Buy european (and boycott USA) - Swiss edition ðšð
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 ðºðž) | Filona (ZÃŒger FrischkÀse ðšð)Cantadou (Bel Group ð«ð·)Tartare (Savencia ð«ð·) |
| Yoghurt | Hirz (Nestlé ðšð)LC1 (Nestlé ðšð) | Emmi ðšðActivia (Danone ð«ð·) |
Frozen section
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen Snacks | Buitoni (Nestlé ðšð) | Dr. Oetker ð©ðªFindus (Nomad Foods ð¬ð§)Kern & Sammet ðšð |
| Ice Cream | Extrême (Nestlé ðšð)Frisco (Nestlé ðšð)HÀagen-Dazs (Nestlé ðšð)Mövenpick (Nestlé ðšð)Maxibon / Rakete / Pralinato (Nestlé ðšð)(Ben&Jerry's ðºðž (Unilever ð¬ð§)) | Creme d'Or (Migros ðšð)Gasparini ðšðKalte Lust ðšðEmmi ðšð |
Grains
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Mexican inspired | Old El Paso (General Mills ðºðž)Pancho Villa (General Mills ðºðž) | Store brandsFiesta del Sol (Migros ðšð) |
| Rice | Ben's Original (Mars Inc. ðºðž) | Store brandsTom's Best (Coop ðšð)Mister Rice (Migros ðšð) |
Sauces
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Sauces | Heinz ðºðžThomy (Nestlé ðšð)Maggi (Nestlé ðšð) | Store brandsHugo ðšð |
Breakfast
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Cereals | Kelloggs (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Cini Minis / Lion Cereals / Cookie Crisp (Nestlé ðšð) | Familia ðšðFarmer (Migrosðšð)Country (Coop ðšð)Alnatura ð©ðª |
| Chocolate Spreads | De Rujiter (Mondelez ðºðž) | Lindt ðšðOvomaltine ðšð (Associated British Foods ð¬ð§)Caotina ðšð (Associated British Foods ð¬ð§)Nutella (Ferrero ð®ð¹)Nocciolata (Rigoni di Asiago ð®ð¹) |
Snacks
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Salty snacks | Pringles (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Doritos (PepsiCo ðºðž)Pancho Villa (General Mills ðºðž)TUC (Mondelez ðºðž)Lay's (Pepsico ðºðž) | Zweifel ðšðFarm Chips ðšð (Migros)Tyrrells ð¬ð§ |
| Chocolate | Toblerone (Mondelez ðºðž)Cailler (Nestlé ðšð)Smarties (Nestlé ðšð)Kitkat (Nestlé ðšð)M&Ms (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Malteser (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Twix / Snickers / Mars / Milky Ways / Bounty (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Reese's (Hershey ðºðž)Balisto (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Mikado (Mondelez ðºðž)Milka (Mondelez ðºðž) | Lindt ðšðRagusa (Camille Blochðšð)Torino (Camille Blochðšð)Frey (Migrosðšð)KÀgi ðšðHalba ðšðOvomaltine ðšð (Associated British Foods ð¬ð§)Kinder (Ferrero ð®ð¹)Toffifee (August Storck ð©ðª)Knoppers (August Storck ð©ðª) |
| Cookies | Oreo (Mondelez ðºðž) | Kambly ðšðWernli ðšð |
| Sweets | Sugus (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Skittles (Mars Inc. ðºðž) | Trolli ð©ðªHaribo ð©ðªNimm 2 (August Storck ð©ðª) |
| Chewing gum / Mints | Hubba Bubba (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Airwaves (Mars Inc. ðºðž) | Ricola ðšðStimorol (Perfetti van Melle ð®ð¹ð³ð±)Mentos (Perfetti van Melle ð®ð¹ð³ð±)Fisherman's Friend ð¬ð§Tictac (Ferrero ð®ð¹) |
Beverages
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Jack Daniels ðºðžJim Beam Bourbon ðºðžWoodford Reserve ðºðžBudweiser ðºðž | I don't drink much alcohol, suggestions welcomeJohnny Walker ðŽó §ó ¢ó ³ó £ó Žó ¿ (Diageo ð¬ð§) |
