Grocery shopping in Switzerland: a guide for newcomers and expats

How does grocery shopping in Switzerland work for expats?

For your first shop, find the stores nearest you: two big groups carry the full range, and three discounters offer smaller, focused ranges for the basics. The classic supermarkets of one of the two groups sell no alcohol and no tobacco. Ordinary supermarkets are closed on Sundays and public holidays, with exceptions in major stations, airports and tourist areas. The loyalty cards of both groups are free. Compare the price per kilo or per litre, not per pack, before you buy.

Updated October 2026. Sources: Eurostat (price level indices, table prc_ppp_ind_1, updated 9 July 2026), SECO (FAQ on Sunday shop opening), Fedlex (Beverage Container Ordinance, SR 814.621, and Packaging Ordinance, AS 2026 358), PET-Recycling Schweiz (annual report 2025), viewed on 9 October 2026.

Rappn is an independent grocery price comparison app in Switzerland, with no commercial agreement with any retailer, and nothing on this page is sponsored.

Which supermarkets are there in Switzerland?

Swiss food retail is dominated by two full-range groups. They are one-stop shops: a large assortment, fresh produce, meat and cheese counters, a bakery, branded goods and their own budget lines under one roof. Next to the two groups sit three discounters: two international chains with smaller ranges and fewer brands, and a long-established Swiss discounter known for branded staples, wine and coffee, which belongs to one of the two big groups and so is not an independent third force.

Which type of store is good for what?

Why is food so expensive in Switzerland?

Your instinct is right. In 2025 the price level for food and non-alcoholic beverages was 155.9 in Switzerland, against 100 for the EU average, 102.4 in Germany, 106.8 in France, 101.1 in Italy and 109.5 in Austria (Eurostat, prc_ppp_ind_1). You cannot change the price level, but you can change your bill: the gap between two offers for the same item can be large, and it moves every week with the promotions. For how prices have moved recently, see our guide to grocery inflation in Switzerland.

Are supermarkets open on Sundays in Switzerland?

As a rule, no. Ordinary supermarkets are closed on Sundays and public holidays; the cantons set shop opening hours and most public holidays, so both differ from one canton to the next. On weekdays most supermarkets open in the morning and close in the early evening, often a bit later one evening a week, with shorter hours on Saturday. The Sunday exceptions are shops in the major stations and airports designated by federal ordinance, travellers' shops such as petrol-station shops on motorways and main roads, and shops in tourist areas during the season (SECO).

How do loyalty cards, bottle returns and self-checkout work?

The loyalty programmes of the two big groups are free: they collect points as you shop and turn them into vouchers or discounts over time, and the discounters run offers in their own apps. Empty PET bottles and cans go back to the collection points in shops, glass to the neighbourhood bottle bank. Single-use PET and cans carry no deposit; refillable containers such as some beer bottles with their crate carry one of at least CHF 0.30 by law, as our guide to bottle deposits explains. Self-checkout is common in larger stores: the two full-range groups offer self-scan tills and app-based scan-as-you-shop, next to the staffed tills. Whichever till you use, the receipt comes in the language of the region, with abbreviations and VAT codes next to the prices; our guide on how to read a Swiss receipt explains the lines and the words in German, French and Italian.

How should you budget your first week?

First, do not assume one chain is always cheaper: it depends on the basket and the week. Second, look at the own-brand budget lines of the two big groups. Consumer magazines such as K-Tipp and Kassensturz test own-brand and budget lines regularly, and the results differ from product to product: check the latest test of the item you buy before you switch. Third, compare per unit, not per pack: the price per kilo or per litre is the only fair way to judge two sizes. Fourth, before the weekly shop, compare the current offers of several chains in one place; our guides to supermarket prices in Switzerland and to value for money across supermarkets go deeper. To see what a weekly shop costs a household on average, with the official source and the method, read how much households in Switzerland spend on groceries per week. Outside the shop, the first decisions with a deadline are basic health insurance, which you must take out within three months of taking up residence (Health Insurance Act, Art. 3), and a transport pass: see which fixed costs you can cut, and by when.

How can you compare offers in your first weeks?

Rappn, a free Swiss app (iOS and Android) that compares the current promotions of seven Swiss retailers and turns receipts into a spending overview, puts the offers side by side. You search a product, for example coffee or olive oil, and see the current promotions with the price, the discount and the store; the price per kilo or litre sits next to the promotion price, you can filter by canton, and you can follow a product you buy regularly: Rappn alerts you when it goes on offer. A first step for this week: search the three staples you buy most often and note where each one is on promotion. For the app itself, see our grocery price comparison app page.