pOpshelf vs Five Below vs Dollar General: Which Dollar Store is Better?
Everyone loves a good bargain. But which stores have the best deals? Here's our look at pOpshelf vs. Five Below vs. Dollar General to see which holds the best bang for your buck.
We love shopping the incredible store deals that dollar stores have to offer, don’t we? It’s like being on a dual mission – find what you love but at a fraction of the cost. And if it’s a fun shopping experience, the better, right? But which IS the best store to shop? It may be a personal preference in the end, but we’ve compiled a list of the notable differences between 3 of the more popular dollar stores -- pOpshelf, Five Below, and Dollar General.
The Top 3 Differences Between pOpshelf, Five Below, and Dollar General
pOpshelf, Five Below, and Dollar General are some of the most popular dollar stores around. Chances are you have at least one of them near you. How do they compare and contrast with each other and which is the best?
1. The Shopping Experience Each Offers
The shopping experience itself is telling for a lot of stores. A good experience will make you happy and want to come back – even tell your friends. A not so-good-one might have you avoiding ever returning – even where there’s a good deal to be had.
Here’s how they stack up:
pOpshelf
You may be wondering, "what is pOpshelf?" Dollar General's goal with pOpshelf is to simply provide a unique and fun shopping experience. They want your trip to be a time to wonder -- to explore -- to linger. They want you to browse and find something that makes you smile. It’s about finding a surprise on every shelf and a joy in every visit. pOpshelf stores are clutter-free and neat. The shopping experience is said to be quite an upscale experience.
Five Below
Five Below is a leading high-growth value retailer offering trend-right, high-quality products loved by tweens, teens, and beyond. They believe life is better when customers are free to "let go and have fun" in an amazing experience filled with unlimited possibilities. Walking into one of these stores does scream “fun”, but it would seem that their target customer is the younger crowds. That doesn’t mean that adults won’t find items that they have to have too. It’s a place you’ll want to take time to explore.
Dollar General
It’s no secret Dollar General has a reputation for chaos inside their stores. They tend to be known for boxes stacked in the aisles and the shelves being in disarray and cluttered. There have been lawsuits over the conditions of the stores. Under the realm of a new CEO, Dollar General has vowed to tackle the problem and make a genuine effort to improve the condition of the stores as well as provide a better shopping experience for shoppers. Some of the newer stores seem to fare a little better, but staffing issues and a large product selection seem to find most stores struggling to make it a fun shopping destination.
Final thoughts: pOpshelf and Five Below seem to deliver more of a fun shopping experience. Shoppers love the atmosphere and the way the stores look and feel. Dollar General ranks much lower thanks to clutter and chaos. While it may not be the case with all of their stores, they acknowledge the problems and they are hoping to improve that in the future.
2. Their Products & Pricing
When you head out shopping, you’re looking for the items you want or need and a price that makes it feel like a good deal. The further you can stretch your dollar in this economy, the better! You want products that bring you joy too. A little bit of a treat or splurge if you will – without breaking the bank.
Here’s how they compare:
pOpshelf
At pOpshelf, you’ll find seasonal, houseware, home décor, health and beauty, party supplies, craft items, cleaning supplies, snacks, toys, candy, electronics, games, and much, much more. Most pOpshelf items are priced at $1, $2, $3, or $5, but they do sell some things for as much as $10. It’s affordable so that you can treat yourself – or grab a surprise for someone else. The selection is huge and with great prices, you’re sure to be taking something home. Products are rotating often -- you’re certain to find something new with each visit. Some of the items are so popular that they sell out fast, so you will want to be a regular shopper so as not to miss out on anything.
Five Below
With most items priced between $1 and $5 and some extreme value items priced beyond $5 in their incredible Five Beyond shop, Five Below makes it easy to say “yes” to the newest, coolest stuff across eight awesome Five Below worlds -- Style, Room, Sports, Tech, Create, Party, Candy, and New & Now. The partnerships with the brands are a highlight when shopping. Five Below features some of the best-known brands around – Hello Kitty, Disney, Marvel, Squishmallows, Funko, and more. And with names like those, kids love this place!
