Pewex and Balaton - do you rememer these Poland shops?

I remember when I came to Poland first time in 1989, Pewex and Balaton were around.
For me it was sooo strange to buy Belgian meat pies in Wałbrzych or Sanok and paying in hard currency for them.
I was a first-timer in Poland then so had no idea about society and economics....
But what do you Polish remember from them? And in which way they differed, these two stores?

it always smelled nice and clean... my parents were buying clothes for my barbie and lego for my brother... and of course, first video (magnetowid-Panasonic) ;)

Yes, there was. Pewex was accessible to all who had US dollars or so called 'bony'. Baltona (not Balaton) was accessible to those who worked abroad and had documents to prove it. There was a lot of Pewexes and only couple of Baltonas in Poland.

Did you mean Baltona?
Baltona (full: Baltona Foreign Trade Company Spółka Akcyjna, former Baltona - zaopatrywanie statków) is an enterprise created in 1946 in Poland. Nationalized and subordinated to Polish communist Ministry of Foreign Trade in 1950, it was tasked with resupplying Polish ships, planes, diplomatic posts, airports, seaports, border crossings, and even scientific expeditions

As far as I know, Pewex was a hard currency shop or rather a chain of shops. My polish cousins loved it and always asked my Mum for one dollar notes instead of pounds so they could run and buy some sweets from there.

Fa - coloured and fragrant soap.
Coca-Cola cans.
These little Mattel cars.
Lego.

I haven't got currency to buy it. Sad.

Pewex was like a demo-version of the west. Only a nice, colourful stuff.

they even made a song about it... it smelled good...

Of course I meant Baltona :)
Actually they are still around in the transit zones of Polish airports.

Pewex was the place when once a year they were selling oranges around Christmas time. That was sooo exciting!
I remember getting my first pair of real jeans there.


Seriously? I didn't know that. I thought they are gone together with Pewexes.

In Okęcie for sure there is one still.

And at Gdansk airport too.

Pewex however is long gone.

Yes, me too. They were like 8 or 10 dollars, but at that time, right after I finished high school, my salary was about 2000 zloty which was only $20 USA. Meaning, my jeans cost me a half of my monthly salary! :)... but I HAD to have them!

The small Pewex was inside of a hotel - right across from the train station in Kielce.
It smelled beautiful inside and the bath soaps felt like heaven.

I truely miss Baltona.

I remember (well... I think) - my older brother got his BMX from Pewex :P