Migros closes all ex-Libris branches
Keystone-SDA
The Swiss retail group Migros is closing all 15 physical branches of its bookselling brand Ex Libris by the end of the year.
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The group’s online book business will be gradually transferred to the digital platform Galaxus. This will affect 230 employees and job cuts cannot be ruled out.
With this step, Migros is bundling its online offering for books, the company said. At the same time, it is pushing ahead with its strategic reorientation away from bricks-and-mortar retail.
The full integration of the online business from Ex Libris to Galaxus should be completed by mid-2027.
Employees affected
The remaining 15 Ex Libris shops in German-speaking Switzerland will be closed by the end of 2026.
The closure affects 230 Ex Libris sales staff. According to Migros, job losses cannot be ruled out. Wherever possible, those affected will be offered a new position within the Migros Group.
A comprehensive national social plan has been concluded with internal and external social partners, Migros added. Those affected by the job cuts will receive individual benefits depending on their length of service and age. The final decision depends on the outcome of the ongoing consultation process.
From book club to online shop
Ex Libris was founded at the end of the 1940s as a book club and was later taken over by Migros. The retailer operated over 100 Ex Libris branches throughout Switzerland for decades. From 2010 onwards, the branch network was thinned out.
Switzerland’s largest online retailer, Galaxus, will get a broader product range by absorbing eight million titles from Ex Libris to add to its current collection of 1.5 million books.
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Translated from German by AI/mga
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