Hi! I’ve been following the #buyeuropean movement since about a year and amidst current political events I felt the need to deepen my engagement. All existing lists and guides have been a great resource but I still felt like they didn’t have an impact big enough on my consumer habits. This is why I did some research on everyday products in my local supermarkets for us people in Switzerland.
The following lists have been created with the goal to endorse products and alternatives that are as local as possible and belong to companies that are somewhat established but without a horrendous reputation. This is why Nestlé is in the avoid section but if you don’t care much about that you can see them as alternatives instead.
Keep in mind that this is a list written by me, a single person, so it’s likely to be influenced by my consumer habits, my lifestyle, my location etc. If anyone has more recommendations or finds something was ill-researched, you’re most welcome to contribute. I might edit this list later on myself.
To the list:
- The company in Brackets is the manufacturer or - if owned externally - the parent company of the manufacturer. For research I’ve been looking up predominantly Wikipedia or the brands official page.
- To almost every product there are store brand alternatives like M-Classic and M-Budget (Migros), naturaplan, fine food, Karma and Prix Garantie (Coop) and others (Denner, Lidl, Aldi, etc.) which I didn’t bother to list everywhere. But those are good alternatives most of the time, so don’t forget about them!
Edit: I just noticed on some Lemmy clients the <br> doesn’t work. Sorry about that. You can view the correctly formatted post here (blorpblorp).
Food
Dairy
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh Cheese | Philadelphia (Mondelez 🇺🇸) | Filona (Züger Frischkäse 🇨🇭)<br>Cantadou (Bel Group 🇫🇷)<br>Tartare (Savencia 🇫🇷) |
| Yoghurt | Hirz (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>LC1 (Nestlé 🇨🇭) | Emmi 🇨🇭<br>Activia (Danone 🇫🇷) |
Frozen section
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen Snacks | Buitoni (Nestlé 🇨🇭) | Dr. Oetker 🇩🇪<br>Findus (Nomad Foods 🇬🇧)<br>Kern & Sammet 🇨🇭 |
| Ice Cream | Extrême (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Frisco (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Häagen-Dazs (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Mövenpick (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Maxibon / Rakete / Pralinato (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>(Ben&Jerry’s 🇺🇸 (Unilever 🇬🇧)) | Creme d’Or (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Gasparini 🇨🇭<br>Kalte Lust 🇨🇭<br>Emmi 🇨🇭 |
Grains
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Mexican inspired | Old El Paso (General Mills 🇺🇸)<br>Pancho Villa (General Mills 🇺🇸) | Store brands<br>Fiesta del Sol (Migros 🇨🇭) |
| Rice | Ben’s Original (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸) | Store brands<br>Tom’s Best (Coop 🇨🇭)<br>Mister Rice (Migros 🇨🇭) |
Sauces
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Sauces | Heinz 🇺🇸<br>Thomy (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Maggi (Nestlé 🇨🇭) | Store brands<br>Hugo 🇨🇭 |
Breakfast
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Cereals | Kelloggs (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Cini Minis / Lion Cereals / Cookie Crisp (Nestlé 🇨🇭) | Familia 🇨🇭<br>Farmer (Migros🇨🇭)<br>Country (Coop 🇨🇭)<br>Alnatura 🇩🇪 |
| Chocolate Spreads | De Rujiter (Mondelez 🇺🇸) | Lindt 🇨🇭<br>Ovomaltine 🇨🇭 (Associated British Foods 🇬🇧)<br>Caotina 🇨🇭 (Associated British Foods 🇬🇧)<br>Nutella (Ferrero 🇮🇹)<br>Nocciolata (Rigoni di Asiago 🇮🇹) |
Snacks
