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

I try not to give this place my business. I've been in there three times before writing this review. Each time, the customer service is horrible and the place is messy and crowded. There are items that big 5 has that other stores don't. In that case, I buy it from another store online. read more

Poor customer service. Walked in and passed probably 5 employees including the manager with no greeting or "may I help you find something?" Or even a smile. Even when I was paying for my purchase, all I got was a monotone "$10.85" from the cashier. I will not be returning and will take my business to elsewhere from now on. read more

This place was a dump and filthy went to try and buy shoes stuff was thrown all over nothing where it should be and a big mess. Looked like a decent size store but could not bring myself to walk around it since I need a tetanus shot. read more

Horrible staff and manager. Called over the phone to have staff check for life vests and I was told they don't have "ANY". I went in the store anyways to check for myself and the first thing I saw hanging was life Vests exactly the one I wanted. I told the manager and she did not care at all! I work across the street and I will def make sure none of my friends go here. read more

I called this store looking for dumbells and they told me to wait in line on Fridays when they get shipments in. So I went to this store today (friday) looking for dumbells to rehab an injury. I got to the store at 8:30 am because I know dumbells are very difficult to get. When I got there, 3 employees were standing inside. I knocked on the door so I can ask if they have dumbells. An employee waved me off without even looking at me. So I waited for 1 hour outside waiting for the store to open. About 5 minutes before they open the employee finally asks me what I'm looking for. He tells me they don't have dumbells. So I waited outside for 1 hour for nothing. To the employee with a short haircut in a bun. How difficult would it have been for you to walk 2 feet and come to the door and tell me at 8:30 when I knocked, that you dont have dumbells? You would rather I wait outside for 1 hour. You have no courtesy and decency as a human being. You need lessons on how to treat customers. Especially during a pandemic when you know how hard it is to get items at your store. I will never come back to this store again. The employees here need training on courtesy and customer service. read more

Most of the staff is really nice and helpful. Store is not too clean and not too organized as well, but with pretty low prices, I barely notice the mess. Love the display of fire arms! read more

poor customer service - ranges between indifferent to downright arrogant. poor store display - merchandise in disarray. Compare to sports basement - read more about that here - http://www.yelp.com/biz/sports-basement-sunnyvale#hrid:zfwWFNWib0LZG83vvJahHQ read more

Place has gone down the drain.... It pisses me off when something that used to be so good can go down like this! I'm a old school SV resident and this place had it all! Now it's a mess and service sucks. So much for a classic... read more

Decent quality merchandise at reasonable prices. Attentive and knoweldgeable employees.

The floor staff really know there stuff... I was completely Lost on camping gear but I found somebody that was very knowledgeable and told me the difference between brands and everything very pleased... read more

The store manager is great and very helpful , he was nice and helped me all the way, thank Joshua for all your help last night

Not a bad spot. Good sales on no-name athletic shoes if you need a pair to ruin quickly and don't wanna drop ducketts on a pair of nikes. The *help* isn't much help, but hey it's better than Frys. They keep a pretty regular inventory so you usually know if they'll have something or not. Unfortunately if it's new, asin the last 2-3 years, Big 5 won't have even heard of it yet. read more

This is a good store to find quality sneakers when your teens outgrow them every two months. But search for sales and don't pay full price. Find the 10% off coupon online and print it before you go in. Just type in bigfivesportinggoodscoupons. The weekly coupons only pertain to either cyber purchases or sales of that week. Sometimes they have bins of shoes on sale which is worth checking out. Expect to pay $25-37 on good sneakers. Join their mailing list and keep up with upcoming sales. read more

This sporting store has a good selection of shoes. They always have some kind of a sale, so scrounge the Mercury News on Saturdays. The footwear is always durable and lasts over a year - I've bought three pairs from this location. Besides shoes, it look as if the camping and guns sections are OK. read more

Wandered in expecting to be wow-ed by their prices or selection... Not so much. Decent gun selection tho

Terrible customer service! I waited 10 mins until I got a hold of a shoe sales guy, and I had to make efforts to get his attention, and he did not offer to help or anything. I asked for the missing pair, and he just walked away with the box and opened the door with a baseball bat (WTF?). There was another customer seeking help from this guy, but the same attitude, and it was visible that the this guy didn't care about his job or the customers. read more

