GC4T1J2 This Ain't Your Grandfather's Five and Dime (Traditional Cache) in Ontario, Canada created by WeBeRVing

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GC4T1J2 ▼

A cache by WeBeRVing Message this owner

Hidden : 11/13/2013

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

We were in the area and decided to place a cache. Nothing special, just a quick park-n-grab in the usual spot. Bring your own pen...

Some History:

The concept of the variety store originated with the five and dime, five and ten, nickel and dime, ten-cent store, or dime store, a store offering a wide assortment of inexpensive items for personal and household use. The originator of the concept is Woolworth Bros. Woolworth Bros later became F. W. Woolworth Company or just, Woolworth's. On June 21, 1879, Frank Winfield Woolworth opened his first successful five cent store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Frank soon brought his brother, Charles Sumner "Sum" Woolworth into the business. Together they opened a second store in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 18, 1879.

On November 6, 1880, Sum opened a store in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, and formally called it a "5¢ & 10¢ store". There, he developed and fully established the five and ten (dime) concept into American culture. Frank spent time opening more stores, working the back end of the business, buying in bulk for all affiliates and "friendly rivals", and buying manufacturers to keep prices low. Meanwhile Sum used his store to train new managers and develop many of the Woolworth concepts which included bright lighting, a polished high-luster floor, glass showcases, mahogany counters and goods people could touch. Before this, clerks had to work with each customer individually, handing them goods from cases or shelves. This required more clerks, with greater knowledge, and so cost more.

Before Woolworth, the prevailing thought was an entire store could not maintain itself with all low-priced goods. The Woolworth Bros and their affiliated partner stores originally featured goods priced at only five cents and ten cents. Many other people tried to copy their lead.

Later in the twentieth century the price range expanded; Woolworths did a strictly "five-and-ten cent" business, but in the spring of 1932 a 20-cent line of merchandise was added. On November 13, 1935 the company's directors decided to discontinue selling price limits altogether. Inflation eventually dictated that the stores were no longer able to sell any items for five or ten cents, and were then referred to as "variety stores" or more commonly dollar stores. Using the Historical Consumer Price Index for January 1913 (9.8) and January 2009 (211.143), the rate of inflation change is 2,067%. Therefore, an item costing $0.05 in January 1913 would cost $1.08 in January 2009 dollars, all other things being equal.

The last U.S. Woolworth's-branded variety store closed in 1997.

(source: wikipedia)

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