Online supermarkets are convenient, practical and save time. The service is now so popular that, in addition to the two market leaders Coop and Migros, many smaller retailers also deliver to your doorstep.
The latest newcomer to the market: Alfies. The online supermarket from Austria has been supplying Zurich households with groceries, drugstore products, kiosk goods and pet supplies since the end of February.
These include many branded products, but also regional and international specialties such as the chili cheese bratwurst from the Zurich butcher’s shop Minnig, the freshly baked “Champs Elysée” croissant from the Fredy’s bakery or the German cult drink Paulaner Spezi.
“There is no one else like us in Switzerland,” says managing director Peter Rohn in an interview with 20 minutes. It is not just the “carefully selected” and “high-quality” range at supermarket prices that encourages him to make this statement, but also the affordability and speed of Alfies.
You can order from a minimum value of 29 francs, and delivery is free for orders over 59 francs. The shopping cart is delivered by electric car within 60 to 120 minutes – or at a specific time of your choice.
Other retailers in Switzerland pursue a more conservative business model when it comes to online shopping, offering the usual range and having higher minimum order values and longer delivery times. “We, on the other hand, stand out from these models precisely through our range, our quality and our service,” says Rohn.
He is therefore not afraid of Coop or Migros – on the contrary. “Not a day goes by when our customers do not greet us with a smile,” says Rohn happily. Demand has also grown steadily over the past three months, so that daily orders are now in the “high three-digit range.”
“We want to expand this further, of course.” Alfies is currently only available in the Zurich area; to be precise, the catchment area extends from Wettingen AG to Zollikon ZH and from Opfikon ZH to Rudolfstetten AG. But before further expansion plans in Switzerland are realized, “we want to further strengthen our brand awareness in the Zurich area,” says Rohn.
Although Alfies was able to further consolidate its market position with the takeover of Stash – a Swiss quick commerce provider – in May, the biggest challenge currently is still bringing the brand closer to the Zurich audience.
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