Frank Winfield Woolworth

Frank Winfield Woolworth (1852–1919) was an American merchant and the originator of the five-and-ten cent store concept. His first stores, founded in 1879, sold merchandise for no more than five cents, later expanding to ten cents. Woolworth successfully consolidated his business with other retail chains in 1911, forming the F.W. Woolworth Co., which grew into a multinational corporation with stores across four continents. The company was headquartered in New York City, and its iconic Woolworth Building was once the world's tallest skyscraper. Woolworth's legacy also includes its role in the American civil rights movement, notably the 1960 Greensboro sit-in at a segregated lunch counter. The company eventually evolved, with its descendant, Foot Locker, Inc., being acquired by Dick's Sporting Goods in 2025.123