A “smart” country

Not only was Gottlieb Duttweiler instrumental in bringing American sales methods such as convenience stores and self-service to Switzerland, he also introduced many American consumer products after the Second World War, contributing to the Americanisation of daily life in Switzerland.
«America is a smart country and generous in every sense of the word, and I like it very much», Gottlieb Duttweiler told his wife Adele in 1918 after a business trip to New York. «You'd be amazed at how much of an I’ve become.» Little did the young entrepreneur suspect that he would take a huge role in bringing the American consumer culture to Switzerland. In 1925, he launched the mobile shop based on the American model. In 1948, he promoted the «liberation of the buyer» through the concept of «self-service». Three years later, he introduced the «supermarket» as «the most modern way to offer goods»; soon after, an American-style «snack bar» was built within the supermarket. Early on, Duttweiler imported canned fruit and «Fancy Mixed Fruit» from California but it was only after the Second World War that he set up trade offices in New York. Through these offices, the Swiss had access to consumer goods that had previously been largely unfamiliar to them. And thanks to Migros pricing, everyone could afford these goods. In addition, Migros regularly organised concerts featuring leading American jazz musicians. With all of this, Duttweiler became one of the most important pioneers of the Americanisation of daily life in Switzerland.