Switzerland: the land of cooperatives

The history of the Swiss retail giant Migros in pictures

Migros-Verkaufswagen, ca. 1925 — The Migros story began with five mobile food trucks in Zurich. On August 25, 1925 Migros began operating five trucks, which were able to deliver products to 178 locations in the Swiss city. Keystone

Kunden mit Kind an der Ladentheke — Migros founder Gottlieb Duttweiler opened the first store in Schaffhausen in 1928. Sales took place only over the counter. MGB-Archiv, MGB_Dok_Fo_062970

Migros Genossenschafterversammlung ca. 1942 - ca. 1955 — In 1941 Migros AG became a cooperative. This photo from 1942 shows a meeting of the Migros cooperative members. MGB-Archiv, MGB_Dok_Fo_133684

Frau am Einkaufen in einem Selbstbedienungsladen 1948 — The first self-service Migros store in Zurich in 1948. Keystone

Benzinpreis 1954 — Migros is more than a retailer. In 1954 it launched Migrol, which offered cheap petrol. Keystone

Migros Markt in Zürich-Oerlikon 1956 — The opening of a Migros supermarket in Oerlikon in 1956. Keystone

Migros-Verkaufswagen 1958 — A Migros sales truck in Le Sentier, canton Jura, 1958. MGB-Archiv, MGB_Dok_Fo_111842

Gottlieb Duttweiler vor dem Migros-Markt in Oerlikon 1960 — Gottlieb Duttweiler (1888-1962), founder of Migros, in Oerlikon on April 9, 1960. Keystone

Migrosbank 1961, Kunden am Bankschalter — Migros Bank AG opened in 1957. Originally it was only intended to handle Migros's financial transactions, but it quickly developed into a customer bank. MGB_Archiv, MGB_Dok_Fo_069714

Selbsttipp-Kasse der Migros 1965 — Migros experimented with self-service supermarket tills in the 1960s. The aim was to eliminate long waiting times. After four years, the experiment was quietly abandoned. It was not until 2011 that the idea was taken up again. MGB-Archiv, MGB_Dok_Fo_057221

Migros-Grossbaeckerei Iowa 1977 — Migros produces many of its own products, such as bread and cakes. Keystone

Familie am Einkaufen in der Migros 2002 — Kid-sized caddies at a Migros supermarket in Zürich, 2002. Keystone / Martin Ruetschi

Migroswagen unterwegs im Wallis — A Migros truck in the village of Unterbüch in canton Valais, 2003. Keystone / Franca Pedrazzetti

Tiefkuehllager und Logistik-Zentrum der Migros in Neuendorf — A Migros warehouse and logistics centre in Neuendorf, 2015. The automated system transports goods at -27 degrees Celsius. Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Demonstration Stopfleber Migros — Activists demonstrate in front of a Migros in Lausanne against the sales of foie gras, November 24, 2018. Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

Migros während COVID-19 — During the Covid-19 pandemic part of the non-food selection of products was declared off limits and not for sale, April 2020. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

Abstimmung Alkoholverkauf Migros — Since 1928, there has been a ban on the sale of alcohol in Migros branches. In June 2022, voters at Migros regional cooperatives decided overwhelmingly that Switzerland’s largest retailer should not start selling alcohol. . Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

This content was published on March 2, 2023 - 09:00

As a visual editor, Vera works with multimedia content formats. She produces photos and videos for original articles, helps colleagues with their research, and edits and prepares images and videos for SWI swissinfo.ch’s various online channels. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Production and completed an apprenticeship as a mediamatician.

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