| Soft Drinks | Pepsi (PepsiCo ðºðž)Gatorade (PepsiCo ðºðž)7-up (PepsiCo ðºðž)Dr Pepper (PepsiCo ðºðž)Capri-Sun (Mondelez ðºðž)Oasis (Coca-Cola Co. ðºðž)Coca-Cola / Fanta / Sprite (Coca-Cola Co. ðºðž)Fuzetea/Fusetea (Coca-Cola Co. ðºðž)Mezzo-Mix (Coca-Cola Co. ðºðž)Powerade (Coca-Cola Co. ðºðž)Schweppes (Coca-Cola Co. ðºðž)Monster Energy ðºðžArizona ðºðžNestea (Nestlé ðšð) | Ramseier ðšðSinalco ð©ðªRivella ðšðElmer ðšðEl Tony Mate (intelligentfood ðšð)Migros Ice Tea (Migros ðšð)Focus Water (Rivella ðšð)Sirup (Migros ðšð)Pepita (Mineralquelle Eptingen ðšð)Flauder (Goba ðšð)Farmer (Adelbodner ðšð)Red Bull ðŠð¹Volvic (Danone ð«ð·)Vitamin Well ðžðªIsostar (Associated British Foods ð¬ð§) |
| Water | Valser (Coca-Cola Co. ðºðž)S. Pellegrino (Nestlé ðšð)Henniez (Nestlé ðšð)Vittel (Nestlé ðšð) | tap-water duhKnutwiler ðšðRhÀzÃŒnser (Feldschlösschen ðšð)Adelbodner ðšðAproz (Migros ðšð)Swiss Alpina (Coop ðšð)Evian (Danone ð«ð·) |
| Coffee | Nescafé (Nestlé ðšð)Nespresso (Nestlé ðšð)Starbucks ðºðž | Hochstrasser ðšðBertschi ðšðHenauer ðšðVicafe ðšðChicco D'Oro ðšðCoffeeB ðšðDelizio ðšðLavazza ð®ð¹L'Or (Jacobs Douwe Egberts ð³ð±)Tchibo ð©ðª |
| Fruit Juice | Innocent (>90% Coca-Cola Co. ðºðž) | Sun Queen (Migros ðšð)Biotta (Orior ðšð)Anna's Best (Migros ðšð)Sluups (Fresh Drink ðšð)Andros ð«ð·Granini (Eckes-Granini ð©ðª)Alnatura ð©ðªTrue Fruits ð©ðªHohes C (Eckes-Granini ð©ðª) |
Non-food
Household
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Laundry detergents | Ariel (P&G ðºðž)Lenor (P&G ðºðž)Febreze (P&G ðºðž) | Held ðšðTotal (Migros ðšð)Elan (Migros ðšð)Washo ðšðPersil / Perwoll (Henkel ð©ðª)Frosch (Werne & Mertz ð©ðª)Omo (Unilever ð¬ð§)Vanish (Reckitt Benckiser ð¬ð§) |
| Cleaning utensils | Swiffer (P&G ðºðž)Scotch-Brite (3M ðºðž)Scrub Daddy ðºðž | Creaclean ðšðTwist (Migros ðšð)Flup (Coop ðšð)Leifheit ð©ðªVileda (Freudenberg ð©ðª) |
| Cleaning | Ajax (Colgate-Palmolive ðºðž) | Durgol ðšðPotz (Migros ðšð)Cif (Unilever ð¬ð§)Cillit Bang (Reckitt Benckiser ð¬ð§)Attitude ðšðŠDettol (Reckitt Benckiser ð¬ð§)Frosch (Werne & Mertz ð©ðª) |
| Soap | Palmolive (Colgate-Palmolive ðºðž)Le Petit Marseillais (Kenvue ðºðž) | Method (Held ðšð)I am (Migros ðšð)pH-Balance (Migros ðšð)Well (Coop ðšð)Nivea (Beiersdorf ð©ðª)Dettol (Reckitt Benckiser ð¬ð§) |
Drugstore
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Dental hygiene | Colgate (Colgate-Palmolive ðºðž)Elmex (Colgate-Palmolive ðºðž)Oral-B (P&G ðºðž)Listerine (Kenvue ðºðž)Meridol (Colgate-Palmolive ðºðž) | Curaprox ðšðDentamed (Coop ðšð)Candida (Migros ðšð)Trisa ðšðOdol (Haleon ð¬ð§)Parodontax (Haleon ð¬ð§)Sensodyne (Haleon ð¬ð§)Philips ð³ð±Signal (Unilever ð¬ð§) |
| Shaving | Gillette (P&G ðºðž) | Wilkinson Sword ð¬ð§Well (Coop ðšð)Bic ð¬ð§ |
| Intimate hygiene | Always (P&G ðºðž)Tampax (P&G ðºðž)Carefree (Johnson & Johnson ðºðž) | Molfina (Migros ðšð)o.b. ð©ðªCosmea (Pelz Group ð©ðª)Duchesse (MÃŒller ð©ðª)Tena (Essity ðžðª) |
| Haircare | Head & Shoulders (P&G ðºðž)Pantene (P&G ðºðž) | Belherbal (Migros ðšð)Well (Coop ðšð)Rausch ðšðGarnier (L'Oréal ð«ð·)ElsÚve (L'Oréal ð«ð·)Schwarzkopf (Henkel ð©ðª)Syoss (Henkel ð©ðª) |
