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SWISS TRADITIONS

How Switzerland’s Migros could start selling alcohol as early as July

Swiss shoppers may be allowed to buy alcohol in Migros for the first time in a century, with the supermarket to announce a final decision on the issue in mid-June.

Published: 30 May 2022 14:29 CEST
The familiar orange sign of Swiss supermarket Migros

In November 2021, Swiss supermarket Migros decided to allow its 630 locations nationwide to sell alcohol for the first time in the supermarket’s history. 

However, whether the supermarkets will be allowed to actually sell beer, wine and booze will be up to the regional cooperatives which govern Migros outlets. 

This being Switzerland, where almost every form of change needs to take place via a vote, delegates have been casting their ballots on whether or not they will allow the sale of alcohol in their region. 

Regional cooperatives began a voting process on May 16th which will run until June 4th. Migros announced on Monday that the final decision of the ballot will be made public in mid-June. 

After the announcement, the changes will be put into place relatively quickly – with alcohol sales permitted from July 1st, if they are approved. 

READ MORE: Is Swiss supermarket Migros about to start selling alcohol and cigarettes?

“Migros will then probably provide information about the results in the Migros Magazine and online in mid-June 2022,” said Migros spokesman Marcel Schlatter.

“Where less than two-thirds are in favour of selling alcohol, everything stays the same. Where more than two-thirds of voters are in favour of selling alcohol, the amended statutes will come into force on July 1, 2022.”

Each regional cooperative must decide individually, by a two-thirds majority, whether the stores it governs will sell alcohol. 

This may lead to an outcome where one Migros will sell alcohol but another store in a neighbouring cooperative, will not. 

There are ten regional cooperatives in Switzerland. 

As The Local Switzerland revealed in a recent article, while Duttweiler did this under a special pledge of upholding public health “against excessive consumption of cheap brandy and fruit schnapps”, in reality his decision was motivated by self-interest as he saw a special opportunity as a result of the growing prohibition movement. 

EXPLAINED: The real reason Swiss supermarket Migros doesn’t sell alcohol

In fact, while it may seem like a seismic shift, the company has been selling alcohol through a variety of loopholes for decades. 

Migros subsidiaries Migrolino and Denner both sell alcohol and cigarettes, while Migros itself currently sells alcohol and tobacco via the internet under the Le Shop banner.

Tobacco on the other hand will remain forbidden, meaning you won’t see cigarettes on Migros shelves any time soon. 

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SWISS TRADITIONS

EXPLAINED: Why is Switzerland so famous for watches?

Watches are considered as quintessentially Swiss as chocolate. But how did that become the case?

Published: 10 April 2024 11:47 CEST
EXPLAINED: Why is Switzerland so famous for watches?

Switzerland is considered the centre of the global wristwatch trade, with several of the world’s largest and most exclusive manufacturers based there.

However, this was not where the watch trade was born. 

In the 16th century, portable, wearable clocks, usually worn on a chain around the neck, first appeared in the German cities of Nuremberg and Augsburg. 

Both cities were known for precision instruments related to the weapons and surveying trades.

Several advances in metallurgy in these two cities enabled the creation of working, albeit somewhat unreliable, clock movements that could be carried around. 

READ MORE: Cuckoo clocks and Toblerone: The ‘Swiss’ products that are not actually Swiss

Soon, these were luxury items – and in fierce demand across Europe. 

Shortly afterwards, another momentous historical event occurred that would enable Switzerland’s dominance of the watch trade. 

An industry is born

As the Protestant Reformation exploded across Europe, French Protestants – known as Huguenots – were driven from France by the Catholic monarchy. 

Many of these Huguenots crossed to Switzerland and settled in Geneva, bringing their skills as metalworkers and jewellers. 

At this time, the city of Geneva was under the control of the reformer John Calvin and his supporters.

Calvin was a strict and austere man who had forbidden displays of flashy jewellery in the city. Thus, many Huguenots retrained as watchmakers to circumvent the religious laws that were rigorously enforced. 

Necessity breeds innovation, and within decades, the first clunky, inaccurate wearable clocks were replaced by far more advanced, smaller timepieces. 

READ MORE: Geneva watch fetches $21 million at auction

Throughout the 17th century, the pocket watch became incredibly popular, owned in large numbers by the nobility. 

Several large mercantile companies appeared in the 18th century, and the merchant class also began carrying them. 

To meet this surge in demand, timepiece manufacturing spread beyond Geneva to several nearby cantons, such as Neuchâtel and Jura. 

At this time, the country’s oldest still-existing watch manufacturer, Blancpain, was founded in 1735. Breguet, another titan of the watchmaking industry, was founded in 1775.  

The first wristwatch 

By the 19th century, the Swiss clock and timepiece industry had achieved almost total dominance, only rivalled by England and parts of Germany. 

This is due to the development of the etablissage system. Family firms in various villages and towns would be responsible for creating standardised watch parts, which would then be assembled by watch firms in the larger cities. 

Inventing the self-winding mechanism also played a huge role in furthering the influence of Swiss watchmaking. 

Such a system streamlined the production process and meant that watches could consistently be produced without waiting for specific parts to be available.

Many believe that Abraham-Louis Breguet created the first wristwatch in 1810 for Caroline Bonaparte, Queen of Naples and sister of Napoleon.  

READ MORE: Napoleon’s locks to be put in Geneva watches

This led to a fashion trend, and by the mid-19th century, women would wear bracelets that included a timepiece. 

Many new luxury brands, such as Patek Philippe in 1839, emerged to cater to this market. 

Men’s wristwatches would follow later – prompted by military men requiring something to use to time manoeuvres in the field. 

The Swiss watch industry continued to expand throughout the 20th century, weathering the development of quartz movements in Japan and several other threats to its dominance. 

Today’s Swiss watch industry

In 2024, the Swiss watch industry will contribute around 26.5 billion francs to the country’s economy, with just four companies—Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Richard Mille—comprising almost half the market share. 

Around 700 wristwatch makers operate across Switzerland today, catering to luxury and specialist markets. 

Despite competition from other countries, such as Japan and the United States, the country is still viewed as a centre of innovation and excellence. 

READ MORE: Swiss watches rebound to beat the pandemic blues

Many firms emphasise bespoke, hand manufacturing as their strength in creating excellent timepieces. 

This perhaps explains the prices that some Swiss watches can command —some Patek Phillipe models, for example, have sold for more than 20 million euros! 

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