Inventory is fresh and they keep it moving. You’ll find lots of seasonal items in addition to the popular brands. You’ll want to check out their clearance section for even more steals and deals.
Dollar General
Dollar General focuses on a lot of practical necessities, including food, beverages, personal care products, and household products. With lots of stores, Dollar General has quite a buying power, and that helps them to keep their prices down. In most cases, their prices are just a few cents off of Walmart’s prices which tends to be considered the “benchmark” for low prices. Dollar General also offers their private label brands if you want to avoid the pricier name brands.
A benefit that sets them apart is that they have weekly sales and they have an app that offers digital manufacturer’s coupons AND store coupons for even more savings. Loyal shoppers will tell you that there is a trick to shopping at Dollar General -- the best day to shop is on Saturday as they nearly always offer a $5 off $25 purchase coupon on the app valid that day only.
Final thoughts: All of the stores have great potential for picking up a good deal as well as a nice selection of products to choose from. Granted, the freebie from pOpshelf Rewards is a pretty good draw. (Who doesn’t like getting something for free!?) It boils down to what you’re shopping for -- that in and of itself will determine which is the best store for you to shop.
3. Where the Stores Are Located
Location matters! You’re not going to want to spend a lot on gas just to save a few dollars picking up items for yourself or your home. It completely defeats the purpose if you’ve got to go out of your way.
Here’s how they measure up:
pOpshelf
pOpshelf only came to be in late 2020 and in less than 3 years has expanded to 224 stores as of January 3, 2024. Its first store opened in Nashville, Tennessee and this exciting and differentiated concept turned out to be a big hit with business analysts and shoppers alike. pOpshelf stores can now be found in Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Illinois, Virginia, and Kentucky. Don’t lose hope if you don’t have one near you as they are continuing to expand. According to Dollar General, their goal is to have 1,000 pOpshelf locations by the end of 2025. That’s quite an expansion planned for the next two years! Lots of hopeful shoppers have their fingers crossed that the next one will be near them.
Do note that some of these pOpshelf locations operate as DG Market + pOpshelf, which is a store-within-a-store in these Dollar General Market locations.
Five Below
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Five Below today has nearly 1,400 stores in 44 states. These stores are massive, with the average location being approximately 9,000 square feet of shopping fun. They are very much still in the expansion phase, adding more stores each year. If you don’t have one near you, it’s hopeful that you soon will.
Five Below does welcome online shopping and will deliver goods right to your door. It comes at a cost though. They have a $7.95 flat rate shipping fee on all orders. All orders are shipped via standard shipping (FedEx Smart Post/UPS Sure Post). It is a viable option if you don’t have a store near you and are planning on making a large purchase.
Dollar General
Dollar General makes a huge impression for having very convenient locations. Rumor has it, that there is a Dollar General on every corner! That may be a tad of an exaggeration, but they are usually near to shoppers even in the most rural of locations. And they have a LOT of stores! The number of Dollar General Stores quadruples Walmart. To put that into perspective, that’s 19,400 to 4,631. It is surprising to most that there are that many stores, but it also means there is likely one near you.
Final thoughts: With all of that in consideration, Dollar General is likely in your neck of the woods. You possibly have one maybe even two or three quite close to your home or work. Based on location alone, makes Dollar General the most convenient to go shop.
Final Thoughts on Dollar Store Shopping
You really can’t go wrong shopping at any of these dollar stores. pOpshelf and Five Below hands down deliver a fun shopping experience with simple pricing and unique items for you, your home, and gift-giving. Dollar General bodes well when you’re picking up necessities and looking to score savings on those items. Chances are you’re not going to have access to all 3 stores (I’m jealous if you do!), but all of them are still very much growing and expanding. They all take customer experiences seriously and are constantly improving.
Overall, all of them offer nice shopping opportunities with deals to be had.
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