I'm not sure why the bad reviews. Yes it's a small store and the selection is not as wide as in bigger stores like REI or specialty stores but they still have a great selection in any department for any kind of sport and hobby and they always offer very very good prices. The costumer service in this specific Big 5 is exceptional. Everybody are out if their way to be helpful and pleasant. I bought many of my kids gear and outdoor games here. I was always able to find what I need from four square rubber balls and table tannins gear through fishing gear, skateboards and sport shoes. Every time one of the kids is into something new for the season I'm looking here first. read more

I figured after visiting the grandma's closet claustrophobic clutterfest that is Big 5 in Menlo, this one would certainly be better. It is definitely more spacious, but I don't think they have any more stock than the other store. And, things are in the same state of disarray with the same lackadaisical, helpless staff. I went with a long list of stuff to look at, transcending several sports: volleyball kneepads, soccer socks, skating gear, and general workout clothes. When they actually had something in stock, nothing fulfilled my needs: the size/style/color I needed was always missing. "Oh, yeah, sure, we have helmets, here." Yes, thanks, a single impact kid's size helmet is just what I was looking for. "No, I don't think we carry soccer socks." Yes, you do, but only in 2 colors for adults, and the one blue pair looks like it was worn in the World Cup and returned to the shelf. Seriously, I've seen a better selection in the sporting goods section of a K-Mart. The only reason this store manages two stars is because they do have a solid base of hunting and fishing supplies, which are notably missing in a lot of sporting goods stores in this area. read more

Big 5 is terrible, I dont even know how they stay in business. I keep going back for sports related halloween costumes: I guess that says a lot about them- if you need something really cheap that will help you merely look like you could participate in a sport then this is for you. This includes 1 off company softball games, so there is a bit of utility here. Fat Tony: "We need more ammo, let's go to Big 5." read more

This store is poorly run. Staff is always new and has no clue what's going on. Selection is limited. Disorganized shelves, etc. Asked the manager if Big 5 had plans to stop selling guns. He said, "no way. We make too much money off of them." While I appreciate the honesty, it makes no sense that a store that sells children's recreational equipment continue to sell items that are a significant public health hazard. Won't ever shop here again. read more

My husband and kids camp all of the time. Since it had been several years since I had gone on a camping trip, I decided to tag along. I purchased a new sleeping bag, first aid kit, batteries, head lamp, and a new queen size air mattress at Big 5 in Sunnyvale. Upon arriving at our camping destination, I carefully unfolded the air mattress inside my tent and was horrified to discover that it was completely covered in mold and the mattress stank like a moldy swamp. The mattress had been used and returned because there were strange red beads and sunflower seeds rolled up inside the air mattress. It was not habitable to sleep on with the enormous masses of mold everywhere. Fortunately, I was able to purchase a double size air mattress at the National park store. Otherwise, I would have had to drive home that same afternoon. The camping trip was cut short because of foul weather, and as I was returning to Sunnyvale, I decided to return the horrible air mattress on our way home. The assistant store manager was very rude and insinuated that I had ruined the mattress. He said, "We never return used mattresses to the floor," to which I protested that I had actually received a used mattress from them. I explained that I was fortunate to have been able to purchase a new air mattress at the National park store. He then proceeded to tell me that the store policy is such that their customers can only "exchange" one air mattress for another air mattress, totally ignoring the fact that I had to purchase a new air mattress at the expensive National park store price. He didn't seem to care that I had to remedy the mattress situation the day I opened the foul mattress. I told him I no longer needed an air mattress. Big 5 Sporting Goods needs to step up to the plate as follows: 1. ANY mattress or personal item that is being returned, even when the customer says it has not been used, MUST be personally inspected to ensure that it is truly unused and in saleable condition. This is the store's responsibility to QC what is returned to the shelf for re-sale. 2. Management needs to be re-trained to: A. Act professionally and courteous, with apologies, when a customer has a bona fide complaint as to the quality and/or condition of the merchandise they have been sold; and B. Ensure that management knows and understands that corporate policy must be applied according to the situation, and if the situation warrants a modification such as stated above, a complete refund, rather than an exchange, is appropriate. There is another sporting goods store two minutes from Big 5 Sporting Goods (aka Sports Authority) and after this situation, I am never spending another dime at Big 5. read more

