Five and dime

Five and dime was a common nickname in the United States for five-and-ten-cent stores (also called 5 and 10s), popular in the early to mid-20th century.

These stores originally featured merchandise priced at only five cents or ten cents, although later in the century, the price range of merchandise expanded. Typical items were household sundries, toys, and candy.

Such stores have gone through various price-reference names: five-cent store, dime store, and ten-cent store, for example. Today, the dollar store occupies a similar marketing niche.

Examples of well-known five and dimes include:

• Alco-Duckwall Retail Stores
• Ben Franklin Stores (Butler Brothers)
• W.T. Grant
• Kresge's
• Kress Stores
• McCrory Stores
  • J.J. Newberry
  • TG&Y
  • McLellan's
  • H.L. Green
  • G.C. Murphy
• Neisner Brothers
• Woolworth's

The play Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean refers to such a store, as does the song Raspberry Beret by Prince.