Five Below, a discount store founded in Pennsylvania in 2002, is known for — as the name suggests — selling most of its products for $5 and below. There are some exceptions, including the Five Beyond shop, which is mainly stocked with items that are less than $20.
Its cheap products align with the dupe culture that's popular among Gen Z. Dupes — short for the word "duplicates" — look like high-end products but have much lower price tags.
As Business Insider's Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins put it, Gen Z "prefers knockoffs more than other generations" and is obsessed with getting things at a bargain.
During my first visit to Five Below in December, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. On a second visit, I wanted to see which cheaper versions — or dupes — of expensive items I could find. I was hopeful I would find some worthy items but I didn't know what to expect realistically.
Here are the dupes I found at Five Below.