Five Below Soars on Teen Shopping Craze Post Zany Brainy

Five Below founders David Schlessinger and Thomas Vellios have so far learned to avoid the pitfalls that undid their last business — the bankrupt Zany Brainy toy company. Still, the real test lies ahead. The duo are expanding the chain that sells teens discounted items, from tie-dyed T-shirts to bedazzled iPhone cases, at a breakneck pace, with a 72 percent increase in its store base helping more than double sales in the past two years.