Migros unveils strategic shift, initiating divestment of travel group Hotelplan and health care company Mibelle for future growth

Migros Group is strengthening its core business by investing over eight billion Swiss francs in its retail, financial services, and health sectors over the next five years. Simultaneously, the group is divesting non-core subsidiaries Hotelplan and Mibelle to new owners, aiming to enhance their growth prospects.

Hotelplan Group: size is crucial in the travel business

The travel business has shifted towards very large international or specialised travel companies, where size matters. The Hotelplan Group is the largest travel company in Switzerland, but is comparatively small in global terms, and synergies with the Migros Group’s core business are limited. Gottlieb Duttweiler’s mission in 1935 “to help the beleaguered Swiss hotel industry and at the same time make holidays possible for the little man” is now also well fulfilled by many other providers. After the travel group used the pandemic to position itself even more successfully, Hotelplan Group achieved record results in 2022 and 2023. However, Migros sees even greater development opportunities for the company with a new owner.

The strategic move aligns with Migros’ commitment to consolidating its position as the leading Swiss retailer, focusing on lower prices, quality, and service. The restructuring will unfortunately result in up to 1,500 job cuts, but Migros pledges support for affected employees in finding new positions.

Migros will carry out the divestment processes prudently and carefully. These will therefore take some time, particularly at Hotelplan Group. Nothing will change for customers during this time; business will continue as normal and will be guaranteed by Migros. No significant changes are expected for the employees of the companies concerned during the divestment process either.