Dollar Tree vs Five Below: Founders, CEOs and History
Dollar Tree was founded in 1986 by Macon Brock, J. Douglas Perry, Ray Compton and is led by Michael C. Creedon Jr.. Five Below was founded in 2002 by David Schlessinger, Tom Vellios and is led by Winnie Y. Park.
Company facts
Dollar Tree
- Founded
- 1986
- Headquarters
- Chesapeake, Virginia
- Current CEO
- Michael C. Creedon Jr.
- Employees
- 153,032
Five Below
- Founded
- 2002
- Headquarters
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Current CEO
- Winnie Y. Park
- Employees
- 24,600
Founders
Dollar Tree
Macon Brock
Macon Brock co-founded Dollar Tree in 1986 with Doug Perry and Ray Compton after years running K&K Toys.
J. Douglas Perry
J. Douglas (Doug) Perry co-founded Only $1.00 in 1986 alongside Macon Brock and Ray Compton and served as Dollar Tree's chairman for much of its early public-company history.
Ray Compton
H. Ray Compton co-founded Dollar Tree in 1986 and served as a senior executive, including chief financial officer, during the chain's early expansion and its 1995 initial public offering. He later served on the company's board of directors for many years.
Five Below
David Schlessinger
David Schlessinger co-founded Five Below in 2002 with Tom Vellios. He had earlier founded Encore Books and Zany Brainy. With Vellios he identified an underserved tween and teen customer and built a store where nearly everything cost $5 or less.
Tom Vellios
Tom Vellios co-founded Five Below in 2002 and led the company as CEO in its early growth years, including the 2012 Nasdaq IPO.
CEOs and their tenures
Dollar Tree
- Bob Sasser2004–2017
Former Chief Executive Officer
Scaled Dollar Tree into a national chain with thousands of stores.
Source - Michael Witynski2020–2022
Former Chief Executive Officer
The price change restored merchandise margins and enabled the later multi-price assortment.
Source - Rick Dreiling2022–2024
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Set up the separation that his successor completed; stepped down in November 2024 for health reasons.
Source - Michael C. Creedon Jr.2024–present
Chief Executive Officer
Under his leadership Dollar Tree grew FY2025 net sales 10% and posted 3.5% and 3.7% comparable sales gains in Q1 and Q2 fiscal 2026.
Source
Five Below
- Joel Anderson2015–2024
President and Chief Executive Officer
Sales grew from about $1.0 billion in fiscal 2016 to $3.56 billion in fiscal 2023 during his tenure. He left in July 2024 and later became CEO of Petco.
Source - Winnie Y. Park2024–present
Chief Executive Officer
Under Park, comparable sales rose 12.8% in fiscal 2025 and 18.3% in the first half of fiscal 2026, and the store base passed 2,000.
Source - Kenneth Bull2024–present
Chief Operating Officer
Provided continuity through the 2024 leadership transition.
Source - Daniel Sullivan2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
Oversees finance during the fiscal 2026 guidance raise and new $600 million buyback authorization.
Source
Timeline: Dollar Tree and Five Below side by side
1986Dollar Tree
Only $1.00 Opens
Macon Brock, Doug Perry and Ray Compton open the single-price Only $1.00 concept alongside their K&K Toys stores in Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia.
1993Dollar Tree
Renamed Dollar Tree
Two years after selling K&K Toys, the founders rename the dollar chain Dollar Tree to support a national rollout.
1995Dollar Tree
NASDAQ IPO
Dollar Tree lists on NASDAQ under the ticker DLTR, funding store expansion and distribution centers.
2002Five Below
Five Below Founded
David Schlessinger and Tom Vellios found the company and open the first store in the greater Philadelphia area.
2010Dollar Tree
Entry into Canada
Dollar Tree acquires Canadian chain Dollar Giant, forming the basis of the Dollar Tree Canada banner.
2012Five Below
Initial Public Offering
Five Below completes its IPO and begins trading on Nasdaq under the ticker FIVE.
2015Dollar Tree
Family Dollar Acquisition
Dollar Tree completes its roughly $8.5 billion acquisition of Family Dollar after outbidding Dollar General.
2015Five Below
Joel Anderson Becomes CEO
Joel Anderson, who joined as president in 2014, became CEO and led a long period of national expansion until July 2024.
2016Five Below
E-Commerce Launch
Five Below launches e-commerce, adding digital reach to the store-led model.
2021Dollar Tree
Base Price Rises to $1.25
Dollar Tree moves its core price point from $1.00 to $1.25 to offset freight, wage and product-cost inflation.
2024Dollar Tree
Mike Creedon Named CEO
Mike Creedon becomes interim CEO in November 2024 after Rick Dreiling steps down for health reasons and is named permanent CEO in December 2024.
2024Five Below
Winnie Park Becomes CEO
Joel Anderson departs in July 2024; COO Kenneth Bull serves as interim CEO until Winnie Y. Park becomes CEO on December 16, 2024.
2025Dollar Tree
Family Dollar Sale Completed
Dollar Tree sells Family Dollar to Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management for a base purchase price of about $1.0 billion.
2026Dollar Tree
FY2025 Net Sales Reach $19.4 Billion
Dollar Tree reports fiscal 2025 net sales of $19.41 billion, up 10%, with comparable sales up 5.3% and 9,282 stores at year-end.
2026Dollar Tree
Tariff Refunds Lift Q2 Earnings
Q2 fiscal 2026 net sales rise 7.0% to $4.9 billion; diluted EPS of $2.70 includes a $1.31 benefit from IEEPA tariff refunds, and the store count reaches 9,436.
2026Five Below
2,000+ Stores
Five Below reports $4.764B in fiscal 2025 net sales and reaches 2,022 stores in 46 states by August 1, 2026.
Acquisitions
Dollar Tree
- Dollar Express2017Undisclosed
- Family Dollar2015$8.5B
- Dollar Giant2010Undisclosed
- Greenbacks2003Undisclosed
Five Below
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about Dollar Tree vs Five Below
Who is the CEO of Dollar Tree, Inc. and Five Below, Inc.?
Dollar Tree, Inc. is led by Michael C. Creedon Jr. and Five Below, Inc. is led by Winnie Y. Park. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Dollar Tree, Inc. founded vs Five Below, Inc.?
Dollar Tree, Inc. was founded in 1986 — 16 years before Five Below, Inc., which was founded in 2002. Dollar Tree, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Five Below, Inc..
How many employees does Dollar Tree, Inc. have compared to Five Below, Inc.?
Dollar Tree, Inc. employs approximately 153,032 people, while Five Below, Inc. employs approximately 24,600. Dollar Tree, Inc. has the larger workforce at 153,032 employees, compared to Five Below, Inc.'s 24,600. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Dollar Tree, Inc. and Five Below, Inc. headquartered?
Both Dollar Tree, Inc. and Five Below, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Dollar Tree, Inc. and Five Below, Inc.?
Dollar Tree, Inc. was founded by Macon Brock, J. Douglas Perry, Ray Compton. Five Below, Inc. was founded by David Schlessinger, Tom Vellios.
Which company has a longer operating history — Dollar Tree, Inc. or Five Below, Inc.?
Dollar Tree, Inc. has been operating for approximately 40 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Five Below, Inc. has been in operation for around 24 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Dollar Tree vs Five Below overview