Brothers Abraham and Joseph Neisner founded a five and ten-cent variety store in Rochester, New York, in 1911. Another up-state entrepreneur, Frank Woolworth, had opened his “Great Five Cent Store” in Utica in 1879. By 1913, New York’s Woolworth Building was the tallest in the world. There was money to be made in nickels and dimes.
The Neisner brothers operations expanded steadily. By 1947, both brothers had died, and the company was led by their two sons. Mobile’s location at 22 South Royal opened its doors in October of that year, bringing the number of Neisner’s to 116 stores in 17 states. National sales that year reached $50 million (roughly $725 million today).
The new building with its distinctive curved show windows contained Mobile’s first “bargain basement.” At the north end of the building was a separate commercial space which was leased to Busch Jewelry Company. And beyond the jeweler was another variety store known for low prices: S. H. Kress and Company
From Quality Clothes to Hamburger Sandwiches
When Neisner’s opened in Mobile, their price range had jumped to an advertised high of $5 but period ads reveal that was not always the limit. In 1947, Mobile women could select dresses priced from $4.98 to $7.98 while slips could be bought for $1.17. Men’s “first quality shirts” were $1.88 while their boxer shorts would run 54 cents…