Migros is now cleaning its own brands

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Things are changing at Migros. The new boss, Mario Irminger (57), has been in control since early May. A first-way decision was made: The main activity, which has around 600 Migros branches, is to go under the umbrella of a supermarket AG, which is its own boss. The ten regional princes, as well as the Migros Cooperatives Federation (MGB), should relinquish power. Giving is also a keyword when designing the product range.

From pans to panties – many things will be new. Migros made this announcement in its own magazine. “This spectrum will be completely reversed this year,” he continues. When necessary, individual products or even entire series were changed. As an example, Migros shows folders that are needed less and less. Transformation is about own brands, not well-known international brands. In some cooperatives it has already started. “All branches in Switzerland will be converted by the end of September,” says Migros.

Their spokesperson, Marcel Schlatter, tells Blick that nothing has changed on food coupons at the moment. There is a new structuring for private brands in the near-food (toothpaste, cleaning materials) and non-food (pan, underwear) sectors.

In particular, three underwear brands Nick Tyler, Ellen Amber and John Adams will now be managed under Migros’ own brand “Migros Essentials”. Migros sells Cucina & Tavola products under its own brand Migros Kitchen & Co. In other words, these are private labels that are still part of the assortment, but are sold under a new brand. “With the change, we also offer better orientation in-store,” Schlatter says.

What is a private label and what is it not?

When you look at the brands and labels on the Migros website, you cannot understand what private label is and what it is not. Same in the store. This must change. Schlatter assures that 80 percent of the Migros range still consists of its own brands. Migros counts 190 units and counts them in products. However, they are counted less and less in brands. Because the brand was sometimes unimportant. In the process of modernizing the range, lesser known brands are now disappearing in favor of the much better known generic term “Migros”. This is probably not a one-time process. But there is one more thing that is clear: Migros will not touch icons such as mobile phone dishwashing liquid, Farmer bar.

Is DNA missing?

Reputation expert Bernhard Bauhofer (60) understands the cleanliness of Migros brands as many individual brands are complex to manage and do not strengthen the Migros umbrella brand. In addition, Migros’ own brand portfolio has grown wildly over the years.

For Bauhofer, there are now questions about Migros’ image: “Their own brands have been Migros’ DNA for a long time, but this unique selling point is disappearing day by day.” Bauhofer explains that with the integration of external brands and the increasing standardization of the product range, Migros is interchangeable or “more and more like Coop”.

He sees great strength in the “strangeness” and “individuality” of Migros. If more and more small own brands are lost in favor of a stronger Migros central brand, Migros’ individuality will also disappear. But Bauhofer also understands that MGB is caught in the tension between tradition and modernity: “It’s hard to break new ground with boundaries and organization.”

Source :Blick