In the Soviet Union, consumer services were a major branch of the national economy. The growth of well-being, the cultural level and needs of working people, and the increasing output of household appliances and passenger cars all affected changes in the structure of consumer services. Enterprises providing consumer services grew larger and became more specialized.
In the USSR, it became common practice for consumer-service enterprises to visit plants and factories to accept orders; in-home order taking and delivery of finished items to the public were used; paid parking facilities for private cars, motorcycles, and bicycles were organized.
When constructing residential buildings, it was mandatory to allocate premises for consumer-service facilities. The removal and use for other purposes of premises occupied by consumer-service enterprises was prohibited.