Migros

The group Migros is a conglomerate of Swiss companies active in the sector of the Large distribution. It is more the large company of distribution of Switzerland (37% of the Swiss market of the food) in front of its main competitor Coop (35%) and the principal private employer of the country. Its Logo is a M orange capital letter, from where its surnon familiar of giant orange .

History

The Migros company is founded in the form of a Public limit company in 1925 by Gottlieb Duttweiler which then wishes to offer to the consumer products of first need to the market prices the large one by removing the intermediaries (from where the name Migros, half in retail price and the other wholesale price). It starts by not selling (at low prices from 10 to 30% with those of competition) only of the Café, Riz, Sucre, Pâtes, Edible oil of Coconut and Savon in truck-stores which pass from villages in villages. The first fixed store is open in 1926 to Zurich and the second with the Tessin in the form of a Coopérative.

Into 1941, the structure of the company changes to become the Federation of the co-operatives Migros (FCM, in German Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund , MGB), subdivided in regional co-operatives. Gradually, the activities of the group diversify. If the company of voyage Hotelplan is founded by Duttweiler in 1935 already, it is in 1942 that the magazine Wir Brückenbauer (currently known under the name of Migros Magazine) is born. Will follow the training center Migros School-Club in 1944, the restaurants 1952, the Migrol service station in 1954, the schools of Eurocentres language in 1956, the Banque Migros in 1957 and the insurance company in 1959. Will follow the first recreation park later ( Säntispark , with Saint-Gall, in 1986) then the first shopping mall abroad (Thoiry in 1993).

In 1957, the cultural Pour-cent Migros is registered in the statutes, obliging the company to devote each year 0,5% of the volume of the retail sales and 1% of the volume of the wholesales to cultural projects and social, which represents 116 million Swiss francs in 2006. In 1967, all packing of the products of the mark is modified to include the expiry date there. The name of Migros dated since passed in the current language. In 1970, the company launches a label M-Sano for fruit and vegetables produced in the respect of the environment.

In 1977, the company returns Hans A. Pestalozzi, one of its director and cofounder of the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute to have criticized the consumer society. This one will denounce, a few years later, the operations of the direction to prevent that a movement of consumer protection called Mr.-Revival (in German M-Frühling ) cannot enter the management of the firm.

As of 1996, the company launches a product range first price called Mr.-Budget , then, the following year, a program of development of consumer loyalty Mr.-Cumulus. In 2006, Migros takes a participation of 80% in the online store " LeShop.ch ".

The January 12th 2007, Migros takes a participation of 70% of the Swiss discounter Denner. This acquisition makes it possible the Migros group to be one of the leaders of the distribution of alcohol and tobacco in spite of the will posted of its founder to banish these substances, thus making of Migros a chain of supermarkets had in fact by its consumers.

The supermarkets are divided into three categories according to their size M, MM or MMM.

Structure

Regional co-operatives

The regional co-operatives form the heart of Migros. They are ten since 1998:
  • Genossenschaft Migros Aare, Moosseedorf/Schönbühl BE
  • Genossenschaft Migros Basel, Basle BS
  • Cooperative society Migros Geneva, Carouge GE
  • Genossenschaft Migros Luzern, Dierikon LU
  • Cooperative society Migros Neuchâtel-Freiburg, Sailor-Epagnier
  • Genossenschaft Migros Ostschweiz, Gossau SG
  • Società Cooperativa Migros Ticino, Sant' Antonino TI
  • Migros Cooperative society Were worth, Martigny VS
  • Cooperative society Migros Vaud, Ecublens VD
  • Genossenschaft Migros Zurich, Zurich ZH
In 1998, a reorganization took place, increasing the number of regional co-operatives from twelve to ten by gathering the Genossenschaft Migros Aargau/Solothurn (Suhr) and Genossenschaft Migros Bern (Moosseedorf) under the name of Migros Aare and the Genossenschaft Migros Winterthur/Schaffhausen and Genossenschaft Migros St Gallen , under the name of Migros Ostschweiz .

Each Coopérative elects a co-operative committee every four years.

The cohérance of these various co-operatives is ensured by another company the Fédération of the co-operatives Migros , is founded and managed via the ten regional co-operatives.

See also: Federation of the Co-operatives Migros

Lines of products and programs

Mr.-budget and Migros Selection

In 1996, inspired by similar products sold in Australia, Migros launches its range at low-price Mr.-Budget which offers 70 different products then. In 2006, pas less than 500 articles are available, including for example Mountain bike S of the Snowboard S, Chocolat, Jeans or Briquet S. All the articles use the same graphics of packing, a dark green bottom on which the logo of Migros is repeated ad infinitum in white. The company announces a turnover of 653 million Swiss francs for the few 500 articles Mr.-Budget suggested.

The mark, in the beginning intended for the families with low-income, recently became with the mode thanks to initiatives such as the organization of Mr.-Budget Party (evenings whose entry costs only CHF 9,90 including a soft drink) or the Mobile Mr.-Budget (an offer of portable telephony launched in 2005) where production of articles in very small quantity which becomes objects of collection then.

In 2006, Migros launches the Mr.-Budget credit card , a combined offer of Credit card in partnership with Mastercard and GE Money Bank whose annual subscription does not cost of 4.40 CHF (compared with the 100. - CHF invoicees normally).

In June 2007, the study of the advertizing agency Advico Young & Rubicam showed that Mr.-Budget belonged from now on to the club of the twenty marks most appreciated by the Swiss ones.

Contrary, in 2005, Migros launches a called top-of-the-range line Migros Sélection. Including/understanding edible products mainly, this line presents products of quality higher in a gilded specific packing.

Engagement

Gathered under the generic label of Engagement , Migros concluded several agreements with national organizations or international who offer products manufactured with a respect important to the social status and ecological, of which for example:
  • the guaranteed meat in 7 points for the control of the Swiss meat
  • the label Bio , guaranteed Organic farming with external control
  • the label IP-Switzerland for the production of Cereal S (IP meaning Integrierte Produktion , is reasoned Agriculture)
  • the label Max Havelaar , for the promotion of the equitable trade
  • the Marine Stewardship Council , for the fishery products
  • the label Eco , for the textiles
  • the label cotton bio for the production of cotton
  • the Forest Stewardship Council for the use of the Wood

Anecdotes

  • In 1955, Gottlied Duttweiler founds the regional co-operative Migros Turkey , without real success. Today, this co-operative became a public limit company which does not belong to the Migros group.
  • In the years 1970, family EM records " Migros Lied" (the Migros song). The idea from this 45 turn is not Migros, but EM. The parents and their three children sing on a music which wants to be involving an ode kind with the co-operative. Extracts of the words: " Eusi Migros - die staht denies still. Eusi Migros - bliibt immer jung."
  • the receipt of the sticks to the Sélection hazel nuts was created by Adèle Duttweiler, the wife of the Migros founder.

Sources and references

Random links:Tour de France 1990 | Plank (department) | H.B. Parkinson | Tomb Raider: Anniversary | Nuit_de_Fernwood_2