A F Alber has been building Five Below stores since 2009. Under Anthony Alber's field leadership, the program has grown to more than 500 completed locations across multiple states — making it one of the largest and longest-running retail rollout relationships in the company's 37-year history.
Five Below's rapid national expansion required a construction partner that could keep up — delivering consistent store interiors across new markets, new municipalities, and new landlord conditions without missing deadlines or compromising brand standards.
A F Alber has been that partner since 2009. The program spans new store build-outs from shell and as-is conditions, including demolition, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC coordination, flooring, ceilings, fixture installation, and branded signage. Each location is built to Five Below's prototype standards with field-level adaptations for local conditions.
Rollout construction is fundamentally different from single-project work. It requires systems, discipline, and a team that's done the same build hundreds of times — while still adapting to each location's unique conditions.
Every Five Below location follows a prototype standard. A F Alber builds to that standard while adapting for differences in shell condition, column placement, ceiling height, and utility access.
Grand opening dates are fixed. A F Alber works backward from those dates, managing permits, trade scheduling, and inspections to ensure the store is ready for staff training on time.
Different states, different municipalities, different inspectors. A F Alber navigates permitting requirements across jurisdictions so rollout schedules aren't derailed by local process differences.
A 10,000 SF full "as-is" tenant fit-out completed in 2024. Scope included demolition, new bulkhead erection at the existing storefront, new electrical feeders, and a complete branded retail build-out.
