In Dialogue with Migros

As Switzerland's largest retailer and private employer, Migros is in touch with numerous stakeholder groups. By maintaining active dialogue with its stakeholders, Migros can identify social trends and issues at an early stage and respond to risks.

Whether customers, employees, cooperative members, suppliers, NGOs or political parties – many different groups have an interest in Migros. Stakeholder dialogue is therefore a key element of the company's sustainability management. By communicating with its stakeholders, Migros demonstrates commitment to corporate responsibility, a preventative approach to social risks, and a corporate culture based on honest and open communication. Alongside institutional forms of communication, such as customer magazines, partnerships with NGOs, association memberships and initiatives, Migros engages in social dialogue with all relevant stakeholders that are interested in open and fair communication.

A list of the main memberships and partnerships can be found hier.

Customers

Customers are Migros' largest group of stakeholders. Migros counts around 430 million customer contacts at the checkout each year. Customer satisfaction determines the long-term success of the company.

"Migipedia offers various ways to communicate with Migros and its customers, along with entertainment and a wide range of information."

maripac, Migipedia user

Migros therefore engages in open dialogue with them to identify their expectations at an early stage. Through its print media (Migros Magazine, Saisonküche, Vivai), the company reaches more than 3 million readers a week. Another effective communication channel is M-Infoline, which allows customers to share their suggestions or opinions about products directly with Migros.

M-Infoline recorded around 142'000 contacts last year. Among other things, customers used it to provide some very positive feedback about plastic bottle recycling and environmentally friendly packaging. For interactive dialogue with its customers, Migros is making increasing use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. These channels were used to discuss a wide range of issues in 2014, including sustainable fish counters and the ban on horse meat. With Migipedia, Migros offers its customers the unique opportunity to help design the product range: Migipedia users can not only rate products on the online platform, they can also suggest new ones. Since the launch of Migipedia in 2010, customers have helped develop more than 50 products or have suggested product improvements, thereby playing an active role in determining Migros' product range.

kons-S01-T01

Dialogue with customers

Customer dialogue via M-Infoline and Migros-Magazin (in thousand) 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Number of M-Infoline customer enquiries 165 167 167 145 142
Migros-Magazin, circulation 1 2'156 2'163 2'160 2'162 2'173
Number of Migros-Magazin readers 3'013 3'066 3'107 3'300 3'158

1 Migros-Magazin (German), Migros Magazine (French) and Azione (Italian)

 

Employees

Migros is the largest private employer in Switzerland. At the end of 2014, it had 97'456 employees. As a model employer, it creates the right conditions for a motivating, performance-oriented working environment that attracts and retains the best workers.

"Migros supports me with its progressive employment terms, which include the opportunity to work part-time."

Marco Soldera, Project Manager Occupational Health and Safety (80% FTE), FMC

To aid long-term staff retention, Migros offers a unique variety of tasks in different roles and professions. It also supports its staff with occupational health management, which boosts the ability to work, helps prevent incapacity and facilitates the reintegration into working life. In addition, Migros supports the compatibility of family and career, such as through part-time work.

 

 

Cooperative members

By converting Migros from a limited company into a cooperative in 1941, Gottlieb Duttweiler demonstrated his pioneering spirit. As a cooperative, Migros is not obliged to serve the interests of investors. Instead, it is dedicated to socially sustainable growth for the benefit of all.

"Migros is an extremely interesting and admirable company. Its economic success guarantees its considerable social commitment."

Esther Püntener, Delegate of the Migros Cooperative Lucerne

At the end of 2014, Migros had more than two million cooperative members in the ten regional Cooperatives. These members are equal co-owners of their regional Cooperative. In the annual ballots, the members decide on issues such as the approval of the annual financial statements, the appropriation of net profit and the discharging of the bodies. The statutory bodies are elected every four years. The members are kept regularly informed of the latest events in their regions via the Migros Magazine and the Cooperative Councils.

 

Suppliers

In close dialogue with its suppliers and producers, Migros ensures that its products reflect Switzerland's high standards in quality and safety and are produced under socially acceptable and safe working conditions.

"By working together closely where it matters, we have made excellent progress in the area of animal welfare over the past two years."

Ester Boros-Banhalmi, Partner and Head of Livestock Production, Gallfood, Hungary

As a member of various committees, Migros is dedicated to the refinement of social standards, such as for the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), and develops solutions for improving local working conditions together with suppliers.

Migros also collaborates with numerous associations. Under the TerraSuisse label, for example, it cooperates with IP-Suisse, the association of Swiss integrated production farmers. These farmers provide additional services in the area of animal welfare and biodiversity. In turn, Migros gives them a portion of its revenue for nature measures. In collaboration with Swiss Animal Protection (SAP), Migros is also working on introducing the Swiss animal protection standards for all products from abroad.

 

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

Migros actively pursues constructive dialogue with numerous non-governmental organisations, with the aim of identifying early on which topics they address and picking up interesting ideas. In 2014, Migros worked with WWF Switzerland, Greenpeace Switzerland, Erklärung von Bern and the United Against Waste association, among others.

"The future of the environment is in our children's hands. Thanks to the support of Migros, WWF can reach more than 50'000 children and young people a year."

Thomas Vellacott, CEO WWF Switzerland

The discussions revolved around issues such as the procurement of sustainable raw materials and products (e.g. fish and palm oil), the protection of bees in Switzerland, the working conditions at supplier companies in Bangladesh, and the prevention of food waste. Migros and WWF Switzerland have been working in a strategic partnership since 2009. Together, they tackle issues such as climate protection, the promotion of sustainable products, and employee awareness of sustainable consumption. In 2014, the partnership focused on raising awareness of sustainable shopping among customers by means of the Cumulus Green programme and the Green Gourmet Family cookery book. Both projects were developed together with WWF. Migros also supported the child and youth projects of WWF.

 

Politics

Migros engages in political dialogue at various levels. It campaigns for forward-looking economic, environmental and food policies and represents its own interests and those of consumers towards authorities, parties and consumer organisations. Migros also shares its concerns, expertise and industry knowledge in direct political discourse.

"With its impressive Generation M sustainability campaign, Migros shows how it implements resource efficiency and environmental protection in practice."

Stefan Müller-Altermatt, member of the CVP national council

Together with the Swiss retail stakeholder group IG DHS, Migros is supporting the current revision of the environmental legislation, which focuses in particular on more voluntary measures for a "green economy", careful use of resources, and the circular economy. In 2014, Migros also took measures to prevent littering. For example, Migros Basel and the authorities teamed up to conduct the "Drecksack" campaign for the correct disposal of take-away litter. Together with IG DHS, Migros successfully participated in the referendum campaign against the "Gastroinitiative", which would have resulted in higher food prices due to an increase in VAT. It also campaigned against price-enhancing trade barriers and for the partial harmonisation of store opening hours.

 

In Dialogue with Migros (pdf, 31.42 KB)