1.0Market Snapshot
- 9,003
- Non-food specialist shops in 2024 (BFS STATENT): fashion and shoes (3,472), sport, bikes, books and toys (2,634), electronics and household appliances (2,151) and DIY (746). Furniture, flowers, pharmacies, opticians, jewellery, department stores and online retail are not included.
- 67,758
- Employees in these shops in 2024 (BFS STATENT), 51,042 full-time equivalents. Fashion and shoes employ 32,190, sport and leisure 17,740, electronics 12,465 and DIY 5,363.
- −2.6%
- Employment change from 2020 to 2024 (BFS STATENT). Since 2011 specialist retail has lost 18.9% of its jobs and 21.9% of its shops.
According to Val Index analysis of Swiss commercial-register and federal data (2026), Switzerland counts 9,003 specialty retail & franchise companies — Non-food specialist shops in 2024 (BFS STATENT): fashion and shoes (3,472), sport, bikes, books and toys (2,634), electronics and household appliances (2,151) and DIY (746). Furniture, flowers, pharmacies, opticians, jewellery, department stores and online retail are not included..
2.0Industry Overview
BFS counted 9,003 non-food specialist shops with 67,758 employees in 2024 (STATENT), 21.9% fewer shops and 18.9% fewer jobs than in 2011. The decline is concentrated in two groups. Fashion and shoe shops fell from 4,628 to 3,472 and lost 29.0% of their jobs; electronics and appliance shops fell from 3,167 to 2,151. Sport, bike, book and toy shops are the exception: their employment rose 11.4% to 17,740. No official market size for Swiss specialist retail is published.
Swiss company statistics, October 2026: 1,400 bankruptcies (+0.4% on a year earlier) and 4,635 new companies. All figures →
3.0Industry Health Check (SWOT)
- High Swiss purchasing power
- High rents and wages
- Stores given up by Migros and other chains
- Online shops, including foreign platforms (CHF 2.8 billion in 2025)
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Specialty Retail & Franchise business valuation in Switzerland
- Statutory Multiple (EBITDA)
- 2.5 - 4.0×
- Deal Multiple (EBITDA)
- 3.5 - 5.5×
- Market Trend
- Stable
Indicative ranges based on market research. Actual multiples vary by company size, growth, and market conditions.
8.0Regional Clusters
Western Switzerland
2,314 specialist shops with 13,975 employees in 2024 (BFS STATENT), the most of any region; Decathlon is registered in Vernier and FNAC in Satigny.
Zurich
1,456 shops with 18,776 employees, the most of any region, because Dosenbach-Ochsner and Media Markt (Dietikon) and PKZ (Urdorf) count their staff at their Zurich head offices.
Eastern Switzerland
1,272 shops with 8,961 employees.
Bern and Solothurn
1,172 shops with 7,522 employees; Thömus is in Köniz.
Northwestern Switzerland
1,051 shops with 6,434 employees; Manor is registered in Basel.
Central Switzerland
854 shops with 8,502 employees, 10.0 per shop, the second-highest average after Zurich.
Ticino
719 shops with 3,495 employees, the smallest on average (4.9 per shop).
Sources
9.0Frequently Asked Questions
▶How much is a specialty retail business worth in Switzerland?
ValIndex's multiples table puts Swiss specialty retail at 3.5–5.5× EBITDA in transactions and 2.5–4.0× EBITDA on statutory valuations. Shops with good locations, long leases and service income sit at the upper end; owner-run shops without a successor often close instead of selling.
▶What drives the value of a Swiss specialist retailer?
Buyers price: (1) location and lease terms; (2) sales per square metre; (3) supplier and brand rights; (4) stock quality; (5) service income such as repairs or rental; (6) online sales; (7) dependence on the owner.
▶How big is Swiss specialty retail?
BFS counted 9,003 non-food specialist shops with 67,758 employees in 2024 (STATENT): fashion and shoes, sport and leisure, electronics and DIY. No official market size is published. Swiss consumers also bought CHF 15.8 billion of goods online in 2025.
▶Who are the main Swiss specialist retail chains?
Leading chains include Dosenbach-Ochsner (Dosenbach and Ochsner Sport), Media Markt, Thömus Bike World, Decathlon, PKZ, FNAC and the Manor department stores. Coop runs its DIY stores as Jumbo inside the Coop group.
▶What are the key trends in Swiss specialty retail?
Five trends: (1) Migros selling its specialist formats; (2) online growth; (3) shrinking fashion retail; (4) fewer electronics shops; (5) growth in sport and bikes.
▶What are the main risks when buying a Swiss retail shop?
The main risks are: (1) online and foreign competition; (2) high fixed rents; (3) falling footfall in secondary locations; (4) old stock; (5) dependence on the owner. Due diligence should check leases, footfall, stock ageing, margins by product group and supplier terms.
▶What happened to Migros's specialist stores?
Migros sold or closed them in 2024–2025: MediaMarkt took over 20 of 37 Melectronics stores, Dosenbach-Ochsner 27 of 49 SportX stores and Thömus 12 of 14 Bike World stores; Do it + Garden found no buyer and closed, and Micasa was sold to its managers.
▶Where are Swiss specialist shops located?
Using BFS figures for 2024: Western Switzerland has the most specialist shops (2,314, with 13,975 employees), followed by Zurich (1,456; 18,776, inflated by chain head offices), Eastern Switzerland (1,272; 8,961), Bern and Solothurn (1,172; 7,522), Northwestern Switzerland (1,051; 6,434), Central Switzerland (854; 8,502) and Ticino (719; 3,495).