(29.10.2025) Swiss residents continue to favor shopping in neighboring countries. In 2025, they spent nearly CHF 9.2 billion in retail trade abroad, around 10% more than in 2022, according to the 2025 Shopping Tourism Survey conducted by the University of St. Gallen.
The reduction of the customs allowance from CHF 300 to CHF 150 in January 2025 slowed the increase in shopping tourism for certain product categories such as furniture and pharmaceutical items, but not for food. Grocery purchases remain the main driver of growth in cross-border shopping.
In 2025, Swiss consumers spent almost CHF 4 billion on food purchases outside the country, representing an increase of more than CHF 800 million compared with 2022. The Swiss retail sector as a whole, including both in-store and online trade, is estimated to have experienced revenue losses of CHF 1.8 billion in furniture, CHF 1.4 billion in clothing, CHF 1.15 billion in pharmaceuticals, and CHF 730 million in sporting goods.
Nearly three-quarters of the Swiss population (72%) shop abroad, spending an average of CHF 230 per visit in physical stores. On average, they make five cross-border shopping trips per year, covering about 118 kilometers each time. Online purchases also continue to grow (+10%), reaching a total of CHF 1.6 billion, with an average basket value of CHF 188 per order.
The report notes that Swiss consumers tend to overestimate price differences: they believe that consumer goods are on average 66% more expensive in Switzerland than abroad, whereas the actual difference has narrowed to around 40%. Analysts attribute this perception to households’ increased efforts to save in response to rising energy and health-insurance costs, as well as ongoing global geopolitical uncertainty.
Last modification 29.10.2025
