Department store
As a department store in were GDR larger, geographically undivided storey self-service stores designated where mostly food and so-called goods of daily demand (WtB) as hygiene items and cleaning products were offered. In West Germany, similar retail stores were mostly called supermarkets ; but there was a popular chain called Kaufhalle . In the colloquial language of the countries of the former GDR, the term has been used as a general term for a larger grocery store without distinguishing between discounter and supermarket.
history
There were department stores predominantly in cities, they were operated by the state trade organization, HO for short (as public property), or the consumer cooperative (as cooperative property). Those who lived in the country mostly went shopping in the village . The convenience stores had a similar, but smaller range of the department stores and were operated by the consumer cooperative (also as a cooperative property). Since there were uniform fixed sales prices for all goods , there was no price competition between different shops. However, the range could vary depending on the commitment of the sales point manager.
Cheese counter in the Pappelallee department store, Berlin 1976
Department store in Krien , Anklam district , in the 1970s
HO department store in Leipzig , 1970
Consumer department store in Dresden , 1974
