Since 1834, the Zurich-based family business Landolt Weine has been serving the Swiss with fine wines - and also produces wine itself at its own winery. Now, four Landolt wine lines have been given a new branding, a new design as well as new names and storytelling by the Zurich-based creative agency Rosarot.

The wines of the Landolt winery are produced by hand and are characterized by honesty and local tradition. And the new labels reflect precisely these values. Rosarot developed a common design concept for all four wine lines, which is intended to position each individual wine and the overarching brand "Landolt Weine" at the same time. The packaging design showcases the brand values by complementing the modern graphic design with finishes and illustrated elements. The uniform shape of the labels with a cut-out "L" for Landolt connects the lines. Lacquer embossing is also part of it - as well as a new claim.

Storytelling for wines

People buy wines not only for their taste - but also for the story they tell. Rosarot takes the storytelling of two local wine lines to the next level with new designs and names. That's because Landolt produces a line of wines with vines exclusively from the city of Zurich. The newly developed name "Stadtzürcher" makes the wine's origin clear. So do the labels: with a two-tone,
minimalist map of the city of Zurich. Each wine of the line was thereby assigned a different color for the city map.

In addition, Landolt produces wines for the production of which only vines from the Zürcher Weinland are used. The name "Züribieter" was therefore chosen for this line. The labels are also two-tone and their design is reminiscent of the canton's flag. For each wine, the agency developed its own secondary name with associated headline, which is intended to emphasize the regional origin, as well as a lacquer embossing. For example, the Züribieter Pinot Blanc is "Der Erfrischende". Headline: "Like a swim in Lake Zurich" and embossed water splash.

The Swiss Cyber Security Days will now take place on February 20 and 21, 2024, at the BERNEXPO site and not on September 20 and 21, 2023, as initially communicated. According to the organizers, due to the change of the previous venue from Fribourg to Bern, the work around the event could only be started with delay. This was only insufficiently conducive to the ambitious goals of the SCSD, they continue.

New date is broadly supported

The decision was made by the SCSD organizing committee in close consultation with BERNEXPO, the strategic partners. "The decision to postpone the SCSD to February 2024 was not an easy one for us" says Doris Fiala, National Councillor of the FDP and President of the Swiss Cyber Security Days. "We want to organize a unique event in this urgent field. Together with our partners, we decided that a postponement would give us the time to meet the high expectations of the SCSD."

In the meantime, work on the Swiss Cyber Security Days 2024 is in full swing. Renowned partners such as Amazon, Cisco, IBM, Digital Realty, ServiceNow and Kasperski as well as national and international top speakers have already been recruited. Also on board are associations such as the Swiss Venture Club SVC, the Swiss Association of Municipalities and Cities, the Competence Center for Information Security Clusis, various cantonal trade and industry associations and others.

First program highlights defined, more to follow

In the meantime, the first highlights of the two-day Swiss Cyber Security Days program have also been defined. Dr. Jean-Marc Rickli from the Geneva Centre for Security Policy GCSP and co-chair of the NATO consortium "Partnership for Peace" (PfPC) will take us on a journey into the topic of "Emerging Technologies". Whether brain-computer interfaces, self-learning humanoid robots or the latest generation of facial recognition applications - emerging technologies have a major impact on global stability.

What does this mean in terms of society, the regulatory framework and risk management? The 17-year-old Chilean Elisa Torres from "Girls in Quantum" will show the huge potential of quantum computing; IBM will demonstrate how to use crypto processes today that are already quantum-safe and the think tank "Pour Demain" will award the "AI Security Prize" for the first time. In addition, in cooperation with the Swiss Association of Municipalities, Swiss municipalities and SMEs will be enabled to successfully defend themselves against cyber attacks even with few resources in practice-oriented workshop ateliers. "Municipalities and SMEs are particularly at risk from cybercrime and espionage," says Christoph Niederberger, Director of the Swiss Association of Municipalities. "Such practical best-practice events are therefore great. They give participants the opportunity to better protect themselves against the increasingly urgent threats from the digital world." Other exciting program items are currently being developed and some are well advanced.

More information: Swiss Cyber Security Days

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/neues-datum-fuer-die-swiss-cyber-security-days/

Lumina Health was commissioned by the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital to develop a strategy and brand for a gastroenterology center in the center of Lucerne. The result is "Inolux", the new gastroenterology center that offers the entire spectrum of gastroenterological examinations and therapies in close cooperation with the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital.

