After 13 years of presence in Switzerland, German organic retailer Alnatura will close all 25 of its Swiss stores by December 31, 2025. The decision, jointly announced with Migros Zürich on July 8, 2025, signals the end of a once-promising cross-border franchise. The reasons are structural, strategic — and final. Reported G.Business, citing Blick.
A franchise without renewal
Alnatura’s presence in Switzerland began in 2012, when it partnered with Migros Zürich, one of the largest cooperatives within the Migros Group. The model relied on Migros operating all Swiss locations under franchise while Alnatura supplied the brand, product lines, and philosophy.
In February 2025, Migros announced it would not renew the franchise contract. The cooperative cited a broader shift in its business model: a renewed focus on core supermarket operations and a retreat from specialized formats such as Micasa and Do it + Garden. With the expiration of the Alnatura agreement, no successor was found willing or able to continue the stores under the same model.
Alnatura made it clear that it would not operate the Swiss stores independently — leading to the complete phase-out of its physical presence in the country.
260 employees affected, no store to remain
The closure will impact approximately 260 retail staff across the country. According to Migros Zürich, all employees have been offered alternative positions within the cooperative, though it remains unclear how many will accept such placements — particularly in cities far from Zürich.
Alnatura confirmed that all 25 stores will remain operational until December 31, 2025. After that date, none will reopen under the Alnatura name.
Where the closures hit
The Alnatura stores are all located in German-speaking regions of Switzerland. Seven of them are in Zürich alone. Others are spread across key urban centers, including Bern, Basel, Luzern, and St. Gallen. Full list below
Zürich (7 locations)
- Höngg – Limmattalstrasse 180
- Kreuzplatz – Klosbachstrasse 99
- Limmatplatz – Limmatstrasse 152
- City Löwenstrasse – Löwenstrasse 31–35
- Niederdorf – Niederdorfstrasse 43
- Oerlikon Bauhof – Hofwiesenstrasse 350
- Passage Sihlquai – Zürich Main Station
Other cities
- Winterthur (2) – Grüze & Neuwiesen
- Bern (3) – Aarbergergasse, Bärenplatz, Scheibenstrasse
- Basel (2) – Gerbergasse, Kirschgarten
- Luzern – Pilatusstrasse
- Zug – Metalli
- Solothurn – Hauptbahnhofplatz
- St. Gallen – Neugasse
- Baden – Weite Gasse
- Meilen, Stäfa, Thalwil, Wädenswil, Bülach, Uster – single units
Brand survives, stores do not
While the stores will vanish, the Alnatura brand will continue to exist in Switzerland. The strategic cooperation with Migros remains in place. Alnatura products will still be sold through Migros supermarkets and Migros' online shop, where the company expects to expand its organic offering.
This shift from physical retail to distribution aligns with the strategy Alnatura CEO Boris Pesek outlined earlier this year. “Our future growth will come through partnerships, not brick-and-mortar operations,” Pesek told Blick in January 2025.
A new strategy in a mature market
Switzerland’s organic market is estimated at CHF 4 billion, according to industry analysts. Alnatura currently holds around 3% market share, but aims to raise this to 7% by 2028 — not through stores, but via retail alliances and wholesale expansion.
The company sees the Swiss market as commercially valuable but operationally difficult. High wages, fragmented logistics, and fierce competition from established chains such as Coop and Denner have made growth via owned stores increasingly unfeasible.
Stay connected for news that works — timely, factual, and free from opinion. Learn more about this topic and related developments here: chwoot: he sudo flaw that turns local Linux users into root – in seconds