Migros
Migros (pronounced “meeĝ-rōe”) is one of Switzerland's largest companies. It controls fifteen per cent of the food and non-food market, plus it is the largest supermarket chain in Switzerland. One interesting thing about the company in a business sense is rather then expand internationality into other countries, it grows into various different sectors such as petrol stations and holidays, even adult education. The reason for this, is that it is co-operative organisation rather then a profit-making company.
History It started when in 1925, Gottlieb Duttweiler did a direct operation of selling large amounts of basic products into demi-grosses. Later to corner the market, a mobile shopping facility went around the villages selling to the general public (Switzerland was a very poor country, and many people still lived in villages), even today Migros still use the mobile supermarkets to go around to people's houses. In later years, shops and supermarkets was established in villages, towns & cities across the country. As far back as 1954, the petrol station company Migrol started.
Companies
- Migros - supermarkets
- LeShop.ch - a online supermarket that Migros bought in 2003
- Migrol - petrol stations
- M-electronics - electronic stores
- OBI - DIY Stores
- FitnessPark – fitness centres
- Do it+Garden Migros – DIY & Garden centres
- Micasa - furniture stores
- MigrosBank – bank (it is the fifth-largest in Switzerland)
- Golfpark - public golf club
- Ex Libris – bookshops
- Migros Klubschole - adult education centres
- Sportxx - sports shops
- Eurocentres – language schools
- Frey – chocolate manufactures
- Migros Magazin – the company's sales magazine
- Hotelplan - holidays company
Globus Group (became part of Migros in 1998)
- Interino – furniture stores
- Globus – department stores
- Globus Herren – menswears stores
- Office World – office supplies
- Globi – a cartoon character who is mascot of the Globus Group, often refers as Switzerland's Mickey Mouse.