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Salty snacks | Pringles (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Doritos (PepsiCo 🇺🇸)<br>Pancho Villa (General Mills 🇺🇸)<br>TUC (Mondelez 🇺🇸)<br>Lay’s (Pepsico 🇺🇸) | Zweifel 🇨🇭<br>Farm Chips 🇨🇭 (Migros)<br>Tyrrells 🇬🇧 |
| Chocolate | Toblerone (Mondelez 🇺🇸)<br>Cailler (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Smarties (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Kitkat (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>M&Ms (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Malteser (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Twix / Snickers / Mars / Milky Ways / Bounty (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Reese’s (Hershey 🇺🇸)<br>Balisto (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Mikado (Mondelez 🇺🇸)<br>Milka (Mondelez 🇺🇸) | Lindt 🇨🇭<br>Ragusa (Camille Bloch🇨🇭)<br>Torino (Camille Bloch🇨🇭)<br>Frey (Migros🇨🇭)<br>Kägi 🇨🇭<br>Halba 🇨🇭<br>Ovomaltine 🇨🇭 (Associated British Foods 🇬🇧)<br>Kinder (Ferrero 🇮🇹)<br>Toffifee (August Storck 🇩🇪)<br>Knoppers (August Storck 🇩🇪) |
| Cookies | Oreo (Mondelez 🇺🇸) | Kambly 🇨🇭<br>Wernli 🇨🇭 |
| Sweets | Sugus (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Skittles (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸) | Trolli 🇩🇪<br>Haribo 🇩🇪<br>Nimm 2 (August Storck 🇩🇪) |
| Chewing gum / Mints | Hubba Bubba (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Airwaves (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸) | Ricola 🇨🇭<br>Stimorol (Perfetti van Melle 🇮🇹🇳🇱)<br>Mentos (Perfetti van Melle 🇮🇹🇳🇱)<br>Fisherman’s Friend 🇬🇧<br>Tictac (Ferrero 🇮🇹) |
Beverages
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Jack Daniels 🇺🇸<br>Jim Beam Bourbon 🇺🇸<br>Woodford Reserve 🇺🇸<br>Budweiser 🇺🇸 | I don’t drink much alcohol, suggestions welcome<br>Johnny Walker 🏴 (Diageo 🇬🇧) |
| Soft Drinks | Pepsi (PepsiCo 🇺🇸)<br>Gatorade (PepsiCo 🇺🇸)<br>7-up (PepsiCo 🇺🇸)<br>Dr Pepper (PepsiCo 🇺🇸)<br>Capri-Sun (Mondelez 🇺🇸)<br>Oasis (Coca-Cola Co. 🇺🇸)<br>Coca-Cola / Fanta / Sprite (Coca-Cola Co. 🇺🇸)<br>Fuzetea/Fusetea (Coca-Cola Co. 🇺🇸)<br>Mezzo-Mix (Coca-Cola Co. 🇺🇸)<br>Powerade (Coca-Cola Co. 🇺🇸)<br>Schweppes (Coca-Cola Co. 🇺🇸)<br>Monster Energy 🇺🇸<br>Arizona 🇺🇸<br>Nestea (Nestlé 🇨🇭) | Ramseier 🇨🇭<br>Sinalco 🇨🇭<br>Rivella 🇨🇭<br>Elmer 🇨🇭<br>El Tony Mate (intelligentfood 🇨🇭)<br>Migros Ice Tea (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Focus Water (Rivella 🇨🇭)<br>Sirup (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Pepita (Mineralquelle Eptingen 🇨🇭)<br>Flauder (Goba 🇨🇭)<br>Farmer (Adelbodner 🇨🇭)<br>Red Bull 🇦🇹<br>Volvic (Danone 🇫🇷)<br>Vitamin Well 🇸🇪<br>Isostar (Associated British Foods 🇬🇧) |
| Water | Valser (Coca-Cola Co. 🇺🇸)<br>S. Pellegrino (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Henniez (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Vittel (Nestlé 🇨🇭) | tap-water duh<br>Knutwiler 🇨🇭<br>Rhäzünser (Feldschlösschen 🇨🇭)<br>Adelbodner 🇨🇭<br>Aproz (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Swiss Alpina (Coop 🇨🇭)<br>Evian (Danone 🇫🇷) |
| Coffee | Nescafé (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Nespresso (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Starbucks 🇺🇸 | Hochstrasser 🇨🇭<br>Bertschi 🇨🇭<br>Henauer 🇨🇭<br>Vicafe 🇨🇭<br>Chicco D’Oro 🇨🇭<br>CoffeeB 🇨🇭<br>Delizio 🇨🇭<br>Lavazza 🇮🇹<br>L’Or (Jacobs Douwe Egberts 🇳🇱)<br>Tchibo 🇩🇪 |
| Fruit Juice | Innocent (>90% Coca-Cola Co. 🇺🇸) | Sun Queen (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Biotta (Orior 🇨🇭)<br>Anna’s Best (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Sluups (Fresh Drink 🇨🇭)<br>Andros 🇫🇷<br>Granini (Eckes-Granini 🇩🇪)<br>Alnatura 🇩🇪<br>True Fruits 🇩🇪<br>Hohes C (Eckes-Granini 🇩🇪) |
