供销社 (gōngxiāoshè): supply and marketing cooperative

供销社 were the state-run rural retail network established in the 1950s to supply villages with basic goods and buy agricultural produce. They declined after reforms in the 1980s, but since around 2022 the government has been reviving the system under the 中华全国供销合作总社, drawing media commentary about a return to planned-economy structures.

register

The word carries strong Mao-era nostalgia. Older speakers use it plainly; younger people often use it ironically, the same way Americans might say 'the general store.'