Sandusky Register | Five Below opening Friday

Izzy Keller
Special to the Register

Jun 03, 2021 2:00 PM

 

PERKINS TWP. — The grand opening of Five Below, the Sandusky Mall’s newest store, is set for Friday.

The Philadelphia-based discount store has 1,000 stores in 38 states. It sells most of its items for $5 or less, including candy, tech, toys, party supplies and more.

The announcement that the discount store would be coming to Sandusky Mall and occupy some of the space left by Macy’s was made in late 2020.

The store had a small preview event on Wednesday, and a few customers went inside.

“Five Below is widely popular no matter where it opens its doors,” said Joe Bell, spokesperson for Cafaro Co., the mall’s owner. “It caters to a certain segment of the public that’s looking for tech, party gear and toys. It’s very popular with teenagers.”

The Evolution of Sandusky Mall

A dramatic, ongoing renovation and appealing new offerings are changing the nature of Sandusky Mall.  Reconstruction began last year when a former department store space (a former Sears) was demolished.  This made way for an all-new, stand-alone, 50,000 square foot Hobby Lobby.  Shortly thereafter, Shoe Dept. Encore relocated in October to a new 13,500 square foot location.  Another large space (a former Macy’s) was then redeveloped into smaller venues for other new retailers.

This year, in early June, Five Below debuted in one of those spaces. The new 10,276 square foot store is part of one of the fastest-growing retail chains in America, offering high-quality products loved by tweens, teens and more, with most items priced at five dollars or less. Five Below has 1000 stores in 38 states.

Later this year, TJMaxx will move from its current location to a nearly 26,000 square foot space.  Between TJMaxx and Five Below, Ross Dress for Less will open its doors in 2023, occupying 22,261 square feet.  Since 1982, Ross Dress for Less has focused on bringing customers a constant stream of high quality department and specialty store brands at extraordinary savings, in a “no-frills”, organized shopping experience.

Next door to Five Below, Dewey Furniture will open a new 10,846 square foot showroom in the fall. Sandusky residents may already be familiar with the Dewey name from the mattress store operating on Milan Road.  The new Sandusky Mall location will include a broader array of furniture, including top brands like La-Z-Boy, Ashley, Smith Brothers, Flexsteel, Tempur-Pedic, Serta, Mohawk and many more.

 

On the other side of Cheers and the food court entrance, get ready to welcome Another Broken Egg, an exciting new 5,100 square foot restaurant.  This isn’t your typical breakfast, brunch and lunch place. Its menu is second-to-none, loaded with fresh ingredients and creative recipes across a wide variety of breakfast classics, memorable brunch dishes and lunchtime favorites. It is designed to feel like a casual getaway, not just a restaurant. An opening date for Another Broken Egg will be announced in the near future.

In addition to the offerings described above, a new residential community is being developed on a portion of the mall complex near the Cinemark theater.  Approximately 32 acres has been rezoned. About half of that land will be developed with the 113-plus units. The other portion will be developed in the future.  The units will be clustered into different variations of the number of units, with attached one- or two-car garages.  It is anticipated that the first homes will be available for new tenants by ___________ in 2022.

 

The Sandusky Mall Complex, located at 4314 Milan Road (U.S. Route 250), near Sandusky, Ohio, has been serving the people of the “North Coast” since 1976.  It currently comprises more than one million square feet of retail space.  It is the premier shopping destination for the community, with great names like JCPenney, Dick’s Sporting Goods, American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Herman’s Furniture & Design, Ulta Beauty and nearly 50 additional retailers, restaurants and other businesses.  The state-of-the-art Cinemark Theater offers the finest cinema experience in the area.  Sandusky Mall Complex is owned and managed as part of the Cafaro family of companies, based in Niles, Ohio.  One of the nation’s largest privately held shopping center developers, the Cafaro organization has developed more than 30 million square feet of commercial real estate in 14 states.  For more information visit www.cafarocompany.com and www.sandusky-mall.com