The Continued Dominance of the „Orange Giants“ Coop and Migros

Within this work, the high concentration within the Swiss food and drinks retail market is analyzed using Strategic Action Field Theory (Fligstein & McAdam, 2012). The author looks at the emergence and development of the Swiss grocery market from 1850 to 2015, with an emphasis on the developments since 1995. Using qualitative data from document analyses and expert interviews, the following explanations were found to be responsible for today's unique market structure: the historical advantage of the two incumbents Coop and Migros (in regard to size and reputation); the successful reorganizations of both incumbents over time; the lack of price sensitivity of the Swiss consumer; continued agricultural protection, which hinders new market entrances; and the cooperative structure of the two incumbents.