commercial shops
상업 상점
A separate network of shops in late-Gierek-era Poland that sold better-quality meat, cold cuts, and other goods at 'commercial prices', far above the subsidized official retail prices. Introduced in 1976 (meat sales began in 1977), it functioned as a disguised price increase and a market-price experiment outside the ration-card system. When commercial prices were extended to workplace canteens on 1 July 1980, they helped trigger the nationwide strike wave, and abolition of commercial prices became one of the August demands.
In depth
Introduction and function
Commercial shops (sklepy komercyjne) were a separate state retail network introduced in the Polish People's Republic in 1976. They sold better-quality meat, cold cuts, sugar, and other scarce goods at 'commercial prices', far above the subsidised official prices. The mechanism was a disguised price increase aimed at acclimatising society to higher prices and fostering the belief that shortages stemmed from low retail prices.
Development
Commercial prices were first applied in 1976 to sugar outside the ration system (26 złoty per kilo against the rationed price of 10.50). Meat sales began the following year. By mid-1977 there were just 17 commercial shops in Poland's 15 largest cities, trading only 0.2% of domestic meat sales; over time they came to handle roughly 10% of the meat supply, above all the best and most popular cuts. Public reaction was sharply negative: a 1978 Interior Ministry report recorded that citizens saw the shops as dividing society into 'castes' and serving 'privateers, thieves, and fences'. The shops became the subject of jokes and reworded songs.
The July 1980 trigger
On 1 July 1980, commercial prices were extended to workplace canteens and buffets and to cheaper cuts of meat, setting off strikes across the country. Abolition of commercial prices became one of the August 1980 demands. After August 1980 the commercial shops were shut down, and from 1 April 1981 meat was sold on ration cards. The term 'commercial prices' itself, however, survived in some contexts into the 1980s.
Sources
- pl.wikipedia.org definition of commercial shops, 1976 introduction, 1977 start of meat sales, 17 shops in 15 cities by mid-1977, 10% share of meat supply, 1978 MSW report on negative public reaction, July 1980 expansion and its role in the strike wave, abolition of commercial prices as an August demand, continued use of the term into the 1980s
- twojahistoria.pl Zdzisław Zblewski, Abecadło PRL-u (Znak, 2008): commercial shops as a disguised price increase selling otherwise unavailable goods; extension of commercial prices to workplace canteens on 1 July 1980 triggering nationwide strikes; abolition after August 1980 and ration-card meat sales from 1 April 1981