SWITZERLAND – Top selling own-label dairy products such as fruit yogurt and UHT milk are being sold at up to half price in a new long term campaign against discounters by a Swiss supermarket chain.

The Coop Group, which has over 1500 outlets in the country, claims its strategy of permanent low prices with a special line called “Prix Guarantee” is the first of its kind by a premium store to beat the steady depletion of sales through the rock-bottom prices policies of discounters. These include Switzerland’s M Budget and Denner chains as well as newcomers to the country Aldi and Lidl.

The Prix Guarantee includes 150 different products comprising important regular buys for the household. Although Coop says it is aiming for an average reduction on its own prices of 25%, some best selling items will be slashed by as much as 50%.
It has stressed that that the savings incorporated in the Prix Guarantee label are to be permanent ones and do not include the usual special offer promotions within the premium chain’s range, which are to continue as usual.