Ah how the mighty have fallen. Big 5 used to be the place to go like a decade ago, now it's a random mix of sporting goods and the racks of clothing are random and ugly like it can barely stay competitive with Goodwill. They totally serve the niche sporting community now, because I don't see too many places that sell fishing rods, shuttlecocks, horseshoes, or rubber bullets. This place sells the most butt ugly athletic shoes and clothing I've ever seen. And who on God's green earth would wear and orange and purple Yankees cap? read more

This place sucks ass.. I hate this place, and their employees. They are disgruntled employees that wont give you the time of day. They have absolutely no knowledge of their products and are too busy flirting with each other to answer any questions that you might have. Do youself a favor and go to sports basement. read more

I had a bad experience today at Big 5. I bought a boxing punching bag yesterday and wanted to do a price adjustment. The manager, Joshua says he can't do it. He says I need to bring the item back. Think about it, it's over 70+ pounds and it's not logical to bring it back to do an exchange. I feel he was just giving me a hard time. Well, I purchased another punching bag and was able to apply my coupon. Return the bag at the spot. A manager should be able to think logically because we wasted 22 mins to complete this transaction. One employee has to bring the bag out and takes it right into the stock room. Sorry, but this does not make sense to me! read more

The service... which service??? Couldn't find any salesperson who was willing to help the customer. All I got was a dirty look from a sales person when I tried on some shoes... Dang~ I am just buying some freaking cheap shoes because I want to go hiking and don't have the time to go to the mall... I added a star because they had a sale and I got my shoes for only 30$. Can't beat that price... read more

They have some pretty good deals here, esp. with sales and coupons, but other than that, it's not my favorite place to shop. It's small, the selection is limited, the indoor air quality sucks, it is ugly, and the service treats everyone like a thief (which surprises me since it's not in a bad neighborhood). They don't let you carry any bags into the store and they require a driver's license for returns WITH receipt if you paid with cash! (Otherwise they get your legal name off of your credit card. Yeah, I asked.) Checking out always takes forever. I would say they are understaffed, but there are plenty of employees for such a small store, and yet, customers are always waiting for someone. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that there is always at least one guy sitting outside smoking a cigarette... HEY CORPORATE! THIS STORE NEEDS NEW MANAGEMENT! I will avoid shopping here if possible. read more

Horrible customer service the manager looked like he was on drugs walked around the store for a hour and no one once offered to help me ended up making my purchase and even the checkout was ridiculous I had to ask for a bag wasn't even offered at time of checkout so had to pay a dime for it which is what ever but she should have asked me if I wanted a bag....stupid store with stupid employees read more

Bought an air mattress.took it home and opened box. Pumped it up and tried it out. Was not good on my back. Took it back to store.they said I could only get store credit for another mattress. Seriously. They are all the same mattress. Terrible customer service at the front. Very very rude. read more

Didn't realize there was still a huge big 5 around. This store reminds me of the stores I use to go into as a kid. They have it all and plenty of room to display it. Everyone in the store was super helpful. Next trip to Big-5 will definitely be here. read more

I really like this place they have good sales if you follow the adds in the paper depending on what your looking for I go mostly for the work boots or cold weather gear an some fishing gear an I find they have a good selection of items that you don't haveta go all over town to buy it's a small store but they have nice stuff compared to places I been to that sell out on some items so if your in the area check them out read more

We came to buy girls swimming suit. The store decided to close all fitting rooms. Other nearby clothing stores have fitting rooms open. I asked them how do they expect us to buy a girl swimming suit without trying it out, let alone that there's no health guidelines to close fitting rooms. The store manager started to argue with me. She told me it's their policy and it's for my health. I told them that it's not required by health authorities, it's an arbitrary decision that they made which makes the buying experience very uncomfortable. I had to buy 5 swimming suits for $250, go home, try them all on, and then go back to the store to return those we didn't want. read more

If I could give zero stars I would bad service rude employees small selection of shoes and everything else compared to the other big 5s I don't recommend service sucks I will not return neither will my family read more

Overpriced sporting goods!!! I spent over $50 on little league pants, socks & belts for two kids. I had to hunt someone down to find things because their store has really small signs. They could organize their store better or put bigger signs of categories. Also, the guy who worked the cashier stand wasn't very friendly and seemed distracted. There isn't too many sporting goods stores now a days so I am limited. They also seem to have a lot more team apparel than anything else so Warrior fans, plenty of gear here! read more

