Five Below Squishy Toys: What Sells & How to Source
Quick Answer: Five Below is one of the largest US retailers of squishy toys, selling everything in the store in the one-to-five-dollar band. Their best sellers include food-shaped squishies, animal characters, and stress balls. Wholesale buyers can source the same product types from Chinese manufacturers for a fraction of that shelf price, with MOQ as low as one carton — the current wholesale price for each style sits on its product page.
What Is Five Below & Why Squishy Toys Dominate
Five Below is a US discount retail chain with 1,400+ stores, targeting tweens, teens, and young adults with everything in the store priced at five dollars or less. Squishy toys have become one of their top-performing categories because:
- Impulse buy price point — that one-to-five-dollar band is pure impulse territory
- Trend-driven inventory — Five Below rapidly adopts TikTok viral products
- High foot traffic — Malls and shopping centers drive consistent volume
- Repeat purchases — Collectors return weekly for new designs
Top-Selling Five Below Squishy Toys
Based on in-store analysis and online reviews, Five Below’s best-selling squishy categories include:
1. Food-Shaped Squishies (entry price tier)
Dumplings, buns, fruits, and bread shapes. These consistently rank as top sellers. The cheese squishy has been particularly popular. Our own steamed bun and dumpling range covers this tier.
2. Mini Squishy Packs (middle to top tier)
Multi-packs of 3–6 mini squishies. High perceived value, strong sell-through.
3. Animal Character Squishies (middle to top tier)
Bears, cats, unicorns, and trending characters. Often displayed in end-cap bins.
4. Stress Balls (entry price tier)
Classic squeeze balls in various colors and textures. Consistent volume sellers.
5. Squishy Babies (middle to top tier)
Small baby-shaped squishies. Popular with younger demographics.
6. Cheese & Food Novelty (entry price tier)
Specific food items like cheese wedges, bread loaves, and fruit slices that have gone viral on social media.
Five Below’s Pricing Strategy (And How to Beat It)
Five Below buys in massive volume (100,000+ units per SKU) to hold those one-to-five-dollar shelf prices. Here is what sets the price at each tier:
| Product type | Where it sits on a value-store shelf | What drives the wholesale cost |
|---|---|---|
| Mini squishy (4–5cm) | entry price tier | size and the number of paint steps |
| Standard squishy (7–8cm) | middle tier | face printing and detail work |
| Large squishy (10–12cm) | top tier | material volume and weight |
| Squishy multi-pack | top tier | how many pieces go into the pack |
The key insight: you don’t need Five Below’s volume to achieve good margins. At our MOQ of one carton, your per-unit cost is still competitive enough for healthy retail margins — the current wholesale price for each style is on its product page, and our MOQ guide explains how one-carton ordering works.
How to Start a Five-Below-Style Retail Section
You can recreate the Five Below squishy experience in your own store:
- Set a five-dollar maximum price point — Impulse buy psychology works
- Start with 5–8 SKUs — Mix of food shapes, animals, and stress balls
- Use bin displays — Dump bins create treasure-hunt energy
- Rotate inventory monthly — New designs drive repeat visits
- Pair with social media — “New squishies just dropped” posts
For display strategies, read our Retail Display Ideas guide.
Other Dollar/Value Store Channels
Five Below isn’t the only value retailer selling squishy toys. Similar channels include:
- Dollar Tree — a fixed single low price point, high volume
- Five Below competitors — Daiso, Miniso and similar value chains
- Party supply stores — Squishies as party favors
- Gas stations & convenience stores — Impulse counter displays
Ordering from China vs Five Below’s Supply Chain
Five Below sources directly from Chinese factories at massive volume. You can access the same supply chain through King Squishy:
- MOQ one carton per style — vs Five Below’s 100,000+ minimums
- Low MOQ — Start with one carton per design without committing to bulk
- DDP shipping — Duties prepaid, no surprises at customs
- CPC + EN71 certified — Same safety standards as major retailers
- OEM options — Create your own branded squishy line
For pricing details, see our 2026 Wholesale Price List. For the factory side end to end, read our sourcing squishy toys from China guide.
FAQ
Where does Five Below get their squishy toys?
Five Below sources from Chinese manufacturers, primarily in Yiwu and Guangdong. They buy in massive volume (100,000+ units per SKU) to hold those one-to-five-dollar shelf prices.
Can I buy Five Below squishy toys wholesale?
Five Below doesn’t sell wholesale, but you can source similar products directly from Chinese manufacturers. King Squishy offers the same types of squishy toys at wholesale prices with MOQ as low as one carton.
How much do Five Below squishy toys cost?
Five Below squishy toys retail in the one-to-five-dollar band. Wholesale cost from Chinese manufacturers is a fraction of that and depends on size, paint steps and complexity — the current price for each style is on its product page.
What Five Below squishy toys sell best?
Food-shaped squishies (especially cheese and dumplings), mini squishy packs, and animal character squishies are consistently the top sellers at Five Below.
Source Five-Below-Quality Squishy Toys
Same product categories, lower MOQ — one carton minimum, DDP to your door.
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