Challenges Faced by Malaysian Consumer Cooperatives in Pursuit of Survival and Sustainability During Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Indeed, consumer cooperatives worldwide have relentlessly faced tremendous challenges and predicaments. Entangled with economic turbulence, political instability, and even worse, the lockdown due to Covid-19 have left them struggling for survival and sustainability. Triggered by the issues above, the study is motivated to explore the challenges consumer cooperatives face during the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysian context. The study also elicited how they mitigate those challenges in pursuit of survival and sustainability. The researchers interviewed 19 consumer cooperatives' managers and analysed the data using a phenomenography approach and NVivo 12 software. Results revealed that they faced several challenges: reduction in revenues, insufficient cash flow, strict adherence to standard operating procedures, shortage of supplies, and shrinking business contracts. They mitigated those challenges through business innovation, government assistance, technology adoption, and obtaining credit from financial institutions. The discoveries provide beneficial insights to policymakers, consumer cooperatives, members, academia, and the like on the challenges faced by consumer cooperatives and how they mitigate them in pursuit of survival and sustainability. For future research, it is suggested to explore the challenges in different contexts and regions. Hence, the results can help many parties to identify the appropriate assistance specific for each context, region, location, and country.