They're either not selling very well or are very good at keeping things in stock. The store looks well-managed and I can always find what I need. Staff has been very friendly that last few times I was in. read more

Since they closed the sports authority in Sunnyvale we have to shop at this store now and it is very disappointing . Customer service is awful, as if the people working their do not want to be there or be bothered. In our recent visit to this store we were not approached by any of the staff and when I finally asked for help the staff member answered very rudely and walked away . This store is disappointing overall minimal sports items, no variety what so ever and horrible customer service. read more

Went looking for a pedometer the other day. Didn't have what I was looking for as they only carry sportline pedometers. Big 5 always has a ton of sneekers/tennis shoes on sale. You can find some pretty good deals. read more

I was at the store today to buy a rifle and waited for the store manager Mike for more than 30 min while the other employees kept calling him and he kept telling them he is busy. He didn't have the courtesy to come out and let me know. I am very disappointed with the way the store declined in customer service.. I will be going to Dick's Sporting goods across the street from now. read more

My partner and I came inside with $800 in cash ready to buy a kayak and other equipment and I needed to use the restroom facilities so I asked, "excuse me sir where are the restroom facilities?" He says "no public bathroom" in a very rude tone. So my partner says, "she's about to spend good deal of money here the least you can do is let her use the restroom". Their selection was also quite terrible and most kayaks lacked price tags and the employees couldn't be bothered to help. These guys lost a customer! read more

I was looking for exercise equipment, including weights and a bench. What i found were obviously unsafe benches, individual weights coated with something noxious (the smell was horrible), poorly cast free weights and bars. The staff were ok, but that cannot make up for the poor quality products. Go elsewhere first and only purchase here if you really cannot find what you want at some other store or on the web. read more

I brought a table tennis table from big 5 I was very satisfyed with the price and quality I got it home and put it together by myself easy I notice a long scratch on the table I call the store i brought it from and they accommodated easly I thought i was going to have problems returning or exchanging my table None of that i'm very happy read more

I went to this Big 5 on 9/20/18 to get a Firearm Safety Certificate because I was considering buying a firearm. I went to this Sunnyvale location because I was close by and had a little time between making service calls. I'm an Environmental Inspector. I went in and headed directly to the firearm section. The Big 5 manager was finishing up a rifle purchase and so I waited patiently. The Manager, Mike seemed not to be friendly and didn't smile at the client he was servicing. As soon as he finished tending his customer, I asked him if I could take the FSC test to obtain the cert. He replied "You can take the test here only if you're gonna buy a gun". Wow....He didn't make a friend with me. I guess he didn't read Dale Carnegie's book on How to Win Friends and Influence People. He was obligating me to buy a gun even though I was just preparing myself to be properly trained and to take my time in purchasing the right gun for me. He told me to go to another gun store down the street, he mentioned the name, but I can't recall it. I was upset. All this seemed to be unusual, so I decided to call the corporate office. I made a call and explained what had occurred. The corporate representative told me that their policy does not obligate the customer to buy a gun when taking the test. They said they were going to call the 721 Saratoga Sunnyvale store to discuss their policy. A few minutes later, Julio, a corporate representative, called me back and asked me if I could come back to the stores in two hours later, because the Nanager, Mike was working on a firearm sale. Wow.... he wasn't working on a sale when I was there, and based on his unwillingness to provide the test for the cert, I really doubt he was working on a sale only minutes after I left. I guess the Manager got his way at the end, at the EXPENSE of Big 5 Corporation, and here's why. Because how many people has this happened to? 5, 10, 50, 100, 500? Most people will not say anything; however, I like to make a difference, especially because I like Big 5. (Julio was a prime example of the good side of Big 5). It's too bad that some people are just unwilling to provide great customer service these days. It's unfortunate....ONE bad apple can spoil the whole barrel. Thanks Julio for trying to help out, but please address this to higher management. I am sure they would want the feedback, and I am sure that the government agency that regulates/enforces the FSC test prohibits any such practice of choosing to whom they allow to take the test. This is done for SAFETY purposes and is mandated by the United States. Thank you for hearing me out. read more

