What Aligro does

Aligro is a Swiss cash-and-carry wholesale food and beverage retailer operating 14 physical markets across German-speaking and Western Switzerland under the legal entity Demaurex & Cie SA. Founded in 1923 by the Demaurex family, the company introduced the Cash & Carry concept to French-speaking Switzerland in 1960 and launched the ALIGRO banner in 1966. It offers over 30,000 articles spanning fresh produce, meat, fish, dairy, bakery, frozen goods, beverages, wines, spirits, tobacco, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, kitchen equipment, and non-food items, with specialist in-store departments (service fish counters, in-store bakeries producing 90+ daily bread varieties) staffed by food-industry professionals.

The company's primary customers are gastronomy professionals (restaurants, hotels, caterers) and retailers, supplemented by clubs, associations, and private consumers, with the B2B segment generating demand for bulk purchasing, delivery, and reservation services. Pricing is dual-tier: professional prices exclude VAT and include trade deductions, while consumer prices include VAT. Customer engagement is supported by an online account platform, digital Resto Club loyalty card redeemable at nearly 1,000 partner restaurants, the ALIGRO Academy training resource for professionals, and a Party Planner event tool, alongside email, social media, and weekly promotional brochures.

Aligro generates revenue primarily through in-store retail sales across its 14 locations and delivery services for professional customers ordering large quantities. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via physical cash-and-carry stores and direct sales via delivery to B2B accounts. The technology stack is a standard e-commerce platform with no proprietary AI or ML capabilities disclosed. The company acquired Cash&Carry Angehrn in 2017, adding 360 employees and 9 German-speaking Switzerland locations, and has been modernizing existing stores since 2018. Aligro remains privately held by the Demaurex family, with no external investors, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Aligro

Legal name

Demaurex & Cie SA

Website

https://aligro.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Aligro is a family-owned Swiss cash-and-carry wholesaler operating 14 stores across German and Western Switzerland, supplying gastronomy professionals, retailers, clubs, and private customers with over 30,000 food and non-food articles under the Demaurex & Cie SA corporate entity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Food Retail

NAICS

Food and Beverage Retailers (445)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Grocers (Business/Trade Customers) (CRAHACAB)

Keywords

• Cash and carry wholesale
• Foodservice distribution
• Wholesale food retail
• Gastronomy supplies
• Professional catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Chavannes

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. In-store retail sales: Revenue generated through direct retail sales at 14 physical store locations across Switzerland. Customers purchase products in-store from a catalog of over 30,000 food and non-food articles.
2. Delivery services to professional customers: Professional customers (gastronomy, retailers) can order large quantities for delivery. ALIGRO organizes preparation and transport of goods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aligro operates a cash-and-carry wholesale and retail business through 14 physical stores across German and Western Switzerland, supplying gastronomy professionals, food retailers, and private customers with over 30,000 food and non-food articles under one roof. The company offers bulk purchasing, professional pricing (excluding VAT), and dedicated delivery services for professional customers ordering large quantities.

Product overview

ALIGRO is a Swiss cash-and-carry wholesale and retail company operated by Demaurex & Cie SA. Founded in 1923 and family-owned, it operates 14 retail locations across German and Western Switzerland, serving gastronomy professionals, retailers, and private customers. The company offers over 30,000 articles under one roof through its physical markets and e-commerce platform. The product portfolio spans fresh produce (fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, dairy, bakery with 90+ bread varieties daily) and non-perishable goods (beverages including 1000+ wines and 700+ spirits, basic staples, 750 chocolate varieties, tobacco products, cosmetics/hygiene, cleaning supplies, kitchen equipment, disposable items, and textiles). Services include the virtual Party Planner tool, ALIGRO Academy providing professional guides and trends, the Resto Club loyalty program (usable at nearly 1000 restaurants), shopping list management, and reservation/delivery services for professional customers. The company differentiates through over 2000 weekly promotional offers, permanently low prices, and specialist staff from the food industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aligro Cash-and-Carry Markets
• Resto Club Loyalty Program
• Party Planner
• ALIGRO Academy
• Online Shopping List (Einkaufsliste)
• Reservation and Delivery Service

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swiss National Cooking Team (Kochnationalmannschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALIGRO supports the Swiss National Cooking Team, whose mission is to promote the image of the culinary profession at national and international levels.
• Bocuse d'Or Academy SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALIGRO is a partner of the Bocuse d'Or Academy Switzerland, which prepares and accompanies Swiss candidates for the Bocuse d'Or Europa and Mondial competitions.
• Berufsverband Service-Restauration (BVSR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALIGRO supports this association which advocates for the promotion of service and gastronomy professions.
• Various cantonal Gastro Suisse associationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALIGRO supports these cantonal associations which promote hospitality development through industry advocacy and professional training.
• Too Good To GocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to combat food waste. Over 16,000 shopping baskets rescued since 2021, equivalent to 41,000 kg of CO2 emissions avoided. ALIGRO is recognized as a WAW Brand (Waste Warrior Brand).
• Mercy ShipsminorOthersALIGRO supports Mercy Ships, an international humanitarian organization operating the world's largest non-governmental hospital ships, founded in Lausanne in 1978.
• MedairminorOthersALIGRO supports Medair, a humanitarian NGO founded in Switzerland in 1989, providing emergency relief to families in crisis situations.
• Cash&Carry AngehrncoreOthersALIGRO acquired Cash&Carry Angehrn at the end of 2017, taking on 360 employees and continuing operation of 9 sales locations in German-speaking Switzerland, strengthening ALIGRO's position in the Swiss market.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Coop (Switzerland): Largest Swiss retailer and parent of Transgourmet/Prodega cash-and-carry. Not a direct store competitor to Aligro's gastronomy-only focus, but the closest large incumbent whose cash-and-carry subsidiary directly overlaps with Aligro's market.
• Migros: Largest Swiss retailer with broad grocery and specialty formats (including M-Pro for gastronomy customers). Incumbent competitor for retail share and increasingly for B2B foodservice, but does not run a pure cash-and-carry gastronomy chain.

Direct peers

• Makro: Cash-and-carry foodservice and trader operator active across Europe. Closely aligned to Aligro's HoReCa-focused assortment, large-format stores, and delivery services for professional buyers.
• Costco Wholesale: Global membership-based warehouse/wholesale club combining B2B and consumer cash-and-carry trade. While larger and broader, the underlying model of bulk purchases, restricted assortment depth, and trