Best Day to Buy Groceries in Switzerland
In Switzerland the calendar of promotions decides your shopping day: at the big supermarkets the weekly promotions start on Thursday and run until Wednesday. Here is the rhythm, dated and sourced, and what to do on each day of the week.
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In Switzerland the days that suit the big weekly shop are Thursday, or anywhere between Thursday and Saturday. At Migros, Coop and Denner the weekly promotions start on Thursday and run until the following Wednesday, and Lidl Switzerland and Aldi Suisse also launch their promotions on Thursday. The best time to plan is therefore Wednesday evening, just before the new promotions start. If you prefer to shop early in the week, you are not left empty-handed: some chains run dedicated deals from Monday to Wednesday.
A quick note on vocabulary: Swiss weekly promotions are called "Aktionen" in German and "actions" in French, and you will see those words on flyers, shelf labels and websites. Where a chain’s own German campaign name matters, this guide keeps it and adds a translation.
Updated October 2026. Sources: Coop press release “Coop passt Aktionen noch stärker Kund:innenbedürfnissen an” (21 January 2025); Migros press release “Migros-Aktionen starten neu am Donnerstag” (January 2026) and reports by watson, Blick and Freiburger Nachrichten on the change at Migros and Denner (January-February 2026); the promotion pages of denner.ch, lidl.ch and aldi-suisse.ch, viewed on 5 October 2026; savefood.ch, “Einkaufsplanung”.
When do supermarket deals start in Switzerland?
| Chain | Weekly promotions | Weekend promotions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coop | Thursday to Wednesday (since 21 January 2025) | Thursday to Sunday (“Wochenend-Hits”, weekend deals); plus start-of-week deals (“Wochenstart-Hits”) | Coop press release, 21.01.2025 |
| Migros | Thursday to Wednesday (since 5 February 2026) | “Wochenend-Knaller” (weekend bargains) from Thursday to Sunday, unchanged | Migros press release, January 2026 |
| Denner | Thursday to Wednesday (since 5 February 2026) | “Wochenend-Knaller” (weekend bargains) from Thursday to Sunday, four days instead of two | Blick and Freiburger Nachrichten, 2026; denner.ch |
| Lidl Switzerland | New weekly promotions "from Thursday", more "from Monday" | Weekend promotions also announced from Thursday | lidl.ch, 5.10.2026 |
| Aldi Suisse | Two blocks: Thursday to Sunday and Monday to Wednesday | Included in the first block | aldi-suisse.ch, 5.10.2026 |
The rhythm can change, as the two shifts of 2025 and 2026 show. Every chain with its switch date and source is listed in the guide Swiss Supermarket Deals: Which Chain Starts When. For the details of individual weeks of the year, from Easter promotions to Christmas, see the Swiss supermarket promotion calendar.
So the promotion cycle works for you: see which deals end soon and get told when a product you follow is on offer.
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What should you do, day by day?
| Day | What happens with promotions | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Last day of the current promotions; the Migros magazine with the new ones is delivered on Wednesdays | Check the fridge and pantry, pick your dinners, write the list |
| Thursday | Weekly and weekend promotions start | Big shop, with the full choice of the new promotions |
| Friday-Saturday | Weekly and weekend promotions still valid | Big shop if Thursday does not work; fresh food for the weekend |
| Sunday | Shops mostly closed; last hours of the weekend promotions where stores are open | Cook the long dish, prepare portions for the first days of the week |
| Monday-Tuesday | Weekly promotions still valid; start-of-week deals at Coop, second block at Aldi Suisse | A small top-up of fresh food, if needed |
This rhythm fits the five-step weekly meal plan: you plan on Wednesday and shop from Thursday. Turning the menu into a list is explained in the guide to planning your weekly grocery shop.
Is it better to do the big shop on Thursday or Saturday?
It depends on what you are after. Thursday is the first day of the new promotions, and you have the whole validity period ahead of you. Product availability for the weekend shop is exactly the reason Coop gave in its press release for moving to Thursday. Saturday, on the other hand, is when many households have time, and the fresh food you buy is needed right away for the weekend.
A simple rule: if your list is mostly long-life products on promotion (pasta, tins, cleaning products, coffee), buy on Thursday or Friday. If it is mostly fresh food for the weekend, Saturday works perfectly well. Either way, you have written the list beforehand, at home.
Is it worth shopping at the end of the day?
For some fresh products, yes. savefood.ch notes that many shops mark down fresh products in the late afternoon because their date is approaching. There is no single time: markdowns depend on the shop, the day and what is left, so do not count on them for your weekly shop. They are worth it for tonight's dinner, or for something you can freeze straight away.
Watch the date: a product marked "use by" must be eaten or frozen by that date, while "best before" refers to quality. The difference is explained in the guide to best-before and use-by dates.
Can you buy groceries on Sunday and on public holidays?
In most of Switzerland supermarkets are closed on Sunday. The exceptions depend on cantonal laws and on the location: shops in train stations and airports, outlets in tourist areas, and a few Sundays in December. The rules and exceptions are collected in the guide to Sunday grocery shopping in Switzerland. For Ticino there is a dedicated guide to Sunday shopping in Ticino, and for weekday and holiday hours there is the overview of Swiss supermarket opening hours. In a week with a public holiday, plan one day earlier: the big shop is squeezed into the remaining opening days.
How to avoid missing promotions that are about to end
The problem with weekly promotions is not the start, it is the end: something you really need can be on promotion since last Monday and expire tomorrow. Two habits help. The first is to look on Tuesday or Wednesday at what is ending: if an item on your list is on promotion for one more day, you buy it now or skip it until the next round. The second is to follow the products you always buy, so that you know when they go on promotion instead of finding out by chance in front of the shelf.
How to see it in Rappn
In the Rappn app (iOS and Android), in the Offers tab, the "Last few days" view shows the promotions that are about to end, with their validity dates, and you can filter them by store, category and price. With product alerts (the "New alert" sheet) you choose the stores, the price range, your dietary preferences and whether you want promotions only; under "On products you follow" you then find the current promotions on the products you have chosen, and a notification lets you know. A promotion can be saved, shared or added directly to a cart in your list. Prices are indicative and vary from store to store and over time. Rappn is an independent price-comparison app, with no commercial agreements with any retailer, free and with no account needed. This week's promotions are also on the site, on the page of supermarket offers.
Updated: .
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best day to buy groceries in Switzerland?
Thursday, or anywhere between Thursday and Saturday: at Migros, Coop and Denner the weekly promotions start on Thursday and run until the following Wednesday. The best time to plan is Wednesday evening.
What day do Migros and Coop change their weekly promotions?
Thursday. Coop moved its start from Tuesday to Thursday in January 2025, and Migros and Denner did the same from 5 February 2026; the promotions run until the Wednesday of the following week.
When do the Aldi and Lidl deals start in Switzerland?
On the promotion pages viewed on 5 October 2026, Lidl Switzerland listed offers "from Thursday" and further ones "from Monday", while Aldi Suisse split the week into two blocks, Thursday to Sunday and Monday to Wednesday.
What time do supermarkets reduce fresh food in Switzerland?
There is no single time. savefood.ch notes markdowns in the late afternoon in many shops, on fresh products close to their date, but they depend on the shop and on what is left.
Can I do the weekly shop on a Sunday in Switzerland?
In most of Switzerland, no. The exceptions depend on the canton and the location, for example shops in train stations, airports and tourist areas, and a few Sundays in December.
How do I know when a product goes on promotion?
With a product alert. In Rappn you choose the products to follow, the stores and the price range, and you get a notification when they are on promotion; the "Last few days" view shows the promotions that are about to end.