Tim in the shoe section not only helped us find the perfect pair of shoes for my husband and I but he found the ones that we needed on SALE!!! EXCELLENT customer service. So very helpful in finding the exact shoes that we need. We will be shopping here from this point on. read more

Came by here a few days ago for technical advice on buying a firearm. The guy working the counter in this dept was really helpful and pursuaded me to buy the rifle for the club I frequent. Just want to say thanks to him and the store for carrying that gun and hiring good staff. read more

Ammo and Guns are way over priced. If you add that with there 11 day wait policy and the poor service, you can see why I scored them so low. I went in the other day to buy some .40 cal ammo and they were charging atleast double what walmart was and certainly 3 x's what you would pay online. Please, buy your guns elsewhere and save yourself the hassle of dealing with Big 5. read more

Deals, deals, deals....they have a great selection. The store is a bit ancient looking but that doesn't affect my opinion. I go often and score some really good deals. The last time I went to get a hiking backpack and they had a great selection in stock. The staff was helpful (sometimes slow due to it being busy) and knowledgeable. read more

I'm amazed this store and Big 5 in general is in business at all. I went in today to grab a workout outfit. The selection was abysmal. I went back to the shoe section and there is one tiny section of shoes for women and a large section for men. At least 3 employees were yukking it up amongst themselves at the front of the store and no one greeted me or came back to the shoe section where I was perusing. I took a shoe up front and asked the unfriendly chap at the register to scan it to see if it was on sale. He did. It wasn't. He handed it back without saying "would you like me to get something for you to try on?" He rang up what I had without any pleasantries, in fact, he was fairly unpleasant. At the same time a guy walked in and asked for mit oil and the employees pointed in a general direction but were less than helpful or friendly. TRAIN your people. There is nothing at all redeeming about this store. I won't go back, oh, except to return what I bought because the more I thought about the place the more I don't want them to have my $$. read more

The customer service was horrible, except for Anthony, who was helpful in answering questions. Thanks Anthony! Upon arrival, the woman at the register (didn't catch her name but she was, tall, heavyset, and never smiled) didn't acknowledge us. We had to roam around the messy store to find someone who could help us find an all-terrain wagon. Finally, Anthony was able to help us, he was the only helpful person in the store. Upon checkout, the cashier just did the basics (rung our items, totaled us out, handed the receipt), no "did you find everything ok?" Or "Thank you, have a great day." While in the parking lot, we took our wagon out of the box and noticed there was dirt on the wheels, so it was clearly used. We returned to the store to let the unfriendly cashier know, and she looked at us dumbfounded then called the manager over. The manager, Nora,had a similar attitude as the cashier, but was even worse by giving us attitude. There was no apology for selling us a used item or having to come back to the store to return it. They didn't have another item in stock, and Nora basically had a "take it or leave it" attitude. We had already spent nearly an hour in the store waiting for someone to help us and dealing with a used item, plus we had plans for the day, so I told her we'll take the used one if we can get it discounted. Nora seemed irritated bc we already used a coupon, and it seemed that we inconvenienced her by asking to receive a discount on their USED item that they SOLD to us. She literally said, "You guys already used a coupon... ok I'll just give you 10% off but it's final sale." There's a difference between leadership and management. This store clearly has no leadership or direction. They also lack any ounce of customer service. No wonder their reviews are so negative. read more

I guess I'm the anomaly here. I've had nothing but positive experiences shopping at this neighborhood Big 5 Sporting goods store. Sure, Big 5 is not as "big" as your local Sports Authority , and they may not be as organized. But you know, there's something about Big 5 that gives you a mom and pop shopping experience that always brings me back. Their weekly sales are usually very competitive as far as pricing is concerned, and for a small sporting goods store, I find the selection here very diverse and well stocked. I've never had an issue with the service. The staff that work here, especially the managers, have always been attentive and catering. One time I went in for a deal that had expired, but they honored the previous sale price anyway. That to me, is great service. I love Big 5! And this Sunnyvale store is no exception. Folks, don't let the big chains drive out all the small shops. Yes, Big 5 is a chain as well, but I find the store much easier to shop at than going into a huge chain the size of Coscto, i.e. Sports Authority. read more

I only come here because my dad loves a good sale. I don't know why he bothers coming, because it's obvious that the salespeople laugh at him behind his back. This place is not for serious fitness enthusiasts, who should go to R.E.I. for salespeople with real fitness equipment experience. read more

