Migros opens its first round-the-clock Swiss supermarket

Migros opens its first standard branch offering round-the-clock shopping Keystone-SDA

Swiss retailer Migros has opened its first supermarket in Switzerland with 24-hour opening hours.

The shop in Herisau, the capital of canton Appenzell Outer Rhodes in northeastern Switzerland, is a standard Migros branch, staffed until the usual “closing time” at 7pm. After that, it automatically switches to self-service mode. Customers must scan a QR code with their smartphone and are then given a code that grants them access to the shop. They can pay for their purchases at the self-checkout tills.

At just under 300 square metres, the branch is relatively small. Around 7,000 items are available. For security reasons, the shop is monitored by CCTV and sensors. The system is designed to detect and raise the alarm if anyone suffers a medical emergency or has an accident while in the shop.

Under the Employment Act, the shelves may not be restocked at night or on Sundays and public holidays. Restocking therefore takes place immediately before or after staffed opening hours.

Growing demand

With this pilot project, Migros is responding to the growing demand for flexible shopping options. Technically, the branch is based on the concept of the unstaffed Migros Teo shops, which were launched in 2022. These are vending machines with 50 to 100 square metres of retail space in wooden buildings and indoor premises, to which customers also have round-the-clock access.

According to Migros, the Teo micro-stores are “successful and popular”. However, with its first full-scale branch, the retailer now aims to take things a step further.

The project in Herisau was originally due to start as early as summer 2025. However, an objection to the structural alterations and the change of use delayed the project by around a year. Migros has now received its operating licence.

Translated from German, sub-edited by ts