New Migros store in Geneva, Switzerland gets an autonomous makeover on Sundays and public holidays
Migros is preparing to take the wraps off a new store in Geneva, Switzerland, that opens on Sundays and public holidays as an autonomous, standalone location with no cashiers or sales staff. A first for the retailer, this goes live on Thursday 2nd July, located in Cité-Vieusseux in the heart of Geneva.
Customers will be welcomed in the traditional shopping way from Monday to Saturday, with the autonomous format kicking in for the first time on Sunday, 5th July. With a sales area of 300 m2, this will offer the store's complete range of more than 5,000 everyday consumer products. On Sundays and public holidays, customers will be able to gain access using a Cumulus card or a debit/credit card. Purchases will be paid for at self-checkouts, which are already available in Migros stores. A system of sensors and surveillance cameras will ensure continuous monitoring and raise alerts in the event of an incident.
Grégory Décaillet, Managing Director, Migros Geneva, says: "We are constantly on the lookout for new consumer trends among our members and our customers in general. Especially in an urban environment, the company wants to benefit from a more agile and efficient shopping experience, as well as more flexible hours, like the stores located in train stations. We are delighted to be able to offer a new store concept in a brand new, modern and easy to access setting. Getting closer to our customers and making their daily lives easier remains at the heart of all our priorities."
He adds: “This first store to be open as a standalone location on Sundays and public holidays is an important milestone for Migros Geneva and opens up new development prospects. Before considering the deployment of this model in other points of sale, however, our cooperative wishes to learn from this first experience and collect feedback from customers.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Autonomous stores will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