I will never visit this store again because the sales representatives there are very impolite and rude to customers. Unbelievable! I visited this Big 5 Sporting Goods Store #48 at 12:50 pm on May 21, 2013 to return an item. When I entered the store, there were 4-5 customers on one line and only one customer on another line. I got the impression that the longer one was for checking out and the shorter one was for customer service/return. I stood around the register and waited. The Sales Representative with a name tag saying "Monroe" was there helping with the only customer he had. When he's done, another customer approached and gesturing maybe I can go first. At that point, "Monroe" told me that if I wanted return an item. I had to stand in line. He also told me to go to the other line as well. I did not understand and told him he should not treat his customer the way he did. He remained silence. The other Sales Representative repeated the same to me when I got to the end of her line telling me that I had to stand in line when I am already at the end of the line! I do not understand why the sales reps behave so badly and impolite. I will definitely not go back to this particular store ever again. read more

Jodie is the best staff that I have ever seen. Promptly but patiently she satisfies all customers' needs. I was deeply impressed by her. For sporting goods, I will definitely go Big5 and find Jodie. read more

Selection is small but prices are good. Not much staff to help here but they were helpful and friendly. Ok for quick simple stuff- picked up racquetball set and boxing gloves but not as extensive as Sport Basement. read more

The selection isn't great for biking equipment (locks, panniers, helmets, etc.), and big 5 isn't necessarily known for stocking the highest quality merchandise, but the customer service was great. I had to make a return without my receipt by giving the date of the transaction and providing the card is used. The manager was really helpful and the guy at the register was super friendly. If they can improve the quality of the merchandise, which the manager said they were working on, I will do business with them again in the future. read more

I moved here from another state in Sept 2011. I have shopped Big 5 since that time and have had only positive experiences. I joined the Big 5 club and get great coupons every week. They have great sales and with the coupons I have gotten some excellent deals. I shop there or at least browse weekly. I mostly buy fishing, hunting and camping gear. The sales personnel in those departments are friendly, and knowledgeable. When they found out I was new here they gave me pointers on where to fish and hunt. Frankly, I can't say enough good about this store. It has a Mom and Pop feel and the selection is fine. I have purchased ammo and firearms from them and would not hesitate to recommend them to others. If you want a huge mega store where none of the sales people know anything about the products and you are just an "annoying number" go to Sporting Authority or Walmart. However if you want customer satisfaction and just a really great place to shop go to Big 5. read more

My husband buys all his sporting goods and all his work shoes from here. He had bought a pair of shoes for work had them 1 month and the soles came off of one of the shoes. Of course by this time we no longer had the receipt. The store manager Paul told my husband that he was too busy to help him and my husband was the only one in line, and that he didn't have time. All we wanted to do was exchange them!! We used to spend alot of money in this store, that will no longer happen. One of the sales clerks said she saw no problem with the exchange. They need to retrain their their managers!!!!! read more

I have made three visits to this store in the last month. All three have been to make ammunition and gun cleaning kit purchases in the firearm department. The city of sunnyvale requires finger-printing for simple ammunition purchases so that already in and of itself creates a tense strange privacy encroachment situation. That and their overpriced ammo I was willing to let slide for the convenient location. However there is a thin-moustached dude that works in the firearms deptartment there who has an annoyingly condescending and judgemental attitude that is frankly pissing me off. On my third and LAST visit there he seemed to be bothered and/or had a weird bad-cop unfriendly and confrontational attitude. Hey I've had it, I am simply not going to ever shop there any more and deal with his egotistical condescending and suspicious raising bullshit, period. I'm taking my business some place else. You all need to remember that you need good customer service skills in order to attract repeat customers and run a succesful business. Having jerks like these as salesmen is not helping you. Have a good life guys. read more

