Merci bus: over 45,000 visitors at 100 stops

The Migros Merci bus tour will celebrate reaching its final destination on Saturday, 18 October 2025, in Bussigny, canton of Vaud. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the historic sales van will make one final stop at Rue de la Gare 2. Customers in the area can join in the little celebration: in addition to coffee, cake and syrup, free pizza crackers will be handed out. 

The Merci bus tour was a major part of Migros' centenary celebrations. The bus, a restored sales van from 1986, has visited a total of 100 municipalities throughout Switzerland since 6 March 2025. A product that is particularly popular locally was handed out at each stop. The Merci bus brought products to the people, but stories and nostalgia too. 

Key facts about the tour: 

• Number of visitors:Over 45,000 customers visited the Merci bus at the 100 locations. 

• Products sold:In total, more than 50,000 products were sold on the bus. 

• Kilometres travelled:The Merci bus covered around 8,500 kilometres on its journey throughout Switzerland. 

• Most popular items:Mini Migros baskets were the most sold item, followed by butter croissants, cervelats, Lillibigs corn waffles and chocolate yoghurt - classic products that have been popular with families and customers young and old for many years.  

• Location with most visitors:The stop in Bassersdorf attracted the most visitors, with Merci bus customers forming a 100-metre-long queue - stretching almost to the Coop opposite.  

• Days on tour:The Merci bus visited 100 different locations over 68 days. 

• Highlights: A very special highlight was provided by former employees who used to work on the bus. They captivated local people with their stories. Various carnival bands created a great atmosphere and even local nurseries decided to visit the Merci bus with children enjoying their free snack of syrup and apples. 

• Fun facts: Although the Merci bus is almost 40 years old, it got through the entire tour and all sorts of weather conditions without damage and never had to be replaced. A replacement Migros bus was available on standby. Only the old mechanical till and rear tyres had to be replaced one time each. 

The Merci bus lives on 

Even though the tour has come to an end, the Merci bus will not go into retirement just yet. It will continue to appear as a Migros bus at various festivals and events in Switzerland, including as a camp site shop at the Paléo, Lumnezia, Heitere Open Air and Openair Gampel festivals in 2026. A big MERCI to all our customers who visited the Merci bus and made the tour such an unforgettable experience. A piece of history celebrated together - keeping Migros' ethos of close ties with customers alive.