Smood no longer delivers Migros purchases in Zurich
Smood delivers food from Migros to your home at normal retail prices within a few minutes – for several Migros cooperatives. The one with the highest turnover is now withdrawing.
Stefan Ehrbar / ch media
Image: keystone
The delivery service Smood from western Switzerland cannot get out of the negative headlines. For weeks, drivers have been on strike in several cities in western Switzerland for better employment conditions.
Now there is also trouble in German-speaking Switzerland, where Smood delivers meals for restaurants in Basel, Baden, Lucerne and St. Gallen – as well as purchases for Migros Zurich. This spring, the top-selling of the ten Migros cooperatives entered into a partnership with Smood and aggressively advertised the new offer in some of its branches.
Migros ends cooperation
People from Zurich could choose from 6000 Migros items for home delivery. The delivery costs were usually around 9 francs, which, according to the company, was delivered in less than 45 minutes (CH Media reported). The products were delivered from several branches in the area of the city of Zurich. An expansion of the offer seems only a matter of time.
A few days ago, however, Migros Zurich pulled the plug on the collaboration. Without informing the customer, she stopped delivering her products via Smood. Die Migros is still listed as a partner in the Smood app, but orders can no longer be placed. Instead, an error message appears.
Smood belongs to a third of Migros
Migros Zurich spokeswoman Annabel Ott says that at the end of a pilot project that has been running since April, the cooperative decided to discontinue its cooperation with Smood in the online supermarket area at the end of November. She does not provide a reason for this.
The collaboration between Migros Zurich and Smood made sense at first glance. After all, the delivery service is 35 percent owned by Migros Geneva. The sister cooperative from western Switzerland even has two board members at Smood.
Happily accusations
The test with Migros Zurich was about finding out whether it would be possible to develop an “ultra-fast delivery service” for the canton of Zurich, says Smood Marketing Manager Luise Kull. “Although the test was canceled, Smood is satisfied with the results and is working on alternative options for customers in the Canton of Zurich.” Smood works very successfully with the Migros cooperatives Waadt, Geneva, Wallis and Ticino.
But that doesn’t seem to be of much help against wage dumping. In any case, the allegations against Smood are happy: As the “Wochenzeitung” writes, suppliers report on Net wages of CHF 3,000 for a 50-hour week. In addition, some of the suppliers are subcontracted and their expenses are not reimbursed. After several strikes, the canton of Geneva has now intervened and will mediate (CH Media reported).
On the way for gastro-daughters
With regard to the allegations made, Smood refers to a statement. It says the company understands and supports the demands of the delivery staff and has met with them and the unions to discuss the latest allegations «and to find a solution that is acceptable to all parties». The demands would not go unheard. Smood wants to set standards for the industry.
In the catering sector, Smood will continue to be on the road for Migros Zurich. Products from the gastro subsidiaries Hitzberger or Kaimug can still be ordered via Smood. In the supermarket sector, however, according to spokeswoman Ott, Migros Zurich will concentrate on the migros.ch and myMigros channels.
Soon only a Migros delivery service?
Behind myMigros is the Migros Aare cooperative, which actually operates in the cantons of Aargau, Bern and Solothurn. They have expanded their online activities with the shop to areas of other cooperatives. If you order before 11 a.m., MyMigros expects delivery on the same day in the evening. Customers can select a delivery window, the delivery takes place with electric vehicles. The delivery fee is 7 francs. It is waived for purchases of 80 francs or more. MyMigros is offered in Aarau, Baden, Bern, Brugg, Olten, Solothurn, Wettingen, Wohlen, Zofingen and Zurich, among others.
In all of Switzerland, however, the online supermarket from migros.ch can be used (formerly LeShop), which is organized by the entire Federation of Migros Cooperatives (MGB). The minimum purchase value is CHF 99, the delivery fee CHF 7.90. From 200 francs, only 2.90 francs are charged. The delivery windows differ depending on the region, but delivery on the same day is not possible. Deliveries are made by the post office.
This tangle of delivery services from the Migros universe shouldn’t last forever. MyMigros will be tested and refined “before we make the decision and roll out a joint solution,” Migros boss Fabrice Zumbrunnen recently told the “Handelszeitung”. “We’ll be looking for a solution at the end of the day. But there must also be space for experiments. “
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