Big 5 Sporting Goods

This place is a total joke. Husband and I went in to buy some tennis shoes and we walked straight to the back (footwear). No one was there to help us so I walked to the front of the store and there’s literally 6 employees dicking around! So I get the guy to grab some shoes from the back and he brings them out and tells us to let us know if we have any questions… and disappears. Unfortunately we gave this place our money because I didn’t want to go anywhere else but the staff at this place are extremely lazy. Won’t be back!

«I always thought that record would stand until it was broken.” – Yogi Berra
This is the brand, spanking new Big 5 (B5) located in the (also) brand-​new Sun Garden Center shopping center in SJ’s Fairgrounds neighborhood. B5 is a SoCal-​based chain of sporting goods stores that has locations in almost all the western states from Texas on. B5 was started in 1955 in El Segundo, and their name actually derives from the chains first five Army-​Navy Surplus stores, and *not* a sports reference as I had always thought. I swung-​by earlier today to see if I could find a pair of hiking boots for my son, and to check out their new digs. Here’s the scoop:
Parking– Plenty of spots inside their private lot that they share with the rest of the center.
Hours: M-​F 10 a.m. — 9 p.m.
Sat 9 a.m. — 9 p.m.
Sun 9:30 a.m. — 7:30 p.m.
Selection– B5 has pretty much everything you could need for almost any sport you can imagine. While it’s not as large of a selection as some of the other larger sporting good stores (which rhymes with Sports Authority) they do manage to fit quite a bit of stuff into such a tiny space; think «organized chaos.»
Interior– As I said, the interior is jam packed with stuff, but since this one is brand-​new it was way more organized than the one I frequent on Blossom Hill Rd. On a totally random side note, they had great music selection – they were rocking «Mr Blue Sky,» by ELO! =D
Value– B5 has always had terrific prices, and you should definitely keep an eye on their weekly sales, and check their website for coupons. You can also sign-​up on their website for weekly email deals, as well. Here’s a link for a 20%-off coupon:
Service– My employee interaction was pretty minimal but everyone seemed very pleasant and eager to help.
This B5 is much needed for this area, as the closest sporting goods store is the B5 on Tully Rd. So far, so good for this B5. Hopefully they can keep the store clean and neat, but I kinda doubt it. All B5s turn into a giant mess over time, but they’re still pretty swell. Batter up!