A new poll by 20 Minuten has confirmed, once and for all, which supermarket in Switzerland is the most popular. While it was a close competition, with people’s perspectives changing depending on their salary and even level of education, one “Orange Giant” towered above the rest: Migros.

Migros is Switzerland's most popular supermarket

It’s safe to say that much like the Röstigraben, Aromat and fondue versus raclette, a Swiss resident’s supermarket preference can be a highly contentious issue. For decades, the battle between Migros and Coop has seen families divided and brother turn against brother as people bicker over prices and other more insignificant factors like who produces the best in-house ice tea and crisps.

However, according to the new survey, Migros is now by far and away the most popular supermarket in Switzerland, with 41 percent of respondents preferring to shop at the “Orange Giant” - despite their lack of alcohol. Coop was only able to garner 28 percent of the vote, with Lidl (7 percent), Aldi (6) and Denner (4) rounding out the top five.

In a blow to the budget German supermarkets, the survey found that the Swiss will opt for Coop and Migros, regardless of the cost: when prices were analysed by the Westschweizer Zeitung in March 2022, they found the average cost of a shop at Aldi and Lidl stood at 134 and 134,75 francs respectively, compared to 155 at Migros and 161,85 francs at Coop!

German budget supermarkets fail to gain popularity

Interestingly, the study found that someone’s salary and education level have a significant impact on where they choose to shop, with Coop reaching peak popularity among people who earn more than 111.000 francs a year and those who have attended university. In contrast, the popularity of German budget supermarkets did not decline much when someone's income increased.

“It is very likely that Coop is deliberately targeting a somewhat wealthier target group that pays less attention to costs.” noted editor-in-chief of the product magazine Bon à Savoir, Laure Drompt. She added that Lidl and Aldi's relative lack of popularity can be blamed on a “social stigma” around shopping there, although she predicts this phenomenon will be short-lived and that Coop and Migros will soon have to adapt to their new rivals. 

Thumb image credit: Shutterstock.com / Sorbis