Creating a $5 Fitness Line
“When Five Below needed a vendor partner to lead its growth driven strategy within the sports/ fitness categories, we were fortunate to join with Mitch Carlin to lead this challenge.” – Alan Sausner, VP/Merchandise Manager Five Below
The Opportunity //
Five Below is a specialty discount chain that sells various products costing no more than (you guessed it) $5! In (date here), the popular retailer approached us with a desire to introduce a line of fitness equipment into the store.
But, how do you make a fitness product for $5? Seems impossible, right? Not for Mitch.
Mitch viewed this request as both a challenge and opportunity to create something entirely new for Five Below and the fitness industry.
The Approach //
Mitch began by examining popular home and outdoor fitness products. From there, he filtered products with the highest potential to be redesigned at a lower cost. In just a few months, Mitch was able to identify 30-40 fitness items (mats, yoga balls, stretch cords, wrist weights, etc.) that could be remade and packaged at a cost of $2-$3.00 instead of $10 dollars or more.
The Results //
Mitch helped place Five Below firmly in the home fitness category with indoor and outdoor products with his ability to imagine a $5 fitness line. Five Below’s fitness products were sold in 1,000 store locations, and was a bestseller for many years (second only to candy)! The Five Below fitness line continues to generate millions of dollars in business annually with limited returns or complaints of defects.
Five Below’s VP | Merchandise Manager, Alan Sausner, says Mitch’s overwhelming experience, communication skills and winning attitude helped develop Five Below’s fitness business to one of the leading sales categories within the entire company.
“Our partnership with Mitch started at store number 32 to just over 1000 stores. Together the strategy was a huge success and served as an example on how to work and excel with our vendor partners.”
