Selling to Coop: how to get listed

In short

Coop is Switzerland's largest retailer by group sales, but its supermarkets are second to Migros, and it wants to become number one there too. It buys centrally in Basel through category teams: category management decides the range and buyers negotiate terms with suppliers. More than 70% of its range comes from Switzerland. For a new brand, the realistic path is a strong category case to the right buyer, often through an established distributor, followed by promotions in Coop's Thursday-to-Wednesday weekly cycle.

Coop at a glance

Group sales include Transgourmet wholesale (CHF 11.6 billion) and Coop's own production (CHF 5.9 billion). The figure that matters for a supplier is supermarket sales including coop.ch: CHF 12.4 billion in 2025, just behind Migros supermarkets at CHF 12.7 billion (ESM, 7 Jan 2026; Moneycab, 16 Jan 2026).

What this means for suppliers: Coop is investing in price and in its Prix Garantie budget line because of pressure from foreign discounters and cross-border shopping. Expect buyers to push on net prices and to favour products that help them compete on value or stand out on quality.

How Coop buys

Coop buys centrally. Category buyers in Basel decide range and terms for Swiss suppliers, while Vasco, a buying cooperation with Superunie and Colruyt, negotiates net-net terms with the largest suppliers. Coop also belongs to the European buying alliance Agecore.

Coop GroupCEO Philipp Wyss

Marketing/ProcurementDirectorate led by Andrea Kramer

Category buyersBasel

AgecoreEuropean buying alliance

VascoWith Superunie and Colruyt, net-net terms with big suppliers

• Category buyers (Basel): Coop runs each category with a team that includes category managers, buyers, layout planners and controllers. Category management decides which products are listed, and the buyers negotiate purchase prices with suppliers (Coop, new-product process; Coop document, 2015; the process may have changed).
• Agecore: Coop's European buying alliance; Kaufland joined as fifth partner in 2025 (Horizont, Oct 2025). For the German retailers and their buying alliances, see Selling to German grocery retail.
• Vasco: a newer cooperation with Superunie and Colruyt that has taken over Coop's net-net negotiations with large suppliers (Horizont, Oct 2025).
• Sourcing offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City and Delhi (Horizont, Oct 2025).

Getting listed at Coop

A listing is won with the category buyer in Basel, on a category case, not a product pitch. Coop publishes no open application form that we could find, but its business principles say every request to list a new product goes through a standardised review, set out in the PDF Prozess Neuheitenevaluation und Auslistung (Coop document, 2015; the process may have changed) (Coop business principles). The steps and checklist below are the route we recommend.

1. Find your buyer. Each category at Coop has its own buyers, working in a category-management team. Coop's new-product process says new suppliers can ask Coop by phone for the responsible buyer, and should send samples only after talking to them (Coop, new-product process; Coop document, 2015; the process may have changed).
2. Choose your route. Approach the buyer directly, or go through a Swiss distributor or importer that is already a Coop supplier. For small and foreign brands, the distributor route is usually faster because logistics and terms are already set up.
3. Build the category case. Show why the category grows with you: sell-out from other channels, the gap you fill next to Coop's own brands, your price position, the margin for Coop, and your marketing and promotion plan for the first 12 months.
4. Get your data and logistics ready. GTIN codes and product master data, delivery to Coop's distribution centres, and electronic ordering (EDI).
5. Meet the compliance rules. Commit to Coop's Business Partner Code of Conduct, which names amfori BSCI as its main social standard (Code of Conduct, 2024). Coop's business principles also forbid its buyers from accepting gifts or money (Coop business principles). Food suppliers should expect to show food-safety certification.
6. Plan the first year. Agree promotions, in-store visibility and a review date. A listing that does not rotate is usually reviewed at the next range review.

What to bring to the first meeting

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Promotions at Coop

Coop's promotion week runs from Thursday to Wednesday, and promotions are a smaller share of branded sales than the regular shelf price. Plan activations around that rhythm and agree them with your buyer as part of your yearly terms.

Tips for suppliers

• Book promotions early, so your buyer can plan them alongside the range and shelf layout.
• Check overlaps with your activations at other retailers in the same weeks.
• Measure every promotion on sell-out and margin, not only on volume. A promotion that only pulls sales forward weakens your case at the next negotiation.

Private label and sustainability

Coop is growing its own brands, especially the Prix Garantie budget line, so a branded product must earn its shelf space against them.

• Prix Garantie has about 1,500 products, grew 7.5% in 2025 and is in one of three Coop shopping baskets. Coop plans to expand it to 1,800–2,000 products in the medium term (SRF, 17 Feb 2026).
• Coop's purchasing head says growth is roughly balanced between brands and private label (Horizont, Oct 2025).

Sustainability and conduct. Every business partner must follow Coop's Code of Conduct (2024): human rights and fair working conditions with amfori BSCI as the main standard, environmental and climate protection, responsible sourcing of minerals, and strict anti-corruption rules, including modest gifts only. Coop reserves the right to check compliance (Code of Conduct).

FAQ

How Sellva helps

Sellva keeps everything about your Coop account in one place: listings, terms, promotions in the Thursday cycle, sell-out and what changed this week. Sellva Agent flags overlaps and tells your KAM what to do next.

Sources

• SRF: Coop steigert Gewinn auf 606 Millionen Franken (17 Feb 2026)
• SRF: Coop erzielt 2025 Umsatzrekord (6 Jan 2026)
• Moneycab/AWP: Coop will Nummer 1 werden (17 Feb 2026)
• Moneycab: Migros schrumpft im Jubiläumsjahr nach Verkauf von Fachmärkten (16 Jan 2026)
• Coop: Coop eröffnet 1000. Supermarkt (30 Sep 2026)
• ESM: Coop Switzerland reports record sales (7 Jan 2026)
• Horizont: Interview with Coop purchasing head Andrea Kramer (16 Oct 2025)
• Horizont: Coop passt Aktionszeiträume an (21 Jan 2025)
• Coop: Verhaltenskodex für Geschäftspartner (2024)
• Coop: Geschäftsprinzipien der Coop-Gruppe
• Coop: Prozess Neuheitenevaluation und Auslistung (Coop document, 2015; the process may have changed)

This guide is based on public sources. Sellva is not affiliated with Coop.

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