Category Archive: 3) Swiss Markets and News
The discreet charm of antiquarian booksellers
Despite the demise of many antiquarian bookshops in Switzerland, the trade is alive and well in the Alpine country. Dealers in Geneva, Basel and Zurich give a glimpse into this exclusive business, where a gentleman’s code still rules.
Read More »
Read More »
Swiss firms rank low in European ‘Gender Diversity Index’
The proportion of women in leading positions at major European companies rose slightly last year but progress is slow, according to a new study that compares 19 countries. Switzerland was ranked near the bottom of the 2021 “Gender Diversity Index”.
Read More »
Read More »
Pandemic drives Swiss Post parcel deliveries
The state-owned Swiss Post processed a record number of parcels last year, but the downward letter mail continued. Parcel deliveries increased by 9.6% to 202 million in 2021, according to the state-owned company.“
Read More »
Read More »
Is the luxury watch market facing a democratic revolution?
Entrepreneur Thomas Baillod has just launched a “Swiss Made” tourbillon watch for under CHF5,000 ($5,450), a marketing coup which shows that mid-range watches still have a place in a watch industry increasingly focused on ultra-luxury.
Read More »
Read More »
All you need is a laptop and a backpack
Maik Disch works from the most beautiful beaches in Thailand for clients in Switzerland. He sees himself as a typical digital nomad: constantly on the lookout for the next dream destination. Disch's salary is lower than that of colleagues in Switzerland. On the other hand, the cost of living on the island of Ko Phangan is low and the warm, tropical climate allows him to work outdoors. Fast internet also helps.
Disch's video portrait is the second...
Read More »
Read More »
Electric car sales pass ‘tipping point’ in Switzerland
The number of new electric cars sold in Switzerland continues to accelerate – even faster than predicted, according to the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) car association.
Read More »
Read More »
Victims of CHF800 million fraud scheme feel short-changed
Administrators clearing up a CHF800 million ($877 million) collapsed pyramid scheme have managed to recover just CHF12.7 million from one of Switzerland’s largest fraud cases.
Read More »
Read More »
Swiss cantons mull lower taxes for wealthy executives
Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer has hinted that cantons might lower income taxes for well-heeled executives as the country braces for the impact of a minimum corporate tax rate.
Read More »
Read More »
Why governments need to tackle the impact of trade on climate change
In 2021, global carbon pollution returned almost to 2019 levels, after a drop during the lockdowns of the pandemic year 2020. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
The production and trade of goods is at the heart of the globalised market and has a significant environmental impact. Yet there was little discussion at COP26 on how to make it more sustainable, the former director of the World Trade Institute (WTI) tells SWI...
Read More »
Read More »
Finance minister says global corporate tax to come into force in 2024
The Swiss government has pledged to implement from 2024 the minimum tax rate for large multinational companies under a global tax deal.
Read More »
Read More »
Cost of Swiss postage hiked for first time in 18 years
From 1 January 2022, the cost of posting a standard letter for next day delivery (A-class) is 10% higher and a B-class letter 6% higher. These price hikes are the first of their kind in 18 years, reported RTS.
Read More »
Read More »
Internet campaigner fights for more data awareness
Nikki Böhler is a young Swiss internet campaigner who is part of a growing community seeking to shape the digital transformation of society. The 29-year-old wants people to become more aware of the importance of their personal online data and of the traces they leave behind on the internet. But she also wants to improve data transparency so that existing, anonymised data can be used for the common good.
Her video portrait is the first in the...
Read More »
Read More »
Banks risk becoming new fossil fuel villains in 2022
As businesses were gearing up for the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last year, one of Europe’s larger banks released an update on how it planned to do its bit to combat global warming.
Read More »
Read More »
Swiss central bank forecasts CHF26bn annual profit
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) expects to post a profit of CHF26 billion ($28 billion) for 2021, a windfall made exclusively from its growing foreign currency holdings.
Read More »
Read More »
No weakening expected in Swiss house prices
The Swiss housing market continues to rise with no signs of weakening, reported RTS this week. According to the real estate platform immoscout24, the average price per m2 for a family home in Switzerland has risen from CHF 6,700 to CHF 7,200 over the last 12 months, a rise of 7%. Apartment prices have risen even further in some places.
Read More »
Read More »
Switzerland writes off small portion of flight repatriation bill
The majority of stranded Swiss people repatriated during the first pandemic wave have paid back their share of flight bills. But the foreign ministry has been forced to write off CHF210,000 ($230,000) and is still haggling over another CHF360,000.
Read More »
Read More »
Zurich court rules Uber drivers are not ‘independent workers’
The latest cantonal ruling on the US ride-hailing firm comes as a national framework to determine the status of gig economy workers in Switzerland is still lacking.
Read More »
Read More »
Shared e-bikes and e-scooters ‘do climate more harm than good’
Shared e-scooters and e-bikes can have a negative effect on the climate, a Swiss study has found. This is because such services generally replace trips with normal bicycles, rather than cars.
Read More »
Read More »
Pandemic pushes Swiss house prices higher
The value of residential property in Switzerland continued to rise strongly in 2021 in the wake of Covid-19. Property prices are likely to rise further this year, according to an analysis.
Read More »
Read More »
Annual consumer price inflation hits 0.6 percent
Consumer prices in Switzerland increased by 0.6% on average last year, according to the Federal Statistics Office. and +0.4% respectively.The consumer price index fell by 0.1% in December
Read More »
Read More »