Migros anniversary

“We called it the chocolate van”: memories of the Migros van

Mobile Migros stores may have ceased operating in 2007, but they remain unforgettable for many people in Switzerland. Readers sent us their anecdotes about them.

Text: Michael West, Pierre Wuthrich
Image: Dani Grieser
Date: 27.02.2025
Format: What we do

“I dreamt of having a cervelat sausage all to myself”

78-year-old Verena Keller, Oerlikon:
“My three brothers and I grew up in the Schwamendingen district of Zurich. In the 1950s, this suburb was still very rural and not particularly well developed. That’s why we were thrilled that a Migros van came by once a week on its rounds and parked at a nearby crossroads.

My parents didn’t have much money, so my mother really appreciated the affordable yet high-quality goods that she could buy from the mobile Migros shop. The driver opened up a wall on either side and pulled out metal drawers containing products in many different compartments. That was fascinating for me as a child.

When my mother brought cervelat sausages home, we kids often only got half a sausage each because we had to save money. I once defiantly told my mother: 'When I grow up, I want a whole cervelat all to myself!' That’s how modest children’s dreams were in those days.”

“The Migros vehicle was our chocolate van”

44-year-old Sara Waldmeier, Fehraltorf:
“I grew up in Männedorf; a great neighbourhood with lots of children. When the Migros van turned into our street, it was always one of the highlights of our day. We ran towards it, shouting, “Migros van! Chocolate van! Migros van! Chocolate van!” Back then, I loved Chocolat Frey ‘branches’. In fact, I still enjoy them today.”

“I shopped there for soldiers”

50-year-old Rita Mollet, Eglisau:
“When I was six years old, soldiers were billeted in our block of flats at one point. I went shopping for the soldiers at the Migros van and also helped them with sentry duty. But instead of a rifle, I held a stick in my hand. To say thank-you, they gave me a giant chocolate bunny at the end.”

“I got trapped in the door”

57-year-old Brigitte Tschamper, Hombrechtikon:
“When I was a child, I once wanted to buy an ice cream from the Migros van at the very last minute. The rear door was already closed, ready for departure. When I quickly tried to slip in from the front, I got trapped, and the van moved off with me inside. Luckily, it didn’t get far because some of the housewives who had been shopping there ran after it. I escaped with a fright and slight bruise - and was given an ice cream for my troubles.”

“My mum tried to buy some bread at the transport museum”

39-year-old Marisa Hess-Gisler, Inwil:
“At the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne, there's a Migros van on display next to the road transport hall. My mum once took out her purse to buy a loaf of bread from it. In her defence, the bread looked incredibly real.”

The history of the sales van

1925
In its founding year, Migros started out with five Ford TTs. These converted lorries were very small compared with today’s heavy goods vehicles. At first, only six products were available: croissants, rice, coconut oil, sugar, coffee and soap.

1940
Fuel was in short supply during the Second World War. That’s why Migros retrofitted some of its fleet of sales vans with wood-burning carburetors. The vans were often driven by women because many of the men were in the army.

1960
In the 1960s, the sales vans were transformed into miniature mobile self-service supermarkets. However, the customer base dwindled from the 1980s onwards as the network of bricks-and-mortar Migros stores became increasingly dense. The last two vehicles completed their rounds in Valais in 2007, after which the era of Migros’ mobile shops came to an end.

“The sales van seemed like a huge toy to me”

66-year-old Anne Piguet, Lausanne
“I grew up in Montavon; a village in the Jura. As a child, I often played with a small wooden shop. One day, my mother took me to the Migros van that always parked in front of our chapel. The green bus looked like a giant version of my toy. I loved shopping there for the family. I still vividly remember the narrow corridor that led through the van. You really had to concentrate hard when shopping because if other customers came in after you, you couldn’t turn around and go back. The owner of the village store really wasn't thrilled about it, and she was unfriendly to people who shopped at the van. Nevertheless, the whole village eventually did their shopping at the Migros van because the goods were cheaper.”

“We were out and about all day long”

62-year-old Anita Bruppacher, Biel
“After doing an apprenticeship in food retail, I worked from 1982 to 1987 in a Migros sales van that drove around Bern canton. I had to fill the vehicle up with goods in the morning and operate the till at each stop. Before setting off, we had to give ourselves at least an hour to restock the shelves. Afterwards, we had breakfast, which our boss had prepared for us. We then spent the entire day out on the road. The route was different each time. The customers were really friendly. I even remember one lady who brought us coffee every day. I have really fond memories of that time. When I found out that the sales van was going on its rounds again, I immediately asked my boss if I could help out now and again. I will be in Ipsach in canton Bern on 27 June, and hope to get some other dates too. I'm already really looking forward to returning to my old workplace.”