the company’s website.
