The Cheap Store Customers Call A Candy Paradise

Four out of five dentists may disagree, but candy really is dandy, and it's one of the few affordable indulgences we have left these days. One favorite pastime for candy fans is seeking out new and unusual varieties, or almost forgotten ones, like the old-school candies sold at Cracker Barrel. For a selection that combines vintage candies with trendier ones, though, Five Below is the place to go. One Redditor posted a thread entitled "Five Below is A Paradise for Candy," and commenters chimed in to concur.

One person described Five Below as "[the] Most dangerous / beautiful place for candy addicts like us, while another agreed, "Can confirm, it's the best." Yet another satisfied shopper wrote, "Our Five Below candy section is humongous. There are like 7 to 8 separate aisles of candy alongside that huge center piece of candy. They have everything you could think of minus certain things they don't really make anymore."

However, a few people also seem to have suffered from the same initial misapprehension of the store that I held — at least, until fairly recently. I thought it was just a place for tween tchotchkes, and I didn't really have much interest in Lilo & Stitch flip flops. Once I discovered the candy aisle, it was a whole different story, and some Redditors seem to feel the same way. As one person responded to news of the surprisingly great candy selection: "Thanks. I always wondered why I would go there." Another wrote, "They have candy, snacks, and tech sundries too? Hmmm. I'm now planning a visit. "

Not long ago, The Takeout published a list of candies from Five Below that are worth trying once, or more than once. (I wrote that article, and it prompted several visits to restock Vidal raspberry gummies and Bubs sour skulls.) We also reviewed a musical lollipop purchased at Five Below and gave it a thumbs-up, and other Five Below fans have also been vocal about their candy picks. One Redditor reported, "The Haribo Belts are a recent addition to my rotation. One of the better candies out there rn," while another noted, "I go there to buy unusual candy for my nephew at Christmas. He loved the pickle gummies I found last year ... lol." Other Five Below finds shouted out on social media include Haribo and Trolli gummies, freeze-dried candies, Hi-Chews, Pocky, Chocorooms. Fun Dip, Laffy Taffy, Swedish Fish, Mallo Cups, and Goldenberg's Peanut Chews.

Five Below even has candy that's exclusive to the store, like the Dum Dum's Flavor Vault bag, which includes eight different flavors: Blueberry Donut, Caramel Frappé, Cherry Lime Soda, Chocolate Orange, Fried Banana, Pickle, Spicy Pineapple, and Mystery. When the drop was announced in 2025, one Instagram user opined, "Those flavors sound delicious," while another reported, "I RAN to Five Below and got 2 bags they're so good." Lucky them. Even though I drove to my Five Below (which is much faster than running), the Flavor Vault pops were sold out, and my repeated attempts to have them shipped to store have also failed. I finally found individual ones selling for 15 cents, though, and the blueberry, chocolate, and pineapple ones are definitely worth a repeat trip.