Research of consumer practices of the Soviet citizens in the 1960th is covered in the article. Main institution engaged in studying this problem was the All-Union institute on studying population demand for consumer goods and trade environment. Data are provided on Soviet customers preferences of when choosing a summer dress, perfumery, jewelry. The author disproves some historians’ opinion according to which studying of consumer behavior of citizens, advertising and promotion of goods were considered ideologically alien for planned economy in the USSR. Scholarly projects of the Institute were aimed at analyzing psychological and emotional factors influencing decision making re. purchase; formulation of research tasks and their practical realization kept steps with the level of world scholarship. Article is written on the basis of archival documents of the Russian State Archive of Economy and academic works of staff of the Institute publishing results of research. These materials are for introduced for academic use.