Teen-focused discount store Five Below moving into DCUSA: that means no grocery store.

Get ready for some more discount shopping: a reader emailed me today saying she had spotted a sign that Five Below, a store that sells things under $5, was coming to DCUSA near the Petco.

That seems to mean that DCUSA's large spaces are now full, with DSW taking the second floor spot and Petco and now Five Below taking the first. The efforts to attract a grocery store to fill the space that was supposed to be Ellwood Thompson's (aka the store that shall not be named) looks like it won't happen.

If you recall, Ellwood Thompson's, a Richmond-based organic supermarket, was supposed to open in DCUSA. However, they dicked the neighborhood around for three years, got a tax break, said they were coming soon, that they'd signed a lease, they were so close, almost there, nearly ready to open... and then they canceled the lease and opened in Bethesda. If you want to get angry, read the linked posts above about the store. Pardon my french, but fuck those guys.

But anyway, back to Five Below. I'm not familiar with the store, but their website says

Five Below, Inc. is the leading retailer of trend-right, extreme-value merchandise to the teen and pre-teen market - all for $1.00 to $5.00. 

Five Below's dynamic assortment of merchandise includes everything from sporting goods, games, fashion accessories and jewelry, to hobbies and collectibles, bath and body, candy and snacks, room décor and storage, stationery and school supplies, video game accessories, books, dvds, iPhone accessories, novelty and "gag," and seasonal items. Five Below combines exceptional value with trend-right, quality merchandise in a vibrant shopping environment.

I've also never heard the term "trend-right" before, but I guess it means whatever is currently trendy. The description kind of makes it sound like a cross bewteen Bed Bath & Beyond and Marshall's. They seem to haev a big holiday selection too, like Halloween stuff currently on their website.

Based on their website, the stores look pretty big. They have 280 stores around the country, including a fair amount in Virginia and Maryland. I'm not sure when it will open, and it's not listed on their site as one of the coming soon stores.

The store will go in space 124, I believe, below. 204 is DSW and 125 in Petco. (Note that this graphic is old, some of these stores never arrived or became something else.)