Lumina Health developed the brand strategy and a corporate design that comes with minimalism and a bit of humor. For the positioning, a new brand promise was created in close collaboration with the client team: "For a good gut feeling." This promise is intended to get to the heart of the claim regarding medical expertise paired with emphatic care. A multichannel brand presence is to reach different target groups and make the brand image a consistent analog and digital experience.

Responsible at Lumina Health: Tarja Zingg (CEO | Creative Director), Sarafina Eckert (Project Management), Daniela Eberle, Debi Balmer (Design). Responsible at the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital: Karin Hodler, Patrick Aepli, Stephan Baumeler, Oliver Annen.

Deloitte Private's Best Managed Companies Award, conducted in 46 countries, compares companies in a comprehensive assessment with Deloitte's globally recognized benchmark. This has been continuously developed over the 30 years since the program was launched. Participating companies receive an independent and substantive assessment of their governance practices and overall performance; this assessment shows them where their operations currently stand in four key corporate areas compared to a global community of over 1,300 exemplary managed companies.

Multi-stage evaluation procedure

The award is preceded by an intensive, multi-stage coaching and assessment process that all participating companies must undergo. The focus is on assessing performance in the four core areas of strategy, productivity & innovation, culture & commitment, and governance & finance. Companies that perform above average in all four categories have a chance of winning the award.

"From a business perspective, the past twelve months since the last award have not been an easy time: soaring inflation, disrupted supply chains, high energy prices and the shortage of skilled labor present a complex set of business risks. What sets this year's winners apart is their agility and resilience - the ability and willingness to persevere in difficult times, position themselves in a volatile market and respond effectively to change," said Andreas Bodenmann, program officer and head of Deloitte Private. "The six winners are at the forefront of their industries. They have demonstrated creativity and innovation in impressive ways. And they have managed to maintain their core values while moving into the future with a clear focus on growth."

Exemplary corporate governance: the Best Managed Companies 2023

Six privately or family-owned companies were honored as "Best Managed Companies":

• ATP adhesive systems AG specializes in the development and manufacture of adhesive tape solutions. With modern production processes and an internationally established distribution network, ATP has been supplying a large number of industrial customers worldwide, for example in the automotive, electrical and healthcare industries, for over 35 years.
• The ECSA Group, now in its fourth generation of international management, was founded in 1913 and is today active in four main sectors: ECSA Chemicals AG in the international trade of raw materials and chemicals, ECSA Energy SA in the distribution of petroleum products and the operation of service stations, ECSA Maintenance AG in the distribution of specialized industrial supplies and Suncolor SA in the distribution of paints, varnishes and insulating materials.
• The family-owned chocolate manufacturer Läderach (Switzerland) AG was founded in the 1960s and today operates in 16 countries, including South Korea, the USA and the UK. Many products are still made by hand, underscoring the chocolatier's tradition and making the company a master of its craft. The result is Swiss chocolate made from the finest raw materials.
• Teoxane Laboratories SA specializes in the development of hyaluronic acid solutions and, with over 20 years of experience, is now a pioneer in the science of facial beauty. The company combines innovation, quality and consumer safety to develop high performance hyaluronic acid dermal fillers and dermocosmetics based on rigorous scientific research.
• Variosystems AG is an electronics service provider offering uniform and complete end-to-end solutions worldwide. From product design to finished electronic assemblies, devices or systems, products are offered with long-term support, including logistics and end-of-life services.
• The Vista Group is one of the leading private centers of excellence for ophthalmology in Switzerland. Founded over 30 years ago, Vista offers treatments and interventions around the eye at its 31 locations, providing lifelong care. With its own research department and its comprehensive education and training program, Vista has been a recognized training clinic for more than ten years.

The competition does not end after one year: All companies can regularly undergo the same audit, take part in workshops and qualify again. This year, six companies that had previously won the Best Managed Companies Award succeeded in doing so. This illustrious circle includes, for example, the Capri Sun Group, MindMaze, the Wipf Group, Groupe Acrotec SA, the Suhner Group and Precipart.

Commitment to Switzerland as a business location

"The Best Managed Companies Award is an incentive for all companies to shape their future with foresight, a sense of innovation and a good management culture. As drivers of innovation, privately managed companies are important for a diverse and strong Swiss location," emphasizes Andreas Bodenmann. "As an audit and advisory firm, Deloitte Private supports such companies in their challenges in the areas of growth, compliance, reporting and auditing, and tailors the versatile services from the entire Deloitte universe to their specific needs so that these companies can hold their own and successfully position themselves for the future."

