Retailers not sharing bargains with consumers
A study commissioned by the economics ministry has found that Swiss consumers do not always benefit from the low prices of imported goods.
The survey, published on Wednesday, shows that some retailers are not passing on the savings to be had thanks to the strong Swiss franc.
It said that shoppers in Switzerland were paying too much for clothing, plastic items, vehicles and furniture. It registered only minimal savings on food and beverages, leather goods, shoes, electronics, machines, chemical and pharmaceutical products.
In contrast, the prices were better for oil, natural gas and metal as well as products made from wood, paper, glass, ceramic and concrete.
This past summer, the government announced that it would boost its price monitoring and competition commission with four new posts by the end of 2013.
The study was commissioned by Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann, who stirred up controversy among Swiss businesses recently when he encouraged Swiss consumers to shop abroad.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.