The evolution of consumer cooperatives in Dâmbovița county – navigating regulatory challenges and ensuring market resilience

The significant decline of Romanian consumer cooperatives post-1989 served as the impetus for this research. This study initially seeks to identify the legislative shortcomings affecting the consumer cooperative sector and subsequently explores the mechanisms through which these socio-economically dual entities achieve market resilience. An exploratory approach was employed, focusing on consumer cooperatives in Dâmbovița County, using data derived from both semi-annual and annual financial reports. The analysis revealed that the sole viable path for restructuring consumer cooperatives in Dâmbovița involves mergers and absorptions between first-degree cooperatives and the second-degree county union – Federalcoop Dâmbovița. Furthermore, the adoption and implementation of a digitalization strategy in 2022 have played a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability and competitiveness of the local cooperative sector.