According to insiders at the Swiss Merchants' Association, the international company and e-commerce giant Amazon may be on its way to Switzerland in the near future. The company is yet to take the plunge into the alpine nation, as it faces fierce competition from Swiss supermarkets and tech distributors.
According to Blick, the Amazon team in charge of Swiss operations will be meeting potential traders in Zurich on May 3. Currently, the huge tech and e-commerce brand does not have a presence in the alpine nation - instead, would-be shoppers are able to order a limited number of products from Amazon, which can be delivered to Swiss cities and cantons via Amazon.de and Amazon.fr.
At the meeting, according to the Swiss Merchants’ Association, Amazon officials will explore “strategic initiatives, long-term results and a stronger relationship” between the company and Switzerland. For Berhard Egger, director of the Swiss Trade Union, this means only one thing: "It can actually only be Amazon's desire to deliver many more products to Switzerland."
Speaking to Blick, Egger said that Amazon was likely to open up a warehouse in Switzerland in a bid to simplify taxes and import duties for both customers and companies that want to deliver to the country. 20 Minuten noted that the Swiss postal service could be Amazon’s willing partner, with a spokesperson telling the newspaper that they will be at the event to show "how we can help [Swiss traders and Amazon] to clear their goods and transport them abroad.”
If Amazon were to enter the Swiss market fully, Blick noted that despite the company’s wealth and power, it would face stiff competition from established Swiss brands. For example, Digitec Glaxus - the Migros-owned e-commerce brand - already offers and delivers items from 500 different companies.
Speaking to the newspaper, Amazon declined to comment on whether it would be moving to Switzerland soon. However, a spokesperson did confirm that it would be “continuously expanding the product selection” for Swiss customers in the near future.
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