Migros to close Geneva organic spaces despite growing customer interest

Migros is set to close its dedicated organic product spaces at the Balexert and Plainpalais stores in Geneva by the end of June. The cooperative informed around 2,500 customers, identified through their Cumulus cards, about the decision in May.

These specialized sections, which exclusively offered products from organic agriculture, were located within the larger Migros stores. The Balexert location, part of the largest Migros in Switzerland, opened in November 2021, followed by the Plainpalais space five months later.

The initiative involved a partnership with the French brand Naturalia and a dedicated team within Migros Geneva. It relied on a specific supply chain, including a significant portion of imported French products, which resulted in higher operational costs. The original strategy aimed to amortize these costs through economies of scale by expanding the concept across the canton, then to the French-speaking region of Switzerland, and potentially nationwide. However, this broader expansion plan has now been abandoned.