Why isn't there an option for negative stars on Yelp...? Worst...customer service...ever. Me and my lady stood at the ammunition counter for a good number of minutes while the staff had some sort of conversation orgy at the checkout stand instead of helping us. When we FINALLY got help, we were graced with an employee who spoke like he was out of a Wayne's World movie. "Duuuuuuuuude!" "Broooooooo!" If I didn't have any sense, I'd have probably reached across the counter and do like how Rick James did Charlie Murphy in the Chappelle Show. The female workers there are all too openly flirtatious wih the male workers which had me thinking I was an extra in some sort of cheap porn flick. We returned the ammo we bought for 2 reasons: 1. We found more, better ammo cheaper someplace else and 2. We hated the service at Big 5 so much that we just had to take it back! When we took back the ammo, a lot of the same nonsense happened again. This place need new management and a completely new staff. It's no wonder people prefer Sports Authority. This place sucks, the staff has a combined IQ of street graffiti, and parking sucks. Good thing about this Big 5? It's next door to Trader Joes. read more

I went to shop for running shoes and bought a pair in my second visit. I found the staff in the shoe department very friendly, customer oriented and willing to help. The price was good and they had enough sizes in stock. read more

Experienced very poor customer service today. Inventory and pricing did not match advertised sales and cashier did not attempt to solve any questions until we proved by SKU number that the items were matching the advertised price. Overall, very frustrating service. read more

Indifferent employees, no help at all from the manager, to the point of him being rude. Going to REI!

Thank you Melissa for all your help today to help me to check out the soccer shoes for my daughter. Your help is greatly appreciated.

I must agree. I was not offered any help while walking aimlessly around the store (stores not very big, I think the cashier could see i needed help) until I finally asked them where the knee brace was. Somebody showed me to the braces but quickly took off. Oh well. I think you expect this coming to Big5. read more

Melissa, the cashier, was super friendly and helpful. Great experience great stuff for good price.

Nice staff, bought a very heavy item and they put it in the SUV for me. The store has a lot of items but things are hard to find as it is crammed into a small area. Typically will have one or two of any one thing, but don't expect to choose between all the brands. Weekly sale prices are very competitive, everyday prices, not so much. read more

Rude staff but cheap prices. Bottom of the line - their personnel is the same as their merchandise, really crappy. Came to exchange a pair of pants and got attitude from manager and check out. Pants sucked too. Spend 20 extra dollars and go to sports basement. read more

Needed to get a tent for an upcoming camping trip. Did some research online and found a tent that I liked on Big 5's website. Called the store to see if they had it in stock and they did. Sean grabbed it and kept it by the front desk. A half hour later, I showed up and bought the tent. Didn't even have to walk past the cashier's desk. Sean was super friendly and helpful. read more

The place is fantastic for sporting goods. The employees are awesome and helpful. I got a pair of badminton and I damaged it due to my own mistake. They were very helpful to understand and they swapped the damaged one with a new one. Thanks a ton!! I definitely recommend this place. read more

They have very good prices on golf stuff and they frequently offer some good coupons. The store is rather a dump but I have liked the people who work there. read more

I am very pleased with the customer service I received while looking for new walking shoes. I recently sold my car and now walk just about everywhere. I went through three shoe returns to find the shoes that were perfect for me. I chose two different styles of Asics and they are so comfortable! But I really want to give shout outs to Mike, Tim, Sandra, Omar and Gino for all of their professional assistance and patience with my questions and shoe returns. I definitely would refer friends to this store and for a very good reason: A happy customer! :-) read more

This store really needs to improve the customer service, especially the manager, he gave a very bad attitude to me today, because I asked him to help me to find an exchange for the not working helicopter I bought in this store on Thanksgiving day. I don't feel he try to help customers at all, and he doesn't care either. I will never step into this store. read more

I really hate going to this location. I don't know whether it's because I'm a woman or because I don't look like the sporty type, but I never seem to get much assistance from the staff each time I go. The last time, I needed a pair of shoelaces for my son's cleats because the ones which came with the cleats kept coming undone whenever he was on the field. So I am asking the guy which ones are best and he told me he uses this one type. He starts helping me find the right kind in the right color in the right size, but then halfway through, disappears and never comes back again. I was thoroughly disappointed and eventually, bought a pair which was the wrong color as there were no matching colors out on the rack. Not sure if the service is as bad at other locations, but this one is closest to me. It's just very very annoying when you're shopping with a child in tow who refuses to stand close to you while you're trying to get the job done. A little help would really be appreciated. read more