On this year's jury, Nadja Lang, CEO of the ZFV-Unternehmungen cooperative, Jens Breu, CEO of SFS Group, Gilles Stuck, Head of Market Switzerland at Julius Baer, Tanja Vainio, Country President of Schneider Electric Switzerland, and Prof. Dr. Thomas Straub, Associate Professor at the University of Geneva for Strategic Management and Corporate Strategy, evaluated the participating companies.

Source: Deloitte

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/sechs-firmen-mit-dem-best-managed-companies-award-ausgezeichnet/

The company Digital Realty operates several data centers worldwide and regularly conducts studies on cloud trends. The third edition has just been published. Arne Benox, Sales & Business Development Manager at Digital Realty Switzerland, talks below about what he has learned from the study about the strategies of Swiss companies, what the next steps in their journey to the clouds might look like - and what he advises companies that may not yet be as far along as their competitors.

Have Swiss companies reached the goal of their multi-cloud plans?

Not for a long time yet. The concept of multi-cloud runs through all the needs and strategies of companies. Over the last few years, we have observed a high level of dynamism. To the degree that the technology of a dedicated cloud is becoming more accessible, the strategies are also changing. The interaction between the clouds is also improving. I see this as a development in line with needs, and I am sure that this will continue. I expect that in the next few years there will be a big trend towards connecting the clouds with each other even more. This stems from facts such as the fact that the number of companies relying on up to ten cloud providers for SaaS has increased significantly over the years: from 15.8 percent in 2018 to 45.3 percent in 2020 and then to 52.7 percent in 2023. 

As the needs of businesses change, the topic will continue to evolve. In the end, just as the study predicts, there will not be a single cloud or an exclusively private cloud. Enterprises will combine different clouds to do their different jobs.

The study relates exclusively to Swiss companies. Digital Realty is a global provider. Do the results in Switzerland match the experience in other countries? If not, what makes Switzerland different? 

There are generally differences in development over time. Some countries, such as Switzerland, are faster than others in global terms, including Germany and Austria, ahead of which Switzerland has a lead of one to two years. This also depends on the level of digitization in the individual countries. How good is the available connectivity? What bandwidths are available via which technologies? The keys to all cloud technologies are available connectivity and security. In countries where conditions are similar to Switzerland, we see similar trends. In regions where this is not the case, where other data protection laws play a role, or where bandwidth is not available, we observe that they are catching up and may even develop a bit faster in the process, as they can skip some steps we had to take.

What do you think are the reasons that on-premises cloud service providers perform so well compared to hyperscalers?
 
I would phrase the question differently, because local providers, integrators or software developers, serve completely different needs, they can respond much better to individual requirements. They can offer tailored solutions or penetrate niche markets that are not interesting for hyperscalers because of lower scalability. Many local providers are developing their own cloud services and we see this being accepted by customers. For example, there are many private banks in Switzerland that differentiate themselves differently to their customers than global banks. This results in special requirements that are very well covered by small providers that are native to the same market as their customers.

Against this background, what about the prospect of future growth of companies, perhaps also across national borders? 

Many companies grow under their own steam up to a certain point, and then continue to grow through mergers and acquisitions. At that point, very different cloud strategies, application landscapes and data sources usually come together. This is where our ServiceFabric solution comes into play. It allows companies to quickly connect disparate data, applications and cloud services across multiple locations, including colocation data centers and even data centers from providers other than Digital Realty, currently over 700. This scenario is typical of the future of the cloud. It's not just about making certain services like Microsoft 365 available for office communications, but the various cloud applications that our Study in detail, to network with each other, to bring together information in order to make smart decisions based on the data.

What conclusion would you like to draw from the study for IT managers in Swiss companies? 

Multi-cloud is a reality and the barriers to entering a colocation data center with solutions for public clouds, private clouds and multi-clouds are getting lower. It no longer takes much courage to get involved, as factors such as data protection laws are being implemented with increasing sophistication. This ensures that data is well protected within the data center. What's more, you don't have to worry about connectivity in our data centers, and we also cover issues such as environmental aspects and certification. In times when it is becoming more and more difficult for companies to meet the increasing requirements for the operation of their IT on their own, the step to an external data center makes economic sense - and as our study shows, an increasing number of Swiss companies are taking this step. 

