View source for Corecom

{{Short description|Former Bulgarian company}}
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[[File:Corecom_logo.jpg|thumb|Corecom logo]]
'''Corecom''' ({{langx|bg|Кореком}}) was a chain of [[hard currency|hard-currency]] stores during the [[People's Republic of Bulgaria|communist rule in Bulgaria]]. Goods were often priced cheaper than in the [[Western Europe|West]]; however, they were still inaccessible for most Bulgarians because the national currency, the [[Bulgarian lev|lev]], was not accepted at the stores. Apart from Western diplomats and visitors, access to [[hard currency]] was a privilege of the [[nomenklatura]] (small, elite subset of the general population) and a few other people who were authorised to travel abroad or do business with Westerners. Anyone purchasing goods at Corecom but not authorised to possess foreign currency ran the risk of investigation by the authorities.

The stores operated on the same principle as [[East Germany|East German]] [[Intershop]]s, [[Czechoslovakia]]n [[Tuzex]], or [[People's Republic of Poland|Polish]] [[Pewex]] stores.<ref>Jonathan R. Zatlin. The Currency of Socialism : Money and Political Culture in East Germany, p.245. Cambridge University Press, 2007. {{ISBN|978-0-521-86956-0}}</ref> In addition to major Western currencies, such as [[United States dollar|US dollars]], Corecom stores also accepted [[foreign exchange certificate]]s. Western consumer goods sold at these stores were not available at regular retail outlets, including imported spirits and tobacco products (e.g. [[Scotch whisky]] and [[Marlboro (cigarette)|Marlboro]] cigarettes), consumer electronics (e.g. VCRs and video cameras), cosmetics, clothing, magazines, toys, and even foodstuffs such as [[Kinder Surprise]] chocolate eggs (commonly known as "корекомски яйца" or "Corecom eggs" at the time).<ref>[http://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/exhibits/everyday-life/primary-sources/12 Everyday Life in Eastern Europe.] at the [[Centre for History and New Media]]</ref> There were also Bulgarian products that were either destined exclusively for export or ordinarily required signing up on long waiting lists.

Ironically, by making the significantly greater diversity and quality of Western consumer goods conspicuous yet inaccessible to the vast majority of the population, the [[Bulgarian Communist Party|communist party]] elites inadvertently demonstrated the hypocrisy of their anti-Western rhetoric.<ref>[http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2008-11-13-mineva-en.html Made in Bulgaria: The national as advertising repertoire] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329062321/http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2008-11-13-mineva-en.html |date=2009-03-29 }} by Milla Mineva at [[Eurozine]]</ref>

==See also==
* [[Shortage economy]]
* [[Eastern Bloc economies]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Hard currency shops in socialist countries}}

[[Category:Hard currency shops in socialist countries]]
[[Category:Companies based in Sofia]]
[[Category:People's Republic of Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Defunct retail companies]]
[[Category:Bulgarian companies established in 1964]]

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