Aligro Switzerland: prices, stores, and how to save at the cash & carry

Aligro is not a supermarket like the others. It's Switzerland's largest independent cash & carry — built for restaurants and retailers, but open to private customers as well. Think of it as Switzerland's answer to Costco or Makro: 14 stores nationwide, 30,000+ products under one roof, 2,000+ weekly promotions, and real savings — if you know when to use it. Here's the full 2026 guide.

What Aligro is and how it differs from regular supermarkets

Aligro (short for ALImentation en GROs, French for "food in bulk") is an independent Swiss family business founded in 1923 by brothers Paul and Ernest Demaurex in Morges. The first store under the Aligro name opened in 1966 in Geneva, in the Les Vernets district. Today the company is run by Etienne and Dominique Demaurex — the third generation of the family — and employs around 1,000 people.

The fundamental difference with Migros, Coop, Aldi, or Lidl is the model: Aligro is a cash-and-carry market. That means the concept is built first for professional clients — restaurants, bars, hotels, canteens, bakeries, kiosks, small retailers — who come to the store themselves, pick out their products, pay at the till, and transport everything themselves. The advantage is structural: fewer services, less marketing, fewer middlemen, and therefore much lower prices on many items, especially in larger formats.

Good news for private customers: Aligro is open to everyone, no business credentials required. Private-customer prices are slightly higher than professional prices (because they include Swiss VAT), but in many categories they're still well below standard retail. If you've shopped at Costco in the US or Makro in the UK, the format will feel familiar — but be aware: Aligro is closer to Makro/Metro than to a US-style Costco. There's no annual membership fee, no obligatory bulk packaging on every product, and the assortment skews more toward fresh products, alcohol, and food-service supplies than toward electronics or apparel.

The 14 Aligro stores in Switzerland

Aligro is present in two main regions: French-speaking Switzerland (where it was born) and German-speaking Switzerland (where it expanded in 2017 by acquiring all 9 CC Angehrn stores from Migros). There are no Aligro stores in Ticino. For expats, the practical takeaway: there's likely an Aligro within driving distance if you live near Geneva, Lausanne, Sion, Fribourg, Zurich, Basel, Bern, Lucerne, or St. Gallen.

A progressive modernization program started in 2018: Rapperswil-Jona, Bern, Brüttisellen, and Sargans are already fully renovated, with expanded fresh sections, a serviced fish counter, and an in-house bakery.

What you'll find at Aligro: assortment and specialties

The assortment looks very different from a neighborhood supermarket. The main categories cover fruit and vegetables, butchery and charcuterie, fish and seafood, dairy and cheese, bakery and pastry, ice cream, beverages, wines and sparkling wines, spirits, basic groceries, snacks, kiosk items (cigarettes, tobacco, vapes, CBD), cosmetics, cleaning products, single-use items and packaging, kitchenware, and textiles.

Two departments deserve a special mention. The fish counter is one of the largest in Switzerland, with over 500 varieties available, daily deliveries, and a selection that meets restaurant standards — many Swiss chefs use Aligro as their primary fish supplier. The wine cellar covers virtually every Swiss and international appellation, with particular focus on Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany, and Piedmont, and weekly promotions that can be more aggressive than those at standard supermarkets.

Total assortment exceeds 30,000 articles under one roof, and over 2,000 promotions are active each week, split between "PRO Actions" (for trade customers) and offers open to everyone.

Aligro prices: how much do you actually save?

No major Swiss price-comparison study (Comparis, K-Tipp, Bonus.ch) regularly includes Aligro in their standard baskets — they focus on Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, and Denner. The reason: Aligro is a cash & carry, not a neighborhood supermarket. So reliable savings estimates come from customer experience and the company's own positioning.

The price advantage is most pronounced in these categories: meat in large formats, beverages by the crate (mineral water, beer, soft drinks), wine by the case of 6 or 12, laundry and cleaning products in pro sizes, and disposable tableware and packaging for events. On milk, bread, yoghurt, and individual fresh items, the gap with Migros M-Budget or Coop Prix Garantie is often minimal or even negative — the big chains' value lines are very competitive on those products.

The practical rule: Aligro pays off when you buy in quantity. For a regular family weekly shop, Migros or Aldi is faster and usually price-matched. For organizing a 30-person birthday, a baptism, a corporate event, or stocking up before vacation, the savings can easily reach CHF 50–150.

Aligro for private customers: how it works

You don't need to register or sign up to shop at Aligro as a private customer — just walk in with an ID. Private-customer prices already include Swiss VAT at 8.1%. Weekly promotions come in two categories: some are valid for everyone, others are reserved for trade-card holders. The full flyer is downloadable for free at aligro.ch, or accessible through apps like Rappn, where offers are updated and sorted by category, expiry date, and unit price.

The Aligro customer card: benefits and discounts

For trade and semi-professional customers, there's the Vorteilskarte / Customer Advantage Card (free) and the Starter Card reserved for Hotel & Gastro Union members. Typical benefits include: a permanent professional discount on the entire range, additional discounts of up to 20% on specific product groups, access to 2,000+ weekly trade-only promotions, an annual bonus calculated on purchase volume, and access to Resto Club, a loyalty program designed for restaurant operators.

For private customers focused on maximizing savings, the practical advice is simple: always compare unit price (CHF/kg, CHF/litre, CHF/100g) before buying a large format. A deal on a 24-can crate isn't automatically cheaper if Lidl or Denner sell the single can for less the same day.

Aligro vs Prodega vs TopCC: the three Swiss cash & carry chains

The Swiss food cash & carry market is dominated by three players. Prodega (part of Transgourmet, the Coop group) leads with 31 stores, TopCC (part of the Spar group) has 11 stores mostly in German-speaking Switzerland, and Aligro rounds out the podium with 14 stores. Aligro is the only one of the three still operating as an independent family business, with no major retail group behind it. For private customers, all three chains feel similar in format; the differences matter mostly for restaurant operators and depend on specific assortment, framework contracts, and geography.

When Aligro is worth a trip (and when it isn't)

Worth a trip if: you're organizing an event, party, catering, or large family gathering; you want to stock up on drinks, wine, cleaning products, or disposable tableware; you're looking for high-quality fresh fish in cuts you can't find at the supermarket; you're a small business owner, food blogger, or freelancer working with food.

Not worth it if: you're shopping for one person or just a few days; you're after specific niche brands or value lines like M-Budget and Prix Garantie, where Migros and Coop remain unbeatable; you live more than 30–40 minutes from a store — the driving cost can erase the savings.

Compare Aligro with every Swiss supermarket

Want to see whether Aligro — or another chain — is actually the cheapest this week? Compare deals from every Swiss supermarket in real time with Rappn — free, in 4 languages, no ads.