Source and further information: Interxion

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/cloud-computing-schweizer-unternehmen-noch-nicht-am-ziel/

Today's technological developments and thus the advance of digitization open many doors for young people to make their voices heard on different channels, to exchange ideas with each other or to follow trends emerging on the other side of the world. At the same time, the young generation is marked by crises and struggles with challenges of new origin. The Covid 19 pandemic has clearly left its mark, with young people no longer wanting to deal with the issue, but instead devoting themselves to other future-oriented concerns. What preoccupies young people in their daily lives and how do they deal with the challenges of today and tomorrow? What differences do we see with regard to these issues among young people from Switzerland's neighboring countries?

The "Young Swiss 2023 Study" provides a close-up look at the thoughts and feelings of young people in Switzerland, examining their lives in a variety of ways.

Media usage: Social networks for news

The News & Media Spotlight, for example, looks at the media use of young Swiss people and thus at the question of which channels they use to consume news. Young people are increasingly using social channels such as Instagram, with a share of 41 percent, or Snapchat, with a share of 21 percent of all respondents, to find out about various events or news, while classic formats such as newspapers are being used less and less.

The fast, uncomplicated consumption of content is a prerequisite here. Young people prefer to watch videos, with audio over text. With a share of 57 percent, Snapchat is still far ahead of Tiktok (36 percent) in terms of daily use. The platform BeReal is a major newcomer, which is already used daily by over 22 percent of young respondents.

The study was developed in collaboration with the German youth and trend researcher Simon Schnetzer and in partnership with 20 Minuten. For the study, a quantitative, anonymous online survey is conducted every year, which delivers authentic results and addresses current focus topics from the target group.

When it comes to training on topics such as information security, data protection and IT security, there is no getting around Swiss Infosec AG. The company, founded in 1989 and based in Sursee, is one of Switzerland's leading independent consulting and training companies in these areas. The company regularly addresses current topics in its "Meet Swiss Infosec!" series of events. The motto of the 43rd edition on June 26, 2023 was "Sovereignly secure" and summed up the desired approach to security: it should be controlled, level-headed and considered. However, mastering security is constantly being made more difficult or challenged by new requirements and framework conditions, says host Reto Zbinden, CEO of Swiss Infosec AG. Using the example of the new Data Protection Act (nDSG), he shows which steps are essential for successful implementation of the law.

New data protection law, old pending issues

This implementation is currently a major concern for the data protection team at Swiss Infosec AG. "It is striking that basic documents such as data protection concepts and instructions are often missing or outdated," says Reto Zbinden. However, the development and regular review of these documents is essential for responsible data protection in accordance with the law. At the same time, he recommends focusing on the issue of personnel data protection. Online recruiting, for example, and digitalization in the HR sector in general are major challenges in this area.

Ransomware and recovery

The increasingly frequent ransomware attacks are leaving their mark. Not surprisingly, the topic of recovery (restoring data after an attack) was prominently mentioned by several speakers. For Marco Fernandez (Veeam), a secure backup is the last line of defense in a multi-layered security defense against cyberattacks. To even think about recovery, organizations must first know what (sensitive) data they have stored where and who has access to it. This basic requirement was expressed unequivocally in the presentations by Nicolas Groh (Rubrik) and Christoph Linden (Cohesity). Georg Bommer (Data Governance Technologies Ltd) underlined the importance of intelligent data classification in his presentation.

Trends and developments in IT security

Organizations are constantly faced with new challenges when it comes to protecting themselves. Whether home office, infrastructure services in the cloud, cloud apps (M365), exposed services or IoT: Currently, it is decentralized IT assets in particular that are no longer able to cope with conventional network security approaches, for which IT security is looking for and finding solutions. Niklaus Manser (Swiss Infosec AG) used the example of perimeter security to explain the path to Secure Service Edge (SSE) and addressed the very important topic of "Identity & Access Management".

Take a deep breath: Deepfakes on the rise 

Great cinema for the topic of deepfakes and great performance for the mediamatician Kai Yu (Swiss Infosec AG). In his video, which he created as part of his training as a media technician as an individual project work, he showed interesting background information on deepfakes and how phishing via deepfakes works in real life. Deepfakes are digital fakes of faces, bodies, scenes, etc., created with artificial intelligence (AI). They are now so realistic that they can hardly be distinguished from the real person. Attackers are therefore increasingly using this method to obtain confidential information or provoke desired actions. For Kai Yu, it is clear "that deepfakes can be an elementary component for cyberattacks in the social engineering sector." This makes it all the more important to sensitize employees to this new form of phishing as well. Swiss Infosec AG is the first company in Switzerland to offer such phishing simulations via deepfakes.

