You're standing in the kitchen, realize you forgot a gift for your weird cousin, and wonder: is Five Below open on Christmas? It's a fair question. Honestly, it’s the kind of panic that hits most of us around 10:00 AM on December 25th when the reality of a forgotten stocking stuffer sinks in.
The short answer is no.
Five Below is almost universally closed on Christmas Day.
I've tracked retail trends for years, and while some pharmacies or convenience stores might keep the lights on, major discount retailers like Five Below consistently lock their doors to give employees a break. It's a standard industry move. They want their staff home with family, and frankly, the overhead to keep a store open on a day when most people are already knee-deep in wrapping paper just doesn't make sense for their bottom line.
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Why the "Is Five Below Open on Christmas" Search Peaks Every Year
Every year, Google Trends shows a massive spike for this exact query starting on Christmas Eve and lasting through the morning of the 25th. Why? Because Five Below is the king of the "last-minute save." If you need a $5 pair of headphones or a giant bag of Sour Patch Kids to make a gift basket look full, they’re the go-to.
But here’s the reality.
If you show up at your local strip mall on Christmas morning, you’re going to be greeted by a dark storefront and a "Happy Holidays" sign taped to the glass. This isn't just about one brand, either. In the current retail climate, especially in 2025 and 2026, there has been a massive push toward "human-centric" scheduling. Big names like Target, Walmart, and Five Below have largely moved away from the 24/7 or holiday-heavy schedules that were popular a decade ago.
They prioritize the PR win of being "closed for the holidays" over the marginal sales they’d get from a few frantic shoppers.
The Christmas Eve Scramble
While they aren't open on the big day itself, Five Below is usually bustling on Christmas Eve. But don't expect them to stay open late. Most locations cut their hours significantly on December 24th. Typically, you’ll see doors closing around 6:00 PM or 7:00 PM.
I’ve seen people pull up at 7:05 PM on Christmas Eve, frantically banging on the glass, only to be turned away. It’s a tragedy in one act. If you’re planning a trip, you really need to get there before the sun goes down on the 24th.
The inventory also gets weird. By the time Christmas Eve rolls around, the "good" stuff—the licensed Squishmallows, the trending tech gadgets, the high-end candy—is often picked over. You're left with the stuff nobody wanted, like off-brand fitness equipment or glittery phone cases for models that came out four years ago.
Retail Realities: Why Discount Stores Stay Closed
There’s a business logic here that most people don't think about. For a store like Five Below, the average transaction value is relatively low. We’re talking about items priced between $1 and $5, with their "Five Beyond" section hitting slightly higher price points.
To make it profitable to stay open on a federal holiday, they’d need a massive volume of customers.
Paying staff "holiday pay" (which is often time-and-a-half or double-time depending on the state and contract) quickly eats into those $5 margins. If a cashier is making $15 an hour normally and $30 an hour on Christmas, the store has to sell a whole lot of Bluetooth speakers just to cover the lights and the labor.
- Labor costs are at an all-time high.
- Electricity and heating for a large retail space isn't cheap.
- The risk of theft increases when staffing is lean on a holiday.
- Employee morale takes a massive hit.
It’s basically a math problem that doesn't add up in favor of the shopper.
What About Five Beyond?
In recent years, Five Below introduced the "Five Beyond" concept, which features items that cost more than $5—think $10, $15, or even $25 items. You might think this higher price point would encourage them to stay open. It doesn’t. Even with slightly higher margins on tech and home goods, the brand identity is built on being a fun, accessible discount shop. Being the "grinch" store that forces employees to work on Christmas doesn't fit the brand's upbeat, Gen-Z-friendly image.
Real Alternatives If You’re Desperate on December 25th
So, you’ve accepted that Five Below is a no-go. What now? If you’re absolutely desperate for a gift or a snack, you have a few—albeit limited—options.
Walgreens and CVS are usually your best bets. They are the champions of Christmas Day retail. Most 24-hour locations stay 24 hours, though the non-24-hour spots might have limited windows, like 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. You can find basic toys, makeup, and candy there. It's not Five Below, but it'll save your reputation if you forgot a gift.
7-Eleven or Speedway can work in a pinch. You aren't going to find a high-quality gift here, but if you need a gift card or a specific type of candy, they are almost always open.
Starbucks (sometimes). A lot of Starbucks locations stay open for a few hours in the morning. A gift card and a bag of coffee beans is a respectable "I totally didn't forget you" gift.
Gas Stations. Honestly, some of the larger travel centers like Buc-ee’s or Wawa have surprisingly decent merchandise. It’s a gamble, but it’s better than showing up empty-handed.
Planning for the December 26th "After Party"
While the answer to is Five Below open on Christmas is a resounding no, the doors swing wide open on December 26th. This is actually the better time to go.
Why? The clearance.
Historically, Five Below starts slashing prices on holiday-themed merchandise the second the sun rises on the 26th. If you want Christmas lights, themed pajamas, or holiday candy for 50% to 75% off, that is the day to strike. It’s also when the gift card rush happens. Thousands of kids get Five Below gift cards in their stockings and descend upon the stores like a swarm of locusts on the day after Christmas.
If you’re planning to go on the 26th, go early. The stores are usually a disaster zone by noon. Shelves are disheveled, and the lines can be long with people doing returns or spending their newly acquired gift cards.
Checking Your Local Store
It is worth mentioning that while the corporate policy is to be closed, there are very rare exceptions in high-traffic tourist areas—think the Las Vegas Strip or certain airport-adjacent locations. Even then, it’s a long shot.
The best way to be 100% sure is to use the Five Below store locator on their official website. Usually, about a week before Christmas, they update the individual store hours. You can also check the Google Maps "Popular Times" feature, which often reflects holiday closures, though it’s sometimes laggy.
If you really want to be "old school," call the store on December 23rd. Ask the person who answers. They’ll give you the straight scoop on when they’re locking the doors on the 24th and when they’ll be back on the 26th.
The Cultural Shift in Retail
We are seeing a permanent shift away from holiday shopping. For a long time, the "creep" of Black Friday into Thanksgiving and the pressure for stores to be open on Christmas was intense. But the pandemic changed the psychology of the American worker and the consumer.
People now expect stores to be closed on major holidays. There’s a certain social stigma that has developed toward brands that force their employees to work on Christmas Day. Five Below, which markets heavily to families and young people, is very sensitive to this. They want to be seen as the "cool" brand, not the corporate overlord.
This means that for the foreseeable future, you can count on Five Below being closed every December 25th. It's a rare moment of stillness in the retail world.
Actionable Steps for the Unprepared
If you're reading this and it's currently Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, here is your battle plan.
- Stop driving. Don't waste gas driving to the Five Below in the strip mall across town. It’s closed. I promise.
- Check the drugstore apps. Open the Walgreens or CVS app. They have real-time inventory and will tell you if the store near you is open.
- Go Digital. If you need a gift now, buy a digital gift card and print it out or email it. Five Below offers e-gift cards on their site, and you don't even have to leave your couch.
- The "Delayed Gift" Tactic. Tell the recipient their gift was so popular it’s on backorder, then go to Five Below on the 26th when everything is on sale. You save money, and they get a better gift.
- Set an alarm for next year. Seriously. Put a reminder in your phone for December 20th to hit Five Below for those "just in case" gifts.
The reality of is Five Below open on Christmas is just a reminder that even in our 24/7, instant-gratification society, some things still shut down. It's a minor inconvenience for us, but a much-needed break for the people who work behind the counters. Grab a coffee, find a pharmacy that’s open, and make the best of it. The $5 yoga mats and neon room lights will still be there on the 26th.