Everything that was not produced in a subsistence economy, such as coffee, tea, cloth, sugar and lamp oil, was sold in the country store. Shops were set up in the countryside from the 1840s onwards. Before that, trading was only legal in towns and cities. The shop also served as a post office, a bank, and a local news office where people exchanged news. This shop was located in Savitaipalee, South Karelia.