First Obi standalone in Switzerland

Some in the Swiss media find it "huge", although it is the smallest of the Obi stores in Switzerland. It is, however, the first Obi standalone outlet in the country. Over and above this, the new store is also very important to Migros because the retailer is seeking to move increasingly into medium-sized Swiss cities with its DIY stores. The store in Schaffhausen is therefore regarded as a "dry run" for a new concept.
The new Obi store in Herb­linger Tal in Schaffhausen opened its doors to customers for the first time on 26 September. Migros has been an Obi franchisee for nearly 20 years (1999 in Basle) and is proud of exercising a healthy measure of assertiveness, even in relation to the system head office in Wermelskirchen. The Schaffhausen store brings the number of Obi outlets in Switzerland to twelve, generating annual sales of around EUR 190 mio. In addition to these, there are 45 Do it + Garden stores operated by the ten regional Migros cooperatives with total annual sales of roughly EUR 300 mio.
For Peter Neukomm, Mayor of Schaffhausen, the new store is a good sign for Schaffhausen. It shows that Migros has faith in the Schaffhausen region and is not afraid of the proximity to the German border. Maybe there is an element of wishful thinking in the mayor's words, because the Obi store in Schaffhausen is actually only a few kilometres from the border with Germany. Much bigger DIY outlets run by Obi in Singen and Waldshut-Tiengen have previously lured many Swiss customers to shop across the border, because the price and currency gap is still big. Can the store in Schaffhausen really hold its own here?
At any rate, customers will find on the 5 750 m² retail area a range of 60 000 products covering construction, home and garden. Seasonal offers are available in the approx. 2 500 m² garden centre and elsewhere in the store. Customers can also reserve items online and collect in store. "We offer a variety of other services, too: cutting wood to size, mixing paint, home delivery plus van and trailer hire," adds store manager Daniel Krödel from Freiburg.

In Obi Schaffhausen, Migros Ostschweiz employs 45 people plus three trainees. Five more apprenticeships have already been announced for 2019. The store has 90 free…