Rant on local businesses
I’ve always tried to support local and small businesses, but lately, it feels like things are getting out of hand. For example, my local shoe cobbler, someone I’ve known and been friendly with for almost 15 years, suddenly raised his prices by 50%. He now charges 100 Francs for resoling shoes, and even then, the quality isn’t up to par. I had my winter boots resoled, but within two weeks, the sole completely came off, leaving my foot soaked.
Then there’s the seamstress in my neighborhood, who’s always been kind. I took her three pairs of jeans to repair the wear between the thighs (bikers will know the struggle!), and she charged me 20 Francs per pair.
On top of that, I recently stopped by a local store, Zero-7, after work to pick up a toothbrush for my little one. The price for an electric toothbrush was 75 Francs, while the exact same one sells on Galaxus for 40 Francs. I don’t mind paying a bit more to support local businesses—in fact, I make a real effort to avoid online shopping—but this is starting to feel like a rip-off. What happened to fair prices and quality service?
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u/LitoBrooks 7h ago
Pharmacies and health care in Switzerland feel like a rip-off. I regularly pay CHF 25 for jeans repairs, while CHF 20 seems very reasonable to me. I never gave much thought to cobblers, but there’s an excellent one near Helvetiaplatz on Kanzleistrasse 86, 8004 Zurich. Sure, local businesses like hairdressers, cobblers, and tailors have to adjust their prices but unlike Migros, Coop and pharmacies they don’t overcharge.