attraction of sorts, and the town became a big trading hub. it also became home to the discount five-and-dime stores started in the 1930s by james melvin pope. after going to college and serving in world war ii, mr. pope's son took over the shops and expanded the family chain. >> from his father's five little stores, all located in eastern north carolina, john pope would create a retailing powerhouse of over 500 discount stores. his business model was a simple one -- locate your store in small towns where there was little competition, where folks could get almost anything they needed cheap, without having to drive to the big cities. the model worked. pope's discount stores always made a profit, even during years of recession. from a 5 and 10-cent store, john w. pope learned that nickels and dimes managed with insight and hard work could grow into millions of dollars.