Coop vs Migros vs Aldi vs Lidl vs Denner: Which Store Wins for Your Real Weekly Basket?
Swiss supermarkets don’t “win” in the abstract. They win in specific categories, for specific baskets, on specific promo weeks.
Coop vs Migros vs Aldi vs Lidl vs Denner: Which Store Wins for Your Real Weekly Basket?
Swiss supermarkets don’t “win” in the abstract. They win in specific categories, for specific baskets, on specific promo weeks.
If your real life looks like this…
- you want one main shop (not a supermarket tour),
- you’re fine with one small add-on stop only if it’s on your route,
- and you’d rather save money without living inside flyers…
…then this guide is built for you.
Updated: 4 February 2026. Promo cycles change and can vary by store/canton.
The truth nobody wants to hear: your basket decides the winner
A classic consumer test by K-Tipp priced 100 everyday items and found the discounters cheaper overall in that snapshot (Aldi CHF 230.94, Lidl CHF 232.83 vs Migros CHF 243.54, Coop CHF 250.70).
That doesn’t mean you should abandon Migros/Coop. It means:
- If you buy everything at full price in Migros/Coop, you’ll usually pay for convenience.
- If you build your basket strategically, you can get most of the convenience without most of the premium.
First: shopping got easier (but only if you know the new timing)
A lot of “I bought it yesterday—today it’s discounted” is just promo-week timing.
- Coop: promos start Thursday, and are visible online from Wednesday 16:30.
- Migros: from 5 Feb 2026, promos run Thursday → Wednesday.
- Denner: from 5 Feb 2026, weekly actions also run Thursday → Wednesday.
The Swiss-simple move: do your planning on Wednesday evening, and your “big” shop on Thu/Fri (when the new week’s offers are live).
The “where to buy what” map (credible and low-effort)
Here’s what tends to work best without adding extra trips.
Migros vs Coop: the best base store is the one you’ll actually use
Use Migros or Coop as your base for:
- fresh top-ups (produce, dairy, bread),
- “I need this tonight” items,
- stable staples (especially if you stick to the budget tier).
K-Tipp notes that M-Budget (Migros) and Prix Garantie (Coop) have been pushed down toward discounter levels on many items—if you consistently buy those lines.
Practical takeaway: If Migros/Coop is your base, decide your default is budget line for staples—then upgrade only where you care.
Coop: often the king of “bulk household” during real promo weeks
Coop can be surprisingly strong on household categories when the discount is heavy (the kind that lets you stop buying the category for weeks).
Two current examples on Coop’s site:
- Zewa 16 rolls: CHF 13.90 instead of CHF 27.80 (50% off).
- Ariel liquid detergent 80 washes: CHF 25.90 instead of CHF 51.80 (50% off).
How to use this without extra trips:
- If Coop is your base, you simply stock up when these appear.
- If Migros is your base, you only detour to Coop when you’ll save enough (more on that rule below).
Denner: convenience + “stock-up hits” (but not a blanket “cheapest” label)
Denner shines when you use it for targeted promo strikes (especially pantry stock-ups), and because it’s easy to access (Denner lists 872 branches).
A real, current-style example:
- Chicco d’Oro 3×500g: CHF 24.95 instead of CHF 38.70 (35% off).
Important: Denner isn’t guaranteed cheapest on a full basket—price comparisons can go either way. So the credible use-case is: Denner for promo stock-ups when you’re already passing by.
Aldi & Lidl: often the price leaders—especially when you batch purchases
K-Tipp’s basket comparison shows Aldi/Lidl cheapest overall in that test.
Aldi has also publicly communicated aggressive pricing moves on selected fresh meat (up to 30% reductions in a campaign).
The realistic way to benefit without weekly trips: Do a once-every-2–4-weeks “discounter run” for:
- freezer proteins,
- discounter-priced staples,
- anything you buy repeatedly that stores well.
If Aldi/Lidl isn’t on your route: skip it. A deal you never reach is not a deal.
Two credibility rules that matter a lot in Switzerland
Rule 1: Promo stickers can be misleading—check fast
K-Tipp has warned that “action” labels can appear even when the same product is available without the promo sticker—so you can overpay if you don’t verify.
