Migros

Gottlieb Duttweiler established the Migros cooperative on June 24, 1925, with a specific goal to lower food prices by selling goods at costs halfway between wholesale and retail. The name itself combines the French words mi for half and gros for wholesale. This unique model created a non-profit structure where over two million members own the company rather than external shareholders. Instead of distributing profits as dividends, the organization caps annual earnings around 5% and reinvests any surplus into lowering prices or funding social projects.

The brand operates from its headquarters in Zurich and has expanded far beyond basic grocery sales into a vast ecosystem of subsidiaries. These include Migros Bank, one of Switzerland's largest private financial institutions, Medbase which provides healthcare services, and Tamedia which holds significant media assets. The company also runs Migros Online, the leading Swiss digital supermarket platform, and manages substantial real estate and tourism properties across the country.

Migros maintains a strong market position against competitors like Aldi Suisse, Lidl Suisse, and the rival Coop Group. Recent strategic moves include acquiring a majority stake in the dental chain Ardentis through its Medbase subsidiary in August 2026. The retailer also launched a major enterprise resource planning harmonization project using RISE with SAP on Microsoft Azure to standardize data flows. Leadership changes occurred when Katrin Tschannen stepped down as CEO of Migros Online after six years, while the broader group continued operations including a two-million Swiss franc donation to farmers affected by drought later that year. [edit]