Tag Archives: Business & Economy

20 Minuten. Switzerland’s Federal Council wants to introduce new measures to lower prices in Switzerland to curb cross-border shopping, something that it says hurts Swiss businesses. © Robert Kneschke | Dreamstime Minister for Economic Affairs, Johann Schneider-Ammann, said in an interview with the newspaper Schweiz am Wochenende that he’s working on a package of measures to tackle high retail prices in Switzerland. He thinks that if business costs are reduced prices will fall. In his view...

20 Minuten. Switzerland’s Federal Council wants to introduce new measures to lower prices in Switzerland to curb cross-border shopping, something that it says hurts Swiss businesses. © Robert Kneschke | Dreamstime Minister for Economic Affairs, Johann Schneider-Ammann, said in an interview with the newspaper Schweiz am Wochenende that he’s working on a package of measures to tackle high retail prices in Switzerland. He thinks that if business costs are reduced prices will fall. In his view...

The average number of hours spent on domestic tasks by men in Switzerland rose by 10% between 2010 and 2016 according to a report by Switzerland’s federal statistical office. © Masta4650 | Dreamstime The 17.9 hours dedicated to domestic work by an average man every week was 36% less than that of an average woman. Men however were not sitting around twiddling their thumbs. The 27.3 hours spent by men on paid work was 64% higher than the 16.6 hours women invested in paid work. After adding in...

20 Minutes. Low-THC cannabis cigarettes will soon be available in the Swiss supermarket chain Coop. Heimat cigarettes_source Facebook Products with less than 1% tétrahydrocannabinol (THC) are not illegal in Switzerland, however their rapid rise in popularity has created controversy. Selling such products in supermarkets is a significant step in the product’s evolution. Swiss cigarette manufacturer Heimat has come up with a new product which combines tobacco with low-THC cannabis. This new...

The Economist magazine’s 6-monthly Big Mac index shows the Swiss franc to be even more overvalued than it was in January 2017. © Pamela Mcadams The index, which compares the US$ price of a Big Mac around the world places Switzerland at the top with a price of US$ 6.74. This is 27.2% more expensive than the United States where the same burger costs US$ 5.30. In January 2017, the same burger in Switzerland cost US$ 6.35 and US$ 5.06 in the US making the Swiss one 25.5% more pricey. The cheapest...

The Economist magazine’s 6-monthly Big Mac index shows the Swiss franc to be even more overvalued than it was in January 2017. © Pamela Mcadams The index, which compares the US$ price of a Big Mac around the world places Switzerland at the top with a price of US$ 6.74. This is 27.2% more expensive than the United States where the same burger costs US$ 5.30. In January 2017, the same burger in Switzerland cost US$ 6.35 and US$ 5.06 in the US making the Swiss one 25.5% more pricey. The cheapest...

20 Minutes. A court in the canton of St. Gallen sentenced a cheese vendor to three years in prison, half of it behind bars. © Marco Guidi The man was judged guilty of fraudulently using Switzerland’s world-famous Emmental cheese brand and other crimes. In addition to prison, the cheese seller was ordered to pay CHF 1 million in relation to illegal cheese sales – 3,500 tonnes of cheese pretending to be Emmental was sold – and other forms of fraud including breach of trust, unlawful business...

A survey shows that 71% of those working in German-speaking Switzerland would change jobs if they could. Dream jobs vary significantly by gender. © Digitalstormcinema | Dreamstime.com The survey, conducted by Marketagent.com on behalf of XING Switzerland, questioned around 1,000 employees in German-speaking Switzerland between the ages of 18 and 65. If age and and education could be ignored, 71% of the group said they would switch jobs. Dream jobs for men, in order of popularity, include:...

Swiss Rail plans to test a new smartphone app that will charge you when you arrive. The app will automatically search for the cheapest fare once the journey has ended, promising users the lowest possible fare. David Schweizer © SBB CFF FFS The new app, which will be added to Mobile Preview, will be tested in 2018. Two companies, Lezzgo and Fairtiq, already offer a similar service. Their apps track your phone and require you to check in and check out when you reach your final destination. If...

Swiss Rail plans to test a new smartphone app that will charge you when you arrive. The app will automatically search for the cheapest fare once the journey has ended, promising users the lowest possible fare. David Schweizer © SBB CFF FFS The new app, which will be added to Mobile Preview, will be tested in 2018. Two companies, Lezzgo and Fairtiq, already offer a similar service. Their apps track your phone and require you to check in and check out when you reach your final destination. If...