The 5-second tri-check
- unit price (CHF/kg, CHF/100g, CHF/l)
- same product / same size
- stock up only what you actually consume
Rule 2: Avoid the “convenience tax” (station/express shops)
K-Tipp found that convenience formats (Coop Pronto, Migrolino, Denner Express, Spar Express) can be massively more expensive for basics.
Rule that survives real life: At station/express shops: 3 items max.
- 1 staple + 1 protein + 1 fruit/veg → then leave.
The “one main shop + one optional add-on” strategy
This is the most realistic high-savings setup for Switzerland.
Step 1 — Pick one base store (Migros or Coop)
Your base store handles:
- fresh top-ups,
- staples,
- weekly needs.
Step 2 — Add exactly one “savings lever”
Pick one, based on your life:
- Lever A (household bulk): use Coop promo weeks for detergent/paper/toiletries (best if Coop is already on your route).
- Lever B (pantry stock-ups): use Denner promos (coffee multipacks etc.) only when you pass by anyway.
- Lever C (cheapest basket batch): do Aldi/Lidl once every few weeks for proteins + repeat staples.
Step 3 — Use the Swiss “worth it” threshold
Only add a stop if you’ll save roughly CHF 15+ on a category you already buy (otherwise time wins).
The perfect plan (detailed, but not “five supermarkets”)
Let’s do a credible example for a normal working week.
Scenario
- You want one main shop
- You’ll accept one optional add-on only if it’s truly worth it
- You’re shopping as a couple (or solo) with a normal routine
Wednesday evening (10 minutes): plan around the new promo week
Because Coop/Migros/Denner run Thu→Wed cycles (Coop visible Wed 16:30; Migros/Denner shift to Thu→Wed from 5 Feb 2026).
- Choose 3 dinners + 2 flexible meals
- Dinner examples: chicken + veg tray bake, pasta, chilli bowl
- Flexible meals: stir-fry, omelette night
Split your list:
- Stable basket (always): milk, eggs, yoghurt, rice/pasta, canned tomatoes, basic frozen veg
- Promo-driven basket (only if deal is real): coffee, detergent/paper, toiletries, freezer proteins
Thursday or Friday: ONE main shop (Base store)
Pick Migros or Coop based on your route.
What you buy (realistic list)
- Fresh + week staples
- Fruit & veg for 4–5 days
- Dairy: milk / yoghurt
- Bread basics
- Eggs
- Pasta/rice + sauce basics
- 1–2 proteins for immediate meals (not the freezer run)
How you keep the basket sane
- Default to M-Budget / Prix Garantie for staples if you’re in Migros/Coop.
- One treat category per week (chocolate or chips or pastries)—not all three.
Optional add-on stop (only if it’s on your route and you clear the CHF 15 threshold)
Option 1: Coop bulk household (if the promo is real)
If you spot a “big swing” deal like:
- Zewa 16 rolls at CHF 13.90 instead of CHF 27.80
- Ariel 80 washes at CHF 25.90 instead of CHF 51.80
Then your add-on stop becomes:
- buy 1 detergent + 1 paper multipack
- and you’re done for weeks (no more “as-needed” buying at full price)
Option 2: Denner coffee strike (if you pass by Denner anyway)
If you see something like:
- Chicco d’Oro 3×500g CHF 24.95 instead of CHF 38.70
Then your add-on stop becomes:
- buy the multipack
- leave (Denner is everywhere, which makes it powerful and dangerous).
Every 2–4 weeks (not weekly): one discounter batch run
This is where Aldi/Lidl actually fits real life: not as a weekly pilgrimage, but as a batch routine.
Buy:
- freezer proteins for 6–10 meals
- repeat staples you always use
- frozen veg / freezer items you reliably consume
Why it’s credible: Aldi/Lidl came out cheapest overall in K-Tipp’s basket test, and Aldi has publicly highlighted aggressive price moves on selected meat items in campaigns.
How Rappn helps (without turning the article into an ad)
The hardest part of “smart Swiss grocery shopping” isn’t discipline—it’s information overhead: different flyers, different apps, different dates, and remembering what you wanted to stock up on.
Rappn is built to remove that overhead:
- Weekly grocery deals by canton
- filters by store, category, price, end date
- shared grocery lists (real-time sync)
- favourite alerts when tracked items go on offer (anti-spam)
- shows where your basket is cheapest, and links back to the original offer source for transparency
- current coverage includes Denner, Aldi, Migros, Coop, Lidl (may change).
