Historic Schubiger store closes after 141 years in business

The smallest department store in Switzerland is closing. After five generations and over 140 years of existence, the Schubiger family is giving up for economic reasons. According to figures from the market research institute CRIF, almost 32,000 shops disappeared in Switzerland between 2009 and 2019, despite population growth. The coronavirus pandemic drove even more customers away from bricks-and-mortar stores and towards online retail, exacerbating the situation. One of these is the Schubiger department store in Glarus.