“A good book in pleasant surroundings”

Migros launched book sales in 1950, in collaboration with the Ex Libris Book Club. Thanks to high volume print runs in their self-service branches, it significantly undercut other booksellers’ pricing.

«Good books for everyone!» proclaimed the Brückenbauer magazine in 1950. In collaboration with the Ex Libris Book Club, Migros planned to sell «not just cheap spaghetti, but intellectual works as well». The principle would be the same: mass print runs for low prices. The Migros press and network boosted distribution capabilities and soon, every self-service branch featured a shelf with «Brücken-Bücher» (Migros-brand books). This was then repeated in special «bookshops».
Ex Libris joined forces with the s'Zäni youth club to educate youngsters about the dubious nature of surreal detective novels and adventure stories (for boys) and overly sentimental romances far removed from reality (for girls). It was a matter of honour to support the «Fight Filth» initiative in Olten in 1965, which invited local youth to publicly burn their "Wildwestheftli» (Wild West magazines) and comic books. As a reward for their wisdom, according to the Aargauer Volksblatt newspaper, Ex Libris donated books with the principle «a new book for each bundle of rubbish». Migros, meanwhile, donated torches and the sausages that were gleefully devoured once the deed was done.