Name of business: 51FIFTY
Type of business: Apparel store
Location: 1645 Countryside Dr., Turlock
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Contact: (209) 398-2271 or info@51fiftyltm.com
History of business:
Carlos Vieira has had his own lifestyle brand, 51FIFTY, for over 15 years. The brand’s slogan is “Live the Madness,” as it encourages people to pursue their dreams no matter how crazy they may seem. In 2016, the brand opened an apparel store in Vieira’s hometown of Livingston to accompany its fitness center. Earlier this year, the apparel store closed up shop to move to their new location at 1645 Countryside Dr. in Turlock.
The folks at 51FIFTY have floated the idea of moving the store to Turlock for the past few years. The move officially took place last month, with the store’s doors officially opening last week.
“I saw the building vacant like four months ago, but I had to do some convincing,” explained apparel manager Jessica Randel. “I’ve been telling people for a while that we need to come to Turlock. In Livingston, that street wasn’t really a destination location. But Turlock, this is where we can grow the brand. This city has so many things to offer.”
Vieira and the 51FIFTY brand aren’t strangers to Turlock, though, as the Carlos Vieira Foundation, which concentrates on autism awareness and outreach and youth activities like boxing, has hosted the San Joaquin Valley Portuguese Festival four times at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds.
“I couldn't really see our store anywhere else except for here along this strip on Countryside,” Randel continued. “We moved in here really quickly. We made it happen within like one month. We came in and just dominated.”
The space had been vacant for years, but you wouldn’t think so when walking inside. There are racks and shelves throughout the building filled with 51FIFTY-branded everything. From shirts, hats, sweaters, flannels, mugs, pants, bags, glasses, scarves, stickers and even watches.
“We literally have everything,” said Randel, who designs many of the clothes. “Finding things and designing things to put our logo on, things you wouldn’t even think of, it’s one of my favorite parts of this job.”
There’s products for men and women, children and toddlers. And the things Randel is most proud of is the affordability of each item and the causes each purchase supports. The store donates a percentage of every sale to help families living with autism, mental illness and addiction.
“We have really good price points. I would say our stuff ranges from about $9.99 to around $44. You can get a lot of good stuff for under $100. Even under $50. That was really important for us to keep the price point low,” she said.
Dec. 13 will begin 51FIFTY’s 12 Days of Christmas winter sale, with different products discounted each day through Christmas Eve. In the midst of the sale will also be the store’s grand opening celebration on Dec. 16, which features a free raffle for a gift basket valued at $200.
As for the fitness center in Livingston, which is home to the foundation’s Gloves Not Drugs boxing initiative and serves as the host site for the brand’s Fight Night mixed-martial-arts events, it will remain open, though the company is unsure with what they will do with the front of the building that formerly housed the apparel store.
For more information on the 51FIFTY brand, the new apparel store, its grand opening event and their 12 Days of Christmas sale, head to www.51FiftyLTM.com or follow @51FiftyLTM on Instagram and Facebook.