Non-food
Household
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Laundry detergents | Ariel (P&G 🇺🇸)<br>Lenor (P&G 🇺🇸)<br>Febreze (P&G 🇺🇸) | Held 🇨🇭<br>Total (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Elan (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Washo 🇨🇭<br>Persil / Perwoll (Henkel 🇩🇪)<br>Frosch (Werne & Mertz 🇩🇪)<br>Omo (Unilever 🇬🇧)<br>Vanish (Reckitt Benckiser 🇬🇧) |
| Cleaning utensils | Swiffer (P&G 🇺🇸)<br>Scotch-Brite (3M 🇺🇸)<br>Scrub Daddy 🇺🇸 | Creaclean 🇨🇭<br>Twist (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Flup (Coop 🇨🇭)<br>Leifheit 🇩🇪<br>Vileda (Freudenberg 🇩🇪) |
| Cleaning | Ajax (Colgate-Palmolive 🇺🇸) | Durgol 🇨🇭<br>Potz (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Cif (Unilever 🇬🇧)<br>Cillit Bang (Reckitt Benckiser 🇬🇧)<br>Attitude 🇨🇦<br>Dettol (Reckitt Benckiser 🇬🇧)<br>Frosch (Werne & Mertz 🇩🇪) |
| Soap | Palmolive (Colgate-Palmolive 🇺🇸)<br>Le Petit Marseillais (Kenvue 🇺🇸) | Method (Held 🇨🇭)<br>I am (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>pH-Balance (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Well (Coop 🇨🇭)<br>Nivea (Beiersdorf 🇩🇪)<br>Dettol (Reckitt Benckiser 🇬🇧) |
Drugstore
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Dental hygiene | Colgate (Colgate-Palmolive 🇺🇸)<br>Elmex (Colgate-Palmolive 🇺🇸)<br>Oral-B (P&G 🇺🇸)<br>Listerine (Kenvue 🇺🇸)<br>Meridol (Colgate-Palmolive 🇺🇸) | Curaprox 🇨🇭<br>Dentamed (Coop 🇨🇭)<br>Candida (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Trisa 🇨🇭<br>Odol (Haleon 🇬🇧)<br>Parodontax (Haleon 🇬🇧)<br>Sensodyne (Haleon 🇬🇧)<br>Philips 🇳🇱<br>Signal (Unilever 🇬🇧) |
| Shaving | Gillette (P&G 🇺🇸) | Wilkinson Sword 🇬🇧<br>Well (Coop 🇨🇭)<br>Bic 🇬🇧 |
| Intimate hygiene | Always (P&G 🇺🇸)<br>Tampax (P&G 🇺🇸)<br>Carefree (Johnson & Johnson 🇺🇸) | Molfina (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>o.b. 🇩🇪<br>Cosmea (Pelz Group 🇩🇪)<br>Duchesse (Müller 🇩🇪)<br>Tena (Essity 🇸🇪) |
| Haircare | Head & Shoulders (P&G 🇺🇸)<br>Pantene (P&G 🇺🇸) | Belherbal (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Well (Coop 🇨🇭)<br>Rausch 🇨🇭<br>Garnier (L’Oréal 🇫🇷)<br>Elsève (L’Oréal 🇫🇷)<br>Schwarzkopf (Henkel 🇩🇪)<br>Syoss (Henkel 🇩🇪) |
| Skincare | Neutrogena (Kenvue 🇺🇸)<br>Le Petit Marseillais (Kenvue 🇺🇸) | Weleda 🇨🇭<br>pH-Balance (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Kneipp 🇨🇭<br>Nivea (Beiersdorf 🇩🇪)<br>Eucerin (Beiersdorf 🇩🇪)<br>CeraVe (L’Oréal 🇫🇷)<br>La Roche Posay (L’Oréal 🇫🇷) |
| Tissues | Kleenex (Kimberly-Clark 🇺🇸) | Linsoft (Migros 🇨🇭)<br>Well (Coop 🇨🇭)<br>Tempo (Essity 🇸🇪) |
| Lip balms | Burts Bees (Clorox 🇺🇸) | Labello (Beiersdorf 🇩🇪)<br>Vaseline (Unilever 🇬🇧) |
| Makeup | NYX 🇺🇸 (L’Oréal 🇫🇷)<br>Maybelline 🇺🇸 (L’Oréal 🇫🇷) | L’Oréal Paris 🇫🇷 |
Pets
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Pet food | Whiskas (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Sheba (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Cesar (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Dreamies (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Pedigree (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Exelcat (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Perfect Fit (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸)<br>Edgar-Cooper (General Mills 🇺🇸)<br>Purina (Nestlé 🇨🇭)<br>Friskies (Nestlé 🇨🇭) | Delibest (Delipet 🇨🇭)<br>Vitakraft 🇨🇭<br>Lily’s Kitchen 🇬🇧 |
| Other stuff | Catsan (Mars Inc. 🇺🇸) | Optipet (Martec Handels 🇨🇭) |
Some extras
There is still so much left to look into - clothing, outdoor, kitchen ware, cars, traveling, etc. - but because my time is limited and this post is already getting pretty long here are just a few more addings I felt strongly about.
