Today they're called "dollar stores" or "99 cent stores."
(Oxford English Dictionary)
five-and-ten (cent store) N. Amer., a store where all the articles were orig. priced at either five or ten cents; also colloq., five-and-dime store;
1880 in Sat. Even. Post (1940) 10 Feb. 23/3 Woolworth Bros. *5 & 10 Cent Store. 1907 'O. HENRY' Trimmed Lamp 115 Did you ever notice me..peering in the window of the five-and-ten? 1922 L. MUMFORD in H. Stearns Civilization in U.S. 9 In the five and ten cent store it is possible for the circumscribed factory operative to obtain the illusion of unmoderated expenditure. 1924 Antiques May 229/2 Of course, we are all familiar with the ordinary pink, white and baby blue celluloid thimble of the present-day five-and-ten-cent store! 1934 J. T. FARRELL Young Manhood in Studs Lonigan (1936) i. 160 A small American flag which he'd copped from the nearby five-and-dime store.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-and-ten-cent_store
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 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.
14 March 1879, Racine (WI) Daily Herald, pg. 1:
The five and ten cent store at 89 Main street, is doing a good business.
16 February 1919, Chicago Tribune, pg. A8S:
"I got the peachiest little record yesterday at the 'five and dime.'"