ThoseGrande distribution –
Coop follows Migros by announcing lower prices
The Basel giant says it wants to invest 100 million per year to offer cheaper products. And plans to open its 1000e supermarket in 2026.
Published today at 9:58 a.m.
A Coop supermarket in the canton of Schwyz, in 2018. The distributor now has 965 throughout Switzerland.
KEYSTONE/GAETAN BALLY
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- Coop is modernizing its supermarkets to counter Aldi and Lidl.
- Nearly 500 stores will be renovated by the end of 2030.
- Permanent price cuts concern 2,200 products this year.
- The French-speaking Consumer Federation remains cautious, particularly with regard to the consequences for producers.
A vast price reduction on more than 1,000 products by next year, then 140 new stores by 2030. Migros announced this week an ambitious battle plan to counter the discounters Aldi and Lidl, which attract an increasingly large customer base. And Coop? The other Swiss distribution giant does not intend to sit idly by, we are told at the headquarters of the Basel group.
First objective: modernize the country’s 965 Coop supermarkets. According to Caspar Frey, head of the media department, the operation will be completed in 345 points of sale by the end of the year, and this number will increase to around 500 by the end of 2030. “We have the network densest in Swiss retail, with 1,317 food points of sale in total,” he notes.
The offering of traditional supermarkets will also be strengthened: “Le 1000e should open its doors in 2026, says the spokesperson. A few dozen others will follow by 2030, spread across all regions of the country, in neighborhoods, mountain villages, towns and large cities.”
Profitability logic
On the price side, Coop will expand its entry-level assortment, which includes around 1,500 products. “This year alone, around sixty Prix Garantie products were added. Our customers also benefit from more than 500 promotions every week when shopping in our Coop supermarkets or online.”
Like its competitor Migros, Coop promises further permanent price reductions. “This was the case for some 2,200 products this year,” underlines Caspar Frey, specifying that 65 million francs were invested for this. Since 2019, we have invested around 100 million per year in this strategy, and we will continue it in 2025.”
Secretary general of the French-speaking Consumer Federation (FRC), Sophie Michaud Gigon observes that Migros and Coop respond to a communication strategy and a search for profitability. “It is logical to want to counter the progression of Aldi and Lidl, who are also offering more and more sustainable and organic products. Competition is not only about prices, but also about criticism about margins and transparency.”
Increased pressure on farmers?
What direct benefits will the population be able to derive from it? The head of the FRC calls for caution: “We will have to judge on the basis of evidence and see on which products the prices will actually be revised downwards. It’s not the same thing if it concerns everyday or occasional purchases.”
In her role as national advisor (Les Verts/VD), Sophie Michaud Gigon is also concerned about the potentially perverse effects of these measures. “If I am so committed to price transparency, it is to understand where the consumer’s money is going. However, these reductions should not, for example, contribute to increasing the pressure on agricultural incomewithout any real effects on margins.”
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