why does big 5 exist?! *sigh* it's depressing. i can barely remember any good experiences with big 5. when i was a kid, my frugal dad sometimes brought me to big 5. i remember he bought me a pair of leather high top sneakers, which shredded while skateboarding within a day. i wore them for a few more months though, just with plenty of duct tape on them. some people say that big 5 (and sometimes sports authority) are good places to go for cheap sporting goods. for some reason, people in america actually spend a good amount of money on lots of sporting goods that they rarely or even never use. to some extent, i can relate because i once bought some softball gloves from sports authority (then sportmart) for a church softball team that i ended up not joining. however, in general, i limit my purchases of sporting goods to sports that i _really_ do, which would be just taekwondo, snowboarding, and skateboarding. i suck at ball sports. just because i go to church doesn't mean i have to play basketball and softball! some people say surfing is the new golf. i've tried surfing before, and i give it a thumb up; but i can personally see how snowboarding and skateboarding are also new golfs. everything's the new golf! i have one friend (who just so happens to play golf), who supposedly loves big 5. he makes a good living and spends well in taking good care of his family; but for some reason, he apparently likes big 5 as a place to get cheap sporting goods and athletic wear. *shrug* maybe there's just some kick@$$ big 5 by _his_ house; but i personally have never seen one. i remember one time when my friend bought some really tacky oakley sunglasses at the big 5 on blossom hill. i mean, at the time, we thought they were cool... and actually, in this day and age, maybe those kinds of clear pastic frame shades are coming back in style. i wonder if he still has them. anyway, for some odd reason, i sometimes have this urge to look at sporting good ads, even the big 5 ad. is it just part of being male? i always browse through the big 5 ad and wince at the shoddy stuff they sell. people say, "it's like a car wreck / train wreck; you just can't look away," right? *sigh* don't quote me on this; but man... i'm sure lots of that cheap junk is made by slave labour, right? sweat shops.... well, in recent years, for some bad reason, every so often, when i need to buy a piece of new sports equipment or athletic wear, i somehow fool myself into walking into this big 5; most likely on my way to trader joe's or mindflow chiropractic on murphy street or something. for example, last summer, i was so distraught over what i should wear under boardshorts when i go to the beach or go whitewater rafting. i bought a snazzy pair of volcom boardshorts at tj maxx, but i didn't necessariy _want_ to go commando, so i considered buying some speedos to wear underneath. do you call those banana hammocks? well, i checked out this big 5's selection. ugh, the cheap stuff doesn't even have cheap prices! argh... from time to time, in the past, i've also tricked myself into walking in to look for gym clothes. same story: the cheap stuff doesn't even have cheap prices! what the heck? what is this big 5 good for? absolutely nothing! well, for gym clothes, i'll go to sports basement. for snowboarding gear, i'll go to maybe sports basement or else some other local core boardshop. for skateboarding stuff, yeah, i've got to support my local skate shop, so i'll head off to ohana boardshop or caliskatz. epilogue: in my younger, more naive, student days; when i lived in berkeley; my friend supermike (s.mike for short) and i wear shoping for some snowboarding gear. we walked into a big 5 in richmond. when we asked if they had snowboards, the friendly saleswoman said something like this: you know, i wish we did; but the folks in this area just don't have the resources to do sports like that. she was really nice about it, but wow... that was kind of sad to think. since i snowboard so much, at times, i actually considered helping out with programs like pal that take inner city kids up to the slopes to learn snowboarding. i haven't yet found the time though. well, while i ended up renting and borrowing gear; s.mike actually found some other big 5 in the east bay and bought some really cr@ppy setup, a cheap deck with step.in bindings and boots, not even some standard step.in system. he had the hardest time getting those boots to click.in. thankfully, he was actually able to return that setup to the big 5 after using it for a weekend. lemme tell you folks, don't use step.in bindings! do you see danny kass rocking step.in bindings in the xgames or anywhere? standard straps are the way to go. personally, i don't even consider flow bindings. you want you control surface areas to be properly located and not overly spread out. don't even think of buying snowboard equipment at big 5 (or sports authority). read more

When your item is on sale, it's may be a very good price, However sale signage may be lacking so you may need to confirm with someone that your item is really on sale. But I did pick up a pair of boxing gloves for less than "half-off" Was $40 now $20, but no signs to confirm that the model/style I picked was really on sale item until I checked out. Fortunately I went early in the day so there was no line. I then added a 10% Discover Card discount (which is on Discover Deals and valid until 7/31/2015). read more

