In modern society, with the vigorous rise of the commodity economy, people's material life has been greatly improved. The supermarket is full of gold, and the shelves are full of goods for people to choose from. The rise of e-commerce has made shopping no longer need to leave the house, a little mobile phone, the required things will be delivered to the door, shopping efficiency has been unprecedentedly improved. However, if we rewind 45 years and go back to the initial exploration of China's reform and opening up, the situation is very different. At this time, people's shopping options are limited, and supply and marketing agencies are their only place to go. This article will take you through five of the most sought-after necessities of life at the time, some of which are still in our daily lives today, and some of which have disappeared. Let's explore this time together.
1. The past and present of supply and marketing cooperatives
The creation of supply and marketing cooperatives can be traced back to 1950, and the rise of this period is closely related to the environment of the time. New China has just been born and the country has achieved national independence, but international challenges are still severe. On the economic front, under the long rule of the Kuomintang, corruption was rampant, inflation was serious, and the people were miserable. Even after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the problem of soaring prices still existed in some areas, and even the economic battle of the "Rice and Cotton War" broke out. In order to stabilize prices, promote economic development and improve people's livelihood, the government has taken a series of measures, and the establishment of supply and marketing cooperatives is one of them. In 1953, three major transformations were carried out, and supply and marketing cooperatives also developed rapidly in this context, and the national unified sales and procurement promoted the reform process to a certain extent. Before the reform and opening up, supply and marketing cooperatives were closely related to state-owned enterprises and jointly ensured people's basic living needs. After the reform and opening up, the supply and marketing cooperatives carried out a series of reforms and developments to adapt to the changes of the times.
2. Best-selling daily necessities
In the era of supply and marketing cooperatives with lack of materials and strict purchase restrictions, the following five daily necessities can be called best-sellers. The first is soap, which is still widely used in people's daily lives. However, unlike today's soap, which is dedicated to washing hands or bathing, soap at that time was a versatile cleaning product that could be used to wash hair, bathe, and even wash clothes.
This is followed by enamel utensils such as enamel jars and enamel basins. At that time, containers for drinking water, washing faces, and storing cooking oil were basically enamel products. With the advancement of production technology, families now use more plastic, glass and ceramic products, and enamel products gradually withdraw from people's vision.
The third is men's favorite tin cigarettes, which are famous for their small iron box packaging. However, this classic packaging is now discontinued.
Next is the favorite of women - alabaster, which is used to moisturize the skin. The smell of alabaster on my mother's body has become a fond memory of countless people's childhood, but for today's young people, various skin care products have replaced its status.
The last type was white sugar, which at the time was considered a luxury item and was only purchased on special days or when visiting others. A handful of sugar is a happy memory in that era of scarcity.
3. Supply and marketing cooperatives in "rural revitalization"
Perhaps many urban residents do not understand that supply and marketing cooperatives still exist today, and they have taken on more responsibilities in the development of the new era and achieved a turnaround. With the completion of the all-round poverty alleviation battle, the national development strategy has placed rural revitalization in an important position, while supply and marketing cooperatives have assumed the important responsibility of purchasing and distributing agricultural products, and shouldered the social responsibility of assisting farmers and building new rural areas. Supply and marketing cooperatives keep pace with the times and cooperate with e-commerce to establish e-commerce companies to sell specialty agricultural products throughout the country. Supply and marketing cooperatives have also set up supply and marketing groups to solve the "last mile" problem of agricultural product procurement and protect the interests of farmers. Today, supply and marketing cooperatives are no longer just "commissaries", they assume more of the functions of comprehensive rural service centers.
Brief summary:
Time flies, and the necessities that were once popular in the 70s and 80s have now disappeared and are no longer needed. What remains unchanged, however, is the strategic planning and people-centered strategic stance adhered to by our socialist countries.