Why does Migros have an office in Hong Kong?

Wang Chiu Road in eastern Hong Kong is lined with high-rise buildings. In between, there are street cafés and a small park. Cars queue endlessly all around. At number 38, above a shopping centre, a glass tower stretches into the heavens. Here, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, are the offices of Migros Asia.

From the windows on the 32nd floor, all you see are skyscrapers. The chaotic open-plan office is littered with numerous items: pans, cups and Easter decorations. Some 85 employees buy products for Migros and Digitec Galaxus from here. They select suppliers, maintain business relationships with manufacturers, monitor supply chains and enforce quality standards. The products range from food and decorations to textiles and technology.

Home advantage

This year, the team is celebrating the office's 30th anniversary. Hong Kong isn't the only overseas office. Migros also has a procurement office in the Indian capital, New Delhi. Most Migros employees are locals. They know best how the Asian market operates They are familiar with the culture and speak the languages. The cultural background in particular is what makes the office so valuable. "Often, it's not enough to speak the language," says Adriano Labruzzo, the Head of Food at the Hong Kong procurement office. "An in-depth understanding of the culture helps you build closer relationships and trust with suppliers so that problems can be addressed properly and challenges overcome faster."

At the hub

Labruzzo, a trained butcher who also studied food technology, moved from Greifensee in Zurich to Hong Kong a year ago. He now heads the food team in Hong Kong and Delhi. The 34-year-old hasn't had to give up his passion for boxing in Hong Kong. He prefers to train early in the morning before the metro takes him from Hong Kong Island to the office. He's still amazed at the view from his workplace.

His task is to establish and manage relationships with suppliers. "From Hong Kong, it's easy to reach countries like Thailand, Indonesia and India, where some of the most important suppliers are based," he says. Other teams procure electronic devices, toys or clothes. The food that Labruzzo and his team buy in Asia reflects the region's diversity. Basmati and jasmine rice are harvested in Thailand and India, coconut milk comes from Sri Lanka and Thailand, tinned pineapple from Indonesia, and when grapes don't grow in Europe, India supplies them.

Fair wages, no child labour, sustainability

"For us, responsible sourcing means more than just high-quality products," Labruzzo explains. "We make sure that fair wages are paid along the entire supply chain, that there is no child labour and that all the working conditions meet the highest social and environmental standards." To this end, suppliers are regularly inspected by internal and external auditors. Migros is keen to have long-term supply relationships in order to guarantee consistently high quality.

Building bridges between two worlds

Esther Leung works is involved in testing products and manufacturers. She grew up between Hong Kong's skyscrapers and Kowloon's markets and has 20 years' experience as well as a wealth of knowledge about quality assurance and sustainability. Her team tests whether products comply with strict social standards. "For us, quality doesn't just entail a seal of approval on the packaging. We regularly check if hygiene practices and equipment meet the highest standards, while at the same time assisting suppliers in gaining international certification," Leung says.

But that's not enough for Migros. Products are also examined carefully and tested at the offices in Delhi and Hong Kong and at certified test centres. "This has already saved us a lot of trouble," Leung says. She points to children's toys and electrical appliances that don't meet Swiss safety standards. "Our aim is not just to monitor suppliers, but to support them in the long term and grow together with them," Leung says.

Labruzzo, Leung and their teams see their jobs as building bridges between two worlds. In Asia, they cultivate relationships, ensure high quality goods and sustainability and thus help to satisfy the demands of both Migros and its Swiss customers.

In this city of more than seven million inhabitants, daylight slowly gives way to the colourful glare of illuminated advertising, car headlamps and stores. High up on the 32nd floor, the last lights are being turned off.