It's amazing what people do in this store and the nonsense that the employees have to put up with. every time I walk into this place clothes are strewn about and left on top of racks, on the floor or in the wrong part of the store. Piles of flip flops and gloves just lying around because people couldn't be bothered to put things back where they found them. i can guarantee you that it's not the employees making the mess, they're the ones who have to clean it all up at the end of the day. And yet people still have the audacity to complain about customer service here. Every person i've encountered either answered all my questions, or got someone else who knew more about the particular subject. they got me what I was looking for, or if they didnt have it, they told me quickly and politely so that I wouldn't waste more time trying to magic something into existence. They even give reccomendations on places to find the stuff they don't carry. Bottom line, these folks dont put up with bad attitudes, if you're a good customer they'll bend over backwards for you. If you come in with a self righteous attitude, you'll be ignored for customers that actually need help. read more

This is the best big 5 location in my opinion. The store is pretty large and has a lot of inventory. Their firearms department is good and the staff is helpful. They have a fair amount of seasonal sports equipment too. I try to go to this location whenever possible. read more

The assistant manager Jon Baker was sometimes pretty rude and grumpy to customers. I ordered something and the clerk said I can come pick up any time after 5pm. I came to pick up an order twice. The first time I came 25 min before closing, he told me I came too late and I should come another day before 8:30pm, any time before 8:30pm. The next time I came before 8pm and waited for a long time - he was busy and pretty grumpy and rude. He told me that he will still close the store if he doesn't have enough time to help me, he also said I should come earlier in the day - then why did you tell me to come any time before 8:30pm? Then he blamed me and said and I should have found another day to come - how could I knew you would be busy on that day? Why do you think everything is the customer's fault? I was polite and reasonable and I cannot believe someone would treat customers like this. read more

Poor customer service- Loction would not accept a "business" check. Mangers, (both very young) didn't even know the business location number to "call/verify" check. My business has shopped there for several years,BUT now can't even have a "good experience" from the location. read more

I go to a couple of Big 5's in the Bay Area, and the store clutter merely serves to remind me that the customers aren't exactly high-end either--they tend to be slobs and create the same mess that they do in Ross and Walmart as they paw thru the merchandise and throw it to the side when it isn't to their liking. Perhaps the staff should fix the mess, but it would be an endless task. Big 5 is what it is--a place to get dirt-cheap stuff--so why be disappointed when it isn't the same quality that you'd get at REI? Duh. My experience has been mainly with lower-end binocs (real junk, for the most part--don't waste your time) and shoes/socks. The pair of Denali "hiking shoes" (~$16 IIRC) I got a year or so ago wore out faster (the soles wore thru both in front and in the rear in about 3 months!!) than any pair of shoes I have ever previously owned, and I have had many many pairs in my ~60 years of life. On the other hand, the name-brand running shoes that I have gotten at Big 5 over the years have been perfectly fine and were selling in the $20's. Discontinued models?! Yes indeed, and hence my gain. I just suckered myself into buying a pair of $20 Denali Spire hiking shoes and they look good and are the most comfortable lace-up shoes I have ever bought. I suspect they may not last more than a few months, but I'll nurse them along for a year and I'll be walking in comfort during that time. Name-brand socks at Big 5 are a good deal when on sale. While 95% of the merchandise at Big 5 is of no interest to me, I will continue going back for the footwear. The salespeople (sparse, but that's true in every retail store in the nation these days) I have interacted with have been pleasant and helpful. Perhaps it depends on which Big 5 you're in, and whether your own attitude is on display. ;-) Summary: know which merchandise represents a good deal and buy it. Ignore the rest. read more

I wanted a pair of swim fins. I checked the company website. They have acceptable fins. [happy] The fins are more expensive than at the local swim store (really?). No problem, I need them tonight and above mentioned swim joint is closed. Website says "limited availability - call store." I call the store and talk to an employee. When she finally understands me, she says "Oh yeah, we have lot of those." As a short aside, we are both native English speakers. I asked her to check the size, at which point she made up some halfass excuse about them all being in bags. Wait, what? Um...OK, sure, fine. I mentioned that the website said limited availability, to which she quickly responded by assuring me there were lots and I should "just come on down." When I arrived I was disappointed (but unsurprised) to not find anything resembling what I was looking for. Even more awesome was the fact that the girl I spoke to was sitting about seven feet away from the fins and the place was empty. It probably would have taken her about 92 seconds to go walk over and look, but hey, I know Big 5 is Price Differentiation and not Service, even though the local swim shop is ten bucks cheaper. read more