Big cities in East Germany had large Centrum department stores. They also operated Intershop stores which sold goods for hard currency. (One Intershop was accessible to subway passengers in West Berlin.)

Robotron was the main computer and electronics brand, and records were released on the Amiga label. You could get ORWO film for your Praktika camera.

The main East German cars were the infamous Trabant and the larger Wartburg. The latter was sold briefly in the UK in the late sixties. (Honnecker and other Communist bigwigs got Volvos.)

Vita Cola was probably the best known East German soft drink. It's still made today.

There are plenty of East German brands, the most famous of which are Vita Cola and Trabant.

Some of the lesser known ones include: Diamant (bicycles) Ziess (watches) Plauen (curtains) Kaffee Mix (coffee) Glashütte (clocks)

There is also a retail chain called „Intershop“ that many citizens of the GDR visited to buy higher quality items.