German retailers woo Swiss shopping tourists
For German retailers near the border, shopping tourists are an important sales driver. They therefore go to great lengths to make the shopping experience as attractive as possible for foreign customers.
"We at the trade association do an extreme amount for family attractions and create experiences and meeting points," explains the chairman of the Waldshut trade association, Thomas Wartner. The association has on its website extra set up a separate page for Swiss, which lists, for example, info on customs borders and VAT refunds.
In addition, events such as the Christmas market or guided shopping tours are advertised on the websites of Waldshut and Tiengen. Targeted marketing is also intended to attract border tourists. Since 2020, Waldshut-Tiengen has had a Welcome campaign with advertising. "And now I have personally added to this by launching a High Rhine campaign with other eight municipalities on the High Rhine and Southern Black Forest," says Wartner.
The Rhein Center shopping center is also relying on an advertising campaign that, according to center manager Alev Kahraman, "uses a down-to-earth, appealing visual language" to show the "multi-cultural microcosm of '3Land. The center is relying on streetcar advertising and video spots in Swiss post offices and gas stations, for example.
Because of the restrictions placed on stationary retail trade by the Corona regulations, online trade has increased. "Of course, this trend has not stopped at the borders," writes the Handelsverband Südbaden. Therefore, it is particularly important that retail stores give their customers a reason to shop stationary, it said. "For this, the ambience, selection, price level, staff and service must be right," the association says. (SDA/swi)
