In the late 1970s, when China first opened to the outside world, state-run friendship shops were opened in major cities as a symbol of friendship. Shops sell goods imported from the West, such as peanut butter and Hershey chocolate, as well as handicrafts from China. The price is much higher than the market price of the place of origin, but because the Friendship Store monopolizes the sales of imported goods, customers have no choice. In the past, Friendship Store only accepted foreign exchange certificates as currency. Commodities include uncensored western reading materials, such as The New York Times, so the guards will prevent anyone who looks like porcelain from entering the store. People often look out the door to see what goods are sold in the shop.

Shops have been opened to everyone, and most branches ended after the introduction of market economy. Only a few stores are still open, and several big stores in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are reserved for nostalgia.