An un-Aristotelian keynote at the end

"How is technology balanced with ethics and sustainability?" With this question, Prof. Dr. Edy Portmann started his keynote address entitled "unaristotelian". For him, there is no doubt that the two-valued, measurement-based Boolean Logic, which only knows right or wrong, 1 or 0, is not the answer to this question. Rather, for this and other challenges (keyword AI), a perception-based model such as fuzzy logic (fuzzy = blurred) is needed. Because as one of the proponents of this model, Lotfi Zadeh, said, "As complexity increases, precise statements lose meaning and meaningful statements lose precision." Needless to say, "perception" was then also at the center of Edy Portmann's highly exciting remarks under the title "Where psychology meets linguistics and engineering".

The next Meet Swiss Infosec! will take place on January 24, 2024. Further information: www.infosec.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/souveraen-sicher-an-der-43-meet-swiss-infosec/

For the Swiss offering in the field of clinical information systems and clinical data warehousing, IT-Logix and CISTEC are joining forces. "IT-Logix has been able to establish itself with well-known hospitals with its CDMH, the Common Data Model for Healthcare. The solution for a clinical data warehouse allows CISTEC to offer our customers comprehensive analysis options for all data generated in the hospital, beyond reporting for individual use cases," says Markus Käppeli, Head of Development and member of the CISTEC Executive Board. In return, the partnership with CISTEC opens up valuable sales opportunities for IT-Logix in the hospital environment: "KISIM from CISTEC is the leading Swiss hospital information system with the largest installed base," says Samuel Rentsch, Co-CEO and CCO of IT-Logix. "From our partnership with CISTEC, we expect a faster and more cost-effective implementation of CDMH in Swiss hospitals, offering a field-proven, lean Swiss solution."

Clinical Information Systems in combination with Clinical Data Warehouse

CISTEC's hospital information system KISIM supports healthcare professionals in planning and executing their operational processes. Central data storage prevents redundancies and ensures that all information is available at any time and from any location. Thanks to the interdisciplinary nature of KISIM, internal hospital communication is institutionalized and duplications are avoided. In many hospitals, it is difficult to guarantee a 360-degree patient view due to the numerous applications in use (ERP, HIS, diagnostics, etc.) and the corresponding data silos. A data platform based on the CDMH (www.cdmh.ch) from IT-Logix helps to break down these silos and provide a comprehensive overview of patient information. This enables medical and business decisions to be made on the basis of networked, complete and up-to-date information. A data platform can also improve communication between different systems and applications by supporting and promoting semantic interoperability. Thus, a wide variety of use cases, such as hospital control, hospital hygiene, data-driven medical coding, and data delivery for research, are served. IT-Logix's CDMH enables KISIM customers to leverage all the capabilities of a clinical data warehouse beyond the standard clinical information system functionalities. 

Source and further information: www.it-logix.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/klinische-informationssysteme-it-logix-und-cistec-vereinbaren-partnerschaft/

The metal construction company Ernst Schweizer has been known for more than 100 years for facades, mailboxes and solar systems. Now the company is focusing on sustainability and wants to visibly and tangibly convey this great vision in a new TBS brand identity. As a foundation for the new branding, the positioning was sharpened and the brand strategy redefined. At the center is the company's great vision: We build today for the generation of tomorrow.

The completely renewed appearance was holistically conceived and modularly structured to create a coherent and consistent brand experience across all channels and means of communication. The visual language and the use of typography were fundamentally revised: reduced and generous, focusing on the product and its added value. The new look comes directly to the fore, especially in the sales literature and the new website. At the same time, the language and tonality in communication were also adapted to the new content orientation.

New approach in communication

The communication approach is also being renewed. To this end, the entire range of communication tools is being used, messages are being implemented in a way that is appropriate for the media, and the possibilities of digitization are being exploited. With a benefit-oriented approach, Schweizer wants to reach partners, planners and specialists. At the same time, specialists receive helpful tools, plans and technical data that they can access digitally. And Schweizer also presents itself confidently and strikingly in the B2C area: with energy transition products for the generation of tomorrow.

