Plant City shoppers will have two new destinations to check out this summer, and they won’t even have to get back in the car to go from one store to the next.
Five Below and rue21 will be opening right next to each other in Lake Walden Square at Alexander Street and James L. Redman Parkway, the same plaza that has enjoyed bigger stores coming to it recently, such as PetSmart and Marshalls.
Teens can stock up on the latest fashions at rue21. The store offers clothes for juniors of both genders, and a variety of sizes, including plus sizes.
Kelly Sulkosky, a marketing representative for rue21, said the location was ideal because it is right across the street from Plant City High School.
Local managers also will have the option of allowing the store to participate in local events that target teens and college students.
The grand opening for rue21 will be May 7. The first 50 customers will receive a drawstring bag with a coupon inside, and five randomly selected bags will also contain a gift card.
Plant City’s rue21 will cover 5,600 square feet and employ 30 employees. Fantastic Sam’s was previously located in the new rue21 storefront, but it has moved to a different suite in the same plaza.
At Five Below, every item costs $5 or less. The store sells a variety of products such as sports equipment, toys, party supplies, home accessories and snacks.
Five Below’s grand opening will span June 12 to June 14. There will be free t-shirts for every purchase and free tote bags for some of the first customers to check out on Friday. Customers can participate in trivia contests and other games, and Friday and Saturday afternoons they can munch on free hot dogs.
“Anyone with teens or tweens or families can come out and expect to have a really good time,” Dana Zuppo, a spokeswoman for Five Below, said. “I love Five Below grand openings.”
The Plant City location will cover 7,791 square feet of selling space and employ about 35 people.
Five Below is new to Florida. Other stores also will be opening soon around the state, including in Kissimmee, Orlando, Sarasota and Melbourne.
“We’ve heard from our customers that they’ve been waiting for us in Florida, so we’re excited to finally be able to say that we’re coming,” Zuppo said. “We put ourselves in places where we know we’re going to succeed.”
Grand Openings
rue21: 10 a.m. Thursday, May 7
Five Below: 10 a.m. Friday, June 12. Promotions will continue throughout the weekend.
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.
