You're standing in the middle of your living room. It's December 24th. You just realized you forgot a gift for your cousin’s new boyfriend, or maybe you ran out of scotch tape and those glittery gift bags that make everything look expensive even when it’s just a ten-dollar graphic tee. We’ve all been there. The panic starts to set in, and your brain immediately goes to Five Below. It’s the land of the "good enough" gift that actually looks cool. But here is the thing: if you show up at 8:00 PM, you’re probably going to be staring at a locked door and a very tired employee waving you away.
Knowing the five below hours on christmas eve is basically a survival skill for the holiday procrastinator.
Honestly, retail hours during the holidays are a moving target. While most big-box stores like Target or Walmart have some level of predictability, Five Below operates on a slightly more condensed schedule because they want their staff to actually get home to their families. Historically, and looking at the trends for 2025 and 2026, you are looking at a hard cutoff. Most locations across the United States shut their doors at 6:00 PM local time on Christmas Eve. Some might stretch it to 7:00 PM in high-traffic malls, but counting on that extra hour is a gamble you’ll probably lose.
The Reality of the 6 PM Cutoff
Most people assume that because it’s a "value" store, they’ll stay open late to capture every last cent of that frantic last-minute revenue. That isn't usually the case. Five Below tends to follow the "standard holiday eve" protocol. In 2024, the vast majority of their 1,500+ stores nationwide synchronized their closing times to 6:00 PM.
Why 6:00 PM? It's the sweet spot. It allows the morning rush to clear out, gives the afternoon "panic-buyers" a window to grab their Squishmallows and Bluetooth speakers, and ensures the store can be cleaned and reset for the post-Christmas rush by 7:30 PM. If you are pulling into the parking lot at 5:45 PM, you’re basically playing a game of retail chicken. The staff is already hovering near the doors. They want to go home. You want a $5 weighted blanket. It's a tense standoff.
Local variations do exist. If your Five Below is located inside a major shopping mall—think Simon Malls or Westfield properties—they often have to abide by the mall’s operating hours. If the mall closes at 5:00 PM, the Five Below closes at 5:00 PM. If the mall stays open until 8:00 PM (which is rare on Christmas Eve), the store might stay open, but don't bet your Christmas morning on it.
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Checking Your Specific Location
Don't just trust a random Google snippet. Seriously. The "Hours" listed on Google Maps are often managed by AI or haven't been updated for the specific holiday shift. The most reliable way to confirm five below hours on christmas eve is the official store locator on their website.
They usually update the holiday hours about a week before the 24th.
Another pro tip? Use the Five Below app. It’s surprisingly snappy. It’ll show you the real-time status of your local shop. Or, you could do the old-school thing and actually call the store. If they answer, they’re open. If it rings forever or goes to a generic "Happy Holidays" voicemail, they’re either slammed or already gone. Usually the latter.
What You Can Actually Find (and What's Always Gone)
If you’re heading there on Christmas Eve, you need a strategy. You aren't going to find the "viral" items. Those disappeared on December 10th.
The shelves are going to look a little picked over. It's the nature of the beast. However, Five Below is legendary for its "Five Beyond" section—the stuff that costs $6 to $25. This area usually stays better stocked because people are often looking for the cheaper stocking stuffers. You can usually find decent tech accessories, like oversized gaming mousepads or LED light strips, even late into the afternoon on the 24th.
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- Stocking Stuffers: Usually plenty of candy, but the "cool" Hello Kitty or Disney-themed treats might be thin.
- Gift Wrap: This is the danger zone. By 4:00 PM on Christmas Eve, the gift wrap section usually looks like a confetti bomb went off. If you need tape, go to a drugstore.
- Tech: Charging cables? Yes. Cheap headphones? Yes. That specific vintage-style record player they advertised? Probably not.
The Logistics of the Last-Minute Dash
The parking lot is your biggest enemy. On Christmas Eve, the area around a Five Below is usually a chaotic mess of people who are also realizing they forgot something.
If you’re planning to hit the store during those final five below hours on christmas eve, try to get there before 2:00 PM. Between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM, it’s absolute mayhem. The lines will be long, and since Five Below has been leaning heavily into self-checkout, you’re going to be stuck behind someone who doesn't know how to scan a barcode or is trying to pay with three different crumpled five-dollar bills.
It’s also worth noting that Five Below is closed on Christmas Day. Every single one of them. So, if you miss that 6:00 PM window on the 24th, your next chance to get inside is December 26th, usually starting at 8:00 AM or 9:00 AM for the "returns and clearance" crowd.
Why You Should Consider Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS)
This is the real expert move. If you know exactly what you want—say, a specific Marvel action figure or a set of markers—check the website in the morning. If it’s in stock, buy it online for store pickup.
This locks in your inventory. Even if the store is a madhouse, they usually have a designated area for pickups. You walk in, show your ID, grab your bag, and leave. It bypasses the 20-minute wait at the registers. Just keep in mind that most stores stop accepting new BOPIS orders a few hours before closing to give the staff time to fulfill everything. If you try to place a pickup order at 4:30 PM, the system might already be shut off for the day.
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The Ethical Side of the "Last Minute"
Let’s be real for a second. The people working at Five Below on Christmas Eve are exhausted. They’ve been dealing with holiday music on a loop for six weeks and customers who are stressed out.
If you show up at 5:55 PM, you’re "that person."
Try to be kind. Retail workers are often pulling double shifts this time of year. A little patience goes a long way, especially when the item you wanted is out of stock and the person behind the counter has no way to magically make another one appear from the "back room." Spoilers: the back room is usually just empty boxes and a break table this late in the season.
Actionable Steps for Your Christmas Eve Run
To make sure you aren't left empty-handed when the sun goes down on the 24th, follow this exact checklist:
- Verify by 10:00 AM: Check the Five Below app or website store locator specifically for your zip code. Don't assume the shop across town has the same hours as the one near your office.
- Order Online Early: If you can, place a "Pick Up In Store" order before noon. This guarantees you get the items before the "browsers" snatch them off the shelves.
- The "Two-Hour" Rule: Aim to be out of the store at least two hours before the posted closing time. If they close at 6:00 PM, be in your car by 4:00 PM. The stress levels rise exponentially every thirty minutes after that.
- Have a Backup: If the five below hours on christmas eve don't work in your favor, know which CVS or Walgreens nearby is open 24 hours. They won't have the $5 remote control cars, but they’ll have the emergency chocolate and gift cards.
- Check the Perimeter: If the main entrance is in a mall, check if the store has an exterior entrance. Sometimes those stay accessible even if the main mall corridors are cordoned off.
The bottom line is simple: Five Below is a goldmine for the 24th, but only if you respect the clock. Once 6:00 PM hits, the "Five" in Five Below basically stands for how many minutes you have left before the lights go out. Plan ahead, get in early, and get home to your eggnog.