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | Visa 🇺🇸<br>Mastercard 🇺🇸<br>American Express 🇺🇸 | Twint 🇨🇭 (wherever possible)<br>Auf Rechnung |
| Second hand buying / selling | Facebook Marketplace (Meta 🇺🇸) | Ricardo 🇨🇭<br>Tutti 🇨🇭<br>Marko 🇨🇭 |
| Streaming | Netflix 🇺🇸<br>Amazon Prime 🇺🇸<br>Disney Plus 🇺🇸<br>etc. | playsuisse.ch 🇨🇭<br>SRF 🇨🇭<br>filmfriend.ch 🇨🇭<br>cinu.ch 🇨🇭<br>Arte.tv 🇫🇷🇩🇪<br>Your local cinema<br>Your local library<br>The high seas 🏴☠️ |
If you got this far thank you for scrolling through and I hope this helped someone in their endeavour. My eyes have certainly been opened regarding some brands I never questioned or believed to be very Swiss.
You must log in or # to comment.
The company behind L’or (JDE peet’s) is being bought by Keurig Dr Pepper.
Awesome list!
I was surprised not see Vinted or Sellpy on the second-hand list, but apparently neither works in Switzerland :O
You might be doing this already, but getting off Google Search is an essay thing that hurts the company a lot. And using adblock on YouTube.
I didn’t even consider other second-hand services since the ones I listed are already quite established here. Might make sense for people closer to the border to have an international platform though.
And yes, I got off Google Search a long ago and am happily using Ecosia :DPS: I’m shocked by Neutrogena. They got me with the Norwegian flag (WTF?!), I didn’t even check it.
Yeah it seems like the flag is just there because of the Norwegian formula used. Very misleading
Just noticed your edit before I wanted to mention about the line breaks, but wanted to say thanks for the cool and informative table!
Thank you! Do you know of another way to do line breaks in a table?
Two empty spaces (or more) at the end of the line is the usual way in markdown, but not whether it works in every lemmy app since they all have different levels of markdown implementation but it should work.Edit: damnit sorry forgot about the table part… No idea sorry :(
Edit 2: so I got curious and tried everything I could think of, and checked out what lemmy default web UI uses as it’s markdown flavour: “commonmark”, which doesn’t natively seem to support newlines in tables sadly.
Double
space at the end of a line will give you a line break, but not sure if that works in a table.- dash
- creates
- a
- list,
- but also not sure about using that in a table.
Infomaniak - if you’re reading this please work on your pricing transparency and don’t hide prices behind trial accounts.
It’s incredibly hard to migrate to a swiss provider from a US provider if you cannot even see what you’ll be paying in the end.
Your website is atrocious in that regard.
I’m an Infomaniak user and while I’m really happy with the services they provide and will gladly vouch for them, you’re right about their website. Sometimes it feels so jumbled and weirdly organised and some texts in their support documentation feel like they’ve been written by a bad AI.
Thanks! A quick look through the list was so helpful to make sure I am doing things right. I’m really surprised by Le Petit Marseillais and will not buy again. And so many snacks! I believe following the non-american diet might make me healthier as well.
Le Petit Marseillais got me too!
Great list, thank you!
Great job, nice work - agree that store brand alternative is the easy alternative. But despite Ben & Jerry’s is a US brand and they’ve become less outspoken since they are part of Unilever, i personally wouldn’t put them on a list next to the likes of Nestlé, 3M and Amazon.
Johnny Walker is a great whiskey from Scotland
It’s though a quite different flavour from the sweetnees of a Bourbon. If Bourbon’s your thing I’d recommend a Canadian Club. And yes, it’s not European but unfortunately whiskies are quite dependent on climate and environment for their flavour profile.
Otherwise this is a great time to discover great Scotch wishkies!
Thank you I put it into the list :)