| Skincare | Neutrogena (Kenvue ðºðž)Le Petit Marseillais (Kenvue ðºðž) | Weleda ðšðpH-Balance (Migros ðšð)Kneipp ðšðNivea (Beiersdorf ð©ðª)Eucerin (Beiersdorf ð©ðª)CeraVe (L'Oréal ð«ð·)La Roche Posay (L'Oréal ð«ð·) |
| Tissues | Kleenex (Kimberly-Clark ðºðž) | Linsoft (Migros ðšð)Well (Coop ðšð)Tempo (Essity ðžðª) |
| Lip balms | Burts Bees (Clorox ðºðž) | Labello (Beiersdorf ð©ðª)Vaseline (Unilever ð¬ð§) |
| Makeup | NYX ðºðž (L'Oréal ð«ð·)Maybelline ðºðž (L'Oréal ð«ð·) | L'Oréal Paris ð«ð· |
Pets
| Category | To avoid | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Pet food | Whiskas (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Sheba (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Cesar (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Dreamies (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Pedigree (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Exelcat (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Perfect Fit (Mars Inc. ðºðž)Edgar-Cooper (General Mills ðºðž)Purina (Nestlé ðšð)Friskies (Nestlé ðšð) | Delibest (Delipet ðšð)Vitakraft ðšðLily's Kitchen ð¬ð§ |
| Other stuff | Catsan (Mars Inc. ðºðž) | Optipet (Martec Handels ðšð) |
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 ðºðžMastercard ðºðžAmerican Express ðºðž | Twint ðšð (wherever possible)Auf Rechnung |
| Second hand buying / selling | Facebook Marketplace (Meta ðºðž) | Ricardo ðšðTutti ðšðMarko ðšð |
| Streaming | Netflix ðºðžAmazon Prime ðºðžDisney Plus ðºðžetc. | playsuisse.ch ðšðSRF ðšðfilmfriend.ch ðšðcinu.ch ðšðArte.tv ð«ð·ð©ðªYour local cinemaYour local libraryThe high seas ðŽââ ïž |
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.
22 replies
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.
Infomaniak - if youâre reading this please work on your pricing transparency and donât hide prices behind trial accounts.
Itâs incredibly hard to migrate to a swiss provider from a US provider if you cannot even see what youâll 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 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.
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.
PS: 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
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 :D
we need a TRUE free ios/android app that is maintained and up to date with scan functions not a huge list to go through when shopping
Johnny Walker is a great whiskey from Scotland
Thank you I put it into the list :)
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!
The company behind L'or (JDE peet's) is being bought by Keurig Dr Pepper.
Absolutely wonderful, thank you so much for this! You may also notice after switching foodstuffs that you feel healthier, and that is not a coincidence.
Blorp dev here. You can also view via feddit.ukâs deployment of Blorp if you donât want to worry about selecting an instance that federates with feddit.uk.
https://b.feddit.uk/home/c/[email protected]/posts/https%3A%2F%2Ffeddit.org%2Fpost%2F24577648
You may also consider Go European where you can find European alternative for a wide range products.
amazing