Vanessa Senn, real estate manager at Aldi Switzerland and Fabian Wengeler, head of uses and acquisitions at SBB, after signing the contract at Basel SBB station.
In 2026, Aldi Switzerland will open its first permanent store in a train station, replacing the orange giant.
Anna-lenna lauber / ch media
A major first for Switzerland: in the summer of 2026, Aldi Suisse will inaugurate its very first permanent station store, in the heart of Basel SBB station. The discount giant will take Coop’s place on the station footbridge.
In its communication, Aldi Suisse promises its customers unbeatable value for money, adapted to the needs of commuters, with a store open 365 days a year, from morning until late in the evening. This is what the brand announced on Wednesday for this new small-format store designed to offer a quick and practical shopping experience to travelers.
The store will offer, the company announces, a varied selection of products, ranging from regional items to organic products from the own brand “Retour aux sources”, without forgetting ready-to-eat options for customers in a hurry. Aldi Suisse will invest around one million Swiss francs in this project, with a concept specially designed for this busy place.
Aldi replaces Coop Soon
Fabian Wengeler, Head of Use and Acquisitions at SBB, emphasized that Aldi Switzerland’s high ridership concept fits perfectly with SBB’s vision:
“We want to offer our station customers diversity and innovation, by combining established players, local suppliers and new products.”
-With 140,000 travelers per day, Basel SBB station is among the busiest in Switzerland. Aldi Suisse won the location on the station footbridge in a tender process organized by the SBB. According to the Basler Zeitungthe space that Aldi will occupy corresponds to that of the current Coop-Pronto. Coop, for its part, will have to hand over the keys to CFF at the end of April 2026.
An attempt already made in Lausanne
Aldi Suisse had already tested a station store concept between 2019 and 2021, but it was a temporary use of space at Lausanne station. This time, the approach is different: the brand is banking on a permanent location in a strategic site.
Translated and adapted from German
Migros, Coop, Aldi: more articles on supermarkets in Switzerland
At Coop, promotions now start on Thursday, and no longer on Tuesday. This new feature also concerns specialized stores and Coop City.
For bargain enthusiasts, Tuesday is not a day like any other. It is in fact from there that the actions start in many Swiss brands, to last until the following Monday. This is also the case at Coop. However, the retailer announced a change in its action planning. They will now be valid from Thursday to the following Wednesday.
