Migros is celebrating its anniversary by handing out roses

78 years ago, Migros founder Gottlieb Duttweiler surprised Switzerland with an unusual move: after noticing the sales problems local florists were facing during a stay on the Italian Riviera, he soon bought a whole railway carriage full of carnations. The Migros shops sold these at the unbeatable price of CHF 1 for 16 carnations – a single carnation cost up to 70 centimes in specialist florists. This proved a resounding success: within just two weeks, the Swiss population had bought half a million Migros carnations.

Despite delighting customers, the campaign came in for criticism from Swiss florists. But Dutti stood by his vision: he wanted to give broad sections of the population access to products that were previously unaffordable. His 'Nägeli campaign' not only added a touch of colour to the everyday lives of many people, but also laid the foundations for Migros to later become the largest florist in Switzerland.

A floral gesture to mark the anniversary

78 years later, Migros is continuing this tradition of joy and gratitude. On 16 August, it will say 'MERCI' to its customers for their loyalty and trust – by giving out 1.3 million roses across all Migros stores.

Through this gesture, the retailer wishes not only to celebrate the anniversary with its customers, but also to highlight the values that have shaped Migros since its foundation – innovation and closeness to people.