Opinion poll: Swiss object to paying ‘premium prices’ for imported goods

A German national will pay 25% less for a toy "made in China" than a Swiss person. Keystone

Swiss citizens are chafing at the “premium prices" they pay for branded imported goods, according to an opinion poll published by Le Matin Dimanche and SonntagsBlick.

Seven out of ten people believe that Swiss prices on such products are too high, according to the survey conducted by the GFS-Zurich Institute cited by the Sunday news weeklies.

For example, newspapers are still 51% more expensive in Switzerland than in France. A German national will pay 25% less for a toy “made in China” than a Swiss, according to the media reports.

But there is one exception: electronics are cheaper in Switzerland. This, according to the French-speaking Federation of Consumers, is “proof that it is possible to act against the island of high prices.”

Another finding of the survey is that shopping tourism has become more widespread and not just in the border region. Half of those surveyed said they “regularly” shop in neighboring countries.

The survey was commissioned by the organisers of the initiative ” Stop a l’îlot de cherté – pour des prix equitable.” It was conducted late 2019 and obtained the input of 1,012 people in Switzerland.

The popular initiative targets general importers and foreign suppliers who abuse their power and keep prices artificially high in Switzerland.

    + The people’s initiative is a central tenet of Swiss direct democray 

Supporters want the Swiss government to allow Swiss companies to buy abroad directly, without being obliged to go through importers and suppliers.

The Swiss parliament’s economic affairs committee took up the issue in October, adapting the Federal Council’s more measured counter-proposal.  Parliamentarians are expected to review both texts in the spring.