With or without alcohol: Migros launches voting beer
At the beginning of June 2022, Migros' cooperative members will democratically decide whether alcohol will also be sold in the retailer's stores in the future. In line with this, Migros is launching a campaign around a "voting beer".
"Oui" or "Non". This is the name of the Migros beer that will accompany the ballot on alcohol sales. Cooperative members will have until June 4, 2022 to vote on whether Migros should lift the ban on alcohol sales in Migros stores, Migros restaurants, and Migros takeaways, which has been in place since 1928. The accompanying campaign is being launched throughout Switzerland. In the process, the beer serves as a symbol of Migros democracy and is intended to encourage an engaged debate on whether alcoholic beverages should be sold in the more than 600 Migros stores in the future.
Democratic process from the grassroots
The campaign thus supports the democratic process that five delegates from the grassroots had initiated and that was approved by all national and regional Migros bodies last year. Today's approximately 2.3 million Migros cooperative members now have a choice. They can decide whether to vote "Oui" or "Non", for the sale of beer, wine and spirits in their Migros stores or against.
The Migros beer is a down-to-earth quality beer with the best ingredients from a Swiss brewery. This will be introduced in any case, depending on the result of the vote in the individual regions: In cooperatives offering alcohol, it will be the "Oui" variant with alcohol; in cooperatives not offering alcohol, it will be the alcohol-free "Non" variant.
Alcohol ban introduced to protect against poverty 1928
The ban on the sale of alcohol in Migros has existed since 1928. To promote public health and in the fight against "the almighty alcohol capital", Migros founder Gottlieb Duttweiler had decided not to sell alcohol in Migros stores. In view of the situation at the time, with "devastating liquor habits", he wanted to protect people from poverty, which was also caused by alcohol abuse.
In the last 100 years, the social situation and consumption habits in Switzerland have changed considerably. And so the alcohol issue has also been the subject of repeated controversy in the meantime. Since 1983, the ban has been anchored in the statutes of the regional Migros cooperatives (with the exception of Geneva). In order to change the statutes and allow the offer of alcoholic beverages to customers, an approval of two thirds of the voting members of the respective regional Migros cooperative is required.
Information on the strike ballot: Anyone who is a member of one of the ten regional Migros Cooperatives can take part in the strike ballot on June 4, 2022. Anyone who is not a cooperative member can join by the end of April by mail or at the customer service desk of a Migros branch or online by May 10, 2022 at the latest. The registration is also online possible.
