Cooperative against corporation

In 1930 Migros AG expanded into Basel, where the Basel Cooperative Union dominated the retail trade. The left-wing cooperative fought fiercely against the «capitalist» Migros. But the Basel authorities and courts proved to be more liberal than those in other cantons.

«Migros! This word is constantly buzzing around our ears», complained the Basler Arbeiter-Zeitung in May 1930. «You would almost think that the solution to social issues is at hand.» When Migros opened two branches in Basel and sent out its sales vans shortly thereafter, it found itself with a strong opponent: The Cooperative Union A.C.V. had over 48,000 members and annual sales of CHF 60 million, and it had the support of the Social Democrats and their press. They attacked Migros, calling it a «foreign» corporation whose sole focus was to «secure profits for the capitalists who control it».
The third power in Basel was the authorities. They went after the Migros sales vans for not having vendors’ licences and demanded a mobile vendors’ tax of 150 francs per vehicle per month. After lengthy legal disputes, the tax was lowered to 100 francs, which Gottlieb Duttweiler referred to as «manageable and fair» in contrast to other places. «No one can help the working class. It has to free itself», stated the Arbeiter-Zeitung. Only 60 years later, sales at the Migros Basel Cooperative exceeded a billion francs for the first time ever.