This April, a brand-new budget supermarket will make its debut in Switzerland. The Dutch brand Action will soon launch its new store in Canton Zurich, promising to sell 1.500 different products for two francs or less.

Action to launch first store in Switzerland on April 5

Founded in the Netherlands in 1993, Action has gone from strength to strength in the last 30 years. The self-described fastest-growing food discounter in Europe now sports 2.900 stores in over 12 countries, with plans to launch 4.850 new locations across Europe, and even cross the pond in the United States.

As part of this new expansion, Action is set to make a first foray into Switzerland, with its first store set to open on April 5. The first branch will open in the Parkallee shopping centre in Bachenbülach, Canton Zurich. 

It won’t be long before the Romandie will get their first taste of Action, with a store set to open in Martigny on April 24. Though the branches are not confirmed, 20 Minuten discovered that Action is also offering jobs in Winterthur, Basel, Olten, Délémont (Jura) and Matran (Fribourg).

1.500 products for less than two Swiss francs

With a focus on a mishmash collection of super-cheap products, Action is expected to compete with other budget supermarkets in Switzerland. In a statement on its website, the company promised that there will always be at least 1.500 items on the shelves that will cost two francs or less.

"We buy in large quantities so that we can offer not only our own brands but also premium brands at rock-bottom prices," Action wrote. In all, 6.000 affordable products are expected to be offered at its stores, with 150 new items added every week. 

Similar to Otto’s, Lidl and Aldi, Action will sell a large diversity of different items, from food, toys and pet food to clothes and cleaning products. The selection will also change frequently based on what can be bought cheaply - 20 Minuten found that only a third of Action’s range is considered permanent.

Will Action supermarkets make their mark in Switzerland?

So is the phrase “cheap and cheerful” finally going to apply to shopping in Zurich and Basel? Many experts have questioned whether budget stores like Action can survive, considering the higher cost of retail space and salaries in Switzerland. 

Speaking back when Action first announced its expansion to Switzerland in 2023, retail expert Marcel Stoffel told 20 Minuten that super-cheap prices are “almost economically impossible”, adding that few budget stores have been successful in the alpine nation. Whether he is right or not, will be revealed in time.

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