Sparkling wine, smoked salmon and other festive treats are as sought after in the pre-Christmas rush as they were last year, according to the largest retailers.

The main retailers and department stores are witnessing a repeat of the boom year of 2007, despite a recession projected for Switzerland in the coming months.

Migros and Coop, Switzerland's two largest retailers, have said they are seeing strong demand for their in-house lines of luxury foodstuffs.

A spokeswoman for the Bern department store Loeb said that food sales were heading towards the high level of 2007. "We don't detect any slump," she said.

Amid all the fevered buying, there is one sign of thriftiness. Sales of champagne are slightly down on last year as customers opt instead for other types of sparkling wine. But this could partly be down to a marked increase in the price of French bubbly.

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