“The exhibition was aimed at modernizing production processes at consumer goods production units across the country and further improving the quality of products on the principle of producing small quantities of goods in various kinds. The quality of products has improved remarkably, but their prices have been lowered,” said Kim Kwang Su, a section chief of the Ministry of Commerce.

The 15th commodity exhibition of Pyongyang Department Store No. 1 took place at the department store from October 29 to November 5.

On display there were more than 1.74 million articles in thousands of kinds.

Each booth bearing the name of a production unit was filled with products favoured by customers.

The Yua General Foodstuff Factory presented more than 1 500 articles in 224 kinds. Among them, the instant noodles with the taste of beef rib attracted the attention of many visitors for its chewy and hot taste. The factory displayed more than ten kinds of breads including cow’s milk bread, adzuki table bread, butter table bread and sugar-free yeast bread. They were specially refined in packaging and tasty as well.

The O-il General Health Drink Factory brought out aloe juice, strawberry cheese milk, composite juice milk, lemon vitamin milk and other products. As the green tea and Japanese apricot juice contains various organic acids, the regular drinking by office workers is good for the relief from fatigue and protection of the body and it is pure in taste.

Chon Man Bok living in neighbourhood unit No. 63 of Chonghwa-dong No. 1, Hwasong District, Pyongyang said she purchased orange milk sugar and vitamin nutritious biscuits sold by the Songdowon General Foodstuff Factory and all her family members liked them. She added that her daughter, who would not eat snacks in the past, took this snack deliciously and that she wondered how the factory could know the taste of such children as mine.

The booth of the Wonsan Leather Shoes Factory was the most popular like in the previous shoes show.

The factory presented over 8 000 pairs of men’s and women’s leather shoes, trainers and shoes for children in 20 kinds which underwent remarkable improvement in quality. It introduced a new sewing method into the shoetree production of male leather shoes and produced various kinds of women’s trainers in different colours and shapes by using polyvinyl chloride based on emulsion polymerization. Hong Il Gwang, a staffer of the factory, said that their products are featured by diversity, lightness and solidity.

The Pyongyang Leather Shoes Factory, the Pothonggang Footwear Factory and other shoe-making units put on display light and attractive shoes in diverse shapes, colours and patterns.

August 3 consumer goods took the lion’s share of the exhibition.

The Jagang Provincial Natural Health Products Production Company presented more than 12 varieties of honey products and 30 000 medicinal herb products in 36 kinds. Among them, the dandelion powder is rich in nutrients, microelement, saponin, oil, organic acids, etc. and is most effective in the treatment of liver diseases, cholecystitis and pancreatitis.

Different kinds of pickles including those made with squid, anchovy, cod roe and flatfish at the Sinpho City Foodstuff Factory, which help fully smell the fragrance of sea, also caught the eye of housewives.

In addition, a health-promoting medicinal stone treatment device presented by the Pyongyang Electronic Medical Appliances Factory and the moisturizing lotion and water cream by the Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory drew the attention of visitors.