The Cooperative Sector of the Smolensk Region: Current State and Development Problems

Abstract

The cooperative movement is a unique phenomenon in socio-economic history, embodying the desire of people for equal work for the common good. Cooperation has significant antitrust potential and allows small businesses to compete at the regional level with large businesses. The paper presents the results of a study on the development of consumer cooperation in the Smolensk region. The purpose of the study is to identify trends and patterns in the development of organizations operating in the cooperative sector in a regional aspect. The scientific novelty is due to the insufficient practice of studying the cooperative system at the regional level, which leads to problems of modeling and forecasting the development indicators of the cooperative sector. The study relies on unique statistical materials, variation analysis, time series analysis, structural analysis. Cooperative organizations of the Smolensk region demonstrate economic effectiveness, steadily reducing distribution costs, increasing net profit, and increasing financial stability. At the same time, a steady tendency towards a decrease in the number of employees with a decrease in real wages was revealed. There is a clear differentiation of indicators of the development of consumer cooperation by the region. Based on the results of the study, promising areas of the development of consumer cooperation in the region are identified and discussed by the authors.