July 30, 2025|
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|4 months agoSwiss Retail Sector Struggles as Cross-Border Shopping Surges
Swiss retailers face significant challenges with sales dropping 1.9% in early 2025, particularly impacting physical stores as shopping tourism continues to draw consumers abroad.
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Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
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- Swiss retail sales fell by 1.9% between January and June 2025 compared to the previous year.
- Physical store revenues dropped by 2.2% in the first half of 2025.
- Online sales saw a modest increase of 0.8% during the same period.
- The Federal Council halved the duty-free import threshold from CHF 300 to CHF 150 per person per day.
- The Swiss retail sector comprises 1,900 companies with 6,800 outlets.
By The Numbers
-1.9%
Retail Sales Decline
-2.2%
Physical Store Revenue
CHF 150
Duty-Free Threshold
CHF 26 billion
Sector Turnover
They Said
"The cut to 150 francs has had almost no impact."
"Swiss retailers importing goods should be able to adjust prices down in line with the lower prices they are paying for imported goods, although they are often slow to do this."