Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Variety store \Variety store\ a retail store selling a wide variety of items, especially of low price, as in a five and ten.
Wiktionary
n. (context US English) A shop where many small and inexpensive items can be bought.
Wikipedia
A variety store (also pound shop, dollar store, and other names) is a retail store that sells a wide range of inexpensive household goods.
Variety stores often have product lines including food and drink, personal hygiene products, small home and garden tools, office supplies, decorations, electronics, garden plants, toys, pet supplies, remaindered books, recorded media, and motor and bike consumables. Larger stores may sell frozen foods and fresh produce.
Variety stores arose in the early 20th century, with Woolworth's model to reduce store overheads by simplifying the duties of sales clerks. They may now be found all over the world.
A variety store often sells all goods at a single price, in which case it may be called a price-point retailer. The name of the store often reflects this, and in different markets it may be called a dollar store, pound shop, euro store and so on.
Usage examples of "variety store".
He remembered seeing a whistle on the shelf of a variety store and wondering if Teddy would like it, wondering if he should get one for Brenda too.
When I was growing up Main Street in Winfield had two grocery stores, a variety store, a tav ern, a pool hall, a newspaper, a bank, a barbershop, a post office, two gas stations-all the things you would expect of any thriving little town.
Jinx works in the variety store after school and much of Saturday.
He didn't look as if he could make it as far as Spicer's Variety Store without stumbling.
Well, anyway, next month Lew married a blonde girl who'd been working in Wirke's Variety Store, and she's made his life a hell.
Sampson and I have been best friends since we were nine years old and took up shoplifting at Park's Corner Variety store near the projects.
He wasn't looking at the waitress, but through the front window of the variety store.
Near the end of the block, the man turned into a small variety store and Smuff scurried in after him.
Probably, Jennie thought, they were the cream of the town: two doctors, the consolidated school's principal, some teachers, the owner of the variety store, a nurseryman, a Christmas-tree farmer, and some dairy farmers.
Qwilleran asked to be dropped off at the variety store, where he bought a blue light bulb and a Halloween mask.