The darker Finnish consumer co-operative story: The fall of the workers' E movement, c. 1950-1995

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A3 Kirjan tai muun kokoomateoksen osa
Date
2023-12-01
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Language
en
Pages
16
Series
Routledge Studies in International Business and the World Economy ; 87
Abstract
From early in its history, Finnish consumer co-operative activity consisted of two competing groups with large nationwide operations: S Group (mainly rural members) and E Group (mainly industrial workers). Before World War II, they were both quite successful, accounting for nearly one-third of the country's retail grocery business. This chapter focuses on the strategic renewal (SR) of the E Group, or rather its attempted SR. Firstly, we describe the birth of Finnish consumer co-operatives and the drivers behind their early success. Secondly, it explores the reasons behind their long decline since the early 1960s. The chapter concentrates on both co-operative groups' SR in the 1980s. At the beginning of the 1980s, many E Group co-operative store managers, impatient with spiralling losses and the slow pace of SR, rose in rebellion. The impetus behind their reaction was compounded by the weakening of KK's position.
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Publisher Copyright: © 2024 selection and editorial matter, John F. Wilson, Anthony Webster, Espen Ekberg and Samuli Skurnik. All rights reserved.
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Citation
Komulainen, A & Skurnik, S 2023, The darker Finnish consumer co-operative story: The fall of the workers' E movement, c. 1950-1995 . in The Consumer Co-operative Sector : International Perspectives on Strategic Renewal . Routledge Studies in International Business and the World Economy, no. 87, Routledge, New York, pp. 11-26 . https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003333838-3