Migros has trouble easing its ban on the sale of alcohol

No alcohol is not a solution either: Migros uses a few tricks to circumvent its own ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages. The cooperative even runs four wine shops in Ticino.

Migros is increasingly putting its legacy to the test. While founder Gottlieb Duttweiler had ordered Migros not to sell alcoholic beverages, the wholesaler now increasingly softens this principle. According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, Migros has built a chain of wines and spirits that went unnoticed by the public.

The chain of stores “Enoteca Vinarte” is a subsidiary of Migros Tessin. All four branches are located in or next to a Migros shopping center. Out of consideration for public health, Migros cannot actually sell alcoholic beverages in accordance with the statutes. Migros in Ticino creatively compensates for the competitive disadvantage: Migros is silent about it, but alcohol sales are flowing into their coffers.

Migros also circumvents the Internet sales ban, with a trick. Consumers should also be able to buy wine on the new food portal Migros.ch. This works through a so-called in-store solution: anyone looking for alcohol is redirected to Denner’s integrated site.

Duttweiler’s legacy is also shaken by senior staff. The new president of the regional cooperative Neuchâtel-Freiburg, Thierry Grosjean, is a winemaker. However, he sells his wines to Coop. According to Migros, both cases do not violate the cooperative’s statutes.

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