The National Cybersecurity Test Institute (NTC) tests what is otherwise not tested. It examines digital products and infrastructures for vulnerabilities that are not or not sufficiently tested - even on its own initiative. The problem is that carrying out vulnerability analyses - if it involves (attempted or actual) intrusion into a third-party data processing system (penetration tests) - is potentially in conflict with the offense of hacking under Art. 143bis para. 1 of the Swiss Criminal Code. According to this, "anyone who unauthorizedly penetrates a third-party data processing system that is specially secured against access by means of data transmission equipment" is punished. In short: without an express order and without consent, the detection of security vulnerabilities is punishable under Swiss law as soon as the access security of another person's system is breached or an attempt is made to do so. The Swiss Criminal Code also criminalizes the manipulation and modification of data.

Justifiable emergency

If criminal norms are violated in the course of vulnerability analyses, justifiable necessity according to Art. 17 StGB can be invoked under certain circumstances. The intrusion into a system is only justified if there are concrete indications that a system is affected by potential security vulnerabilities. In addition, the discovery, documentation and information about these security vulnerabilities must serve the purpose of averting malicious access. From a subjective point of view, it is a prerequisite that the person authorized to act in an emergency must be aware of the emergency situation and act to save the threatened legal asset.

Publication of vulnerability assessment results

Before a detailed publication, the identified and documented security vulnerabilities should be completely eliminated. If this is not the case, the level of detail of a publication should be reduced to the necessary information. This will give system users adequate warning and the opportunity to protect themselves.

With the publication of the legal opinion, the NTC is making a contribution to the current National Cyber Strategy of the Swiss Confederation, which aims to institutionalize ethical hacking. The testing and verification laboratory in the canton of Zug works closely with research institutions, private cybersecurity companies and international experts. The NTC has been in existence since December 2020. 

Source and further information: www.ntc.swiss

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/straffreiheit-von-ethical-hacking-rechtsgutachten-klaert-auf/

The online customer survey conducted in April 2023 by the Swiss Institute for Quality Testing (SIQT) confirms the top performance of Internet service provider Quickline: In the Swiss Industry Monitor 2023, the company takes 1st place among Internet providers in the "Customer Service" category for the third time in a row and is in the top 3 for "Value for Money" and "Customer Satisfaction". "The awards for the high quality of our customer service and for high customer satisfaction confirm our daily commitment to customers. We provide them with regional, personal and competent advice. I am happy to pass on this praise to our frontline staff," comments Frédéric Goetschmann, CEO of Quickline, on the results. "We are pleased that Quickline Internet, which has won several awards, is also among the top 3 in Switzerland in terms of price/performance ratio."

The Swiss Institute for Quality Testing conducts provider-independent and objective tests of services and products. Every year, the industry monitor determines the best providers in terms of customer satisfaction, customer service and value for money in a cross-industry, nationwide online customer survey. 

Sources: Quickline / www.qualitaetstest.ch/awards/schweizer-branchenmonitor-2023

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/schweizer-institut-fuer-qualitaetstests-quickline-mit-bestem-kundenservice/

In year one after the pandemic, retail trade sales by value again rose slightly at a high level to 102.6 billion Swiss francs. This is shown in the GfK publication "Retail Trade Switzerland", which examines the development of the retail trade in 2022. According to this, Swiss retail sales in 2022 increased by 300 million Swiss francs to a new 102.6 billion Swiss francs; this corresponds to an increase of 0.3 percent compared with the previous year.

Inflation is likely to have been a factor here, according to GfK. Influenced by the Ukraine conflict, input costs for energy, transport, packaging and logistics rose, in some cases massively, which also impacted consumer prices in stores and at gas stations.

In 2022, Swiss consumers purchased goods and merchandise online for 14 billion Swiss francs. This corresponds to a decrease of 0.4 billion Swiss francs or 2.8 percent compared with the previous year. In 2022, online consumption is down 2.4 percent on the previous year, while online purchases from abroad are down 5 percent. Online purchases from Swiss online stores (.ch domains) increased by 44 percent compared to 2019. In the home electronics/household appliances segment, every second franc is spent online.

The global economic environment remains challenging. On a positive note, the situation regarding energy prices has eased and the risk of severe recessionary scenarios such as interruptions in energy supply has decreased significantly. However, the outlook for the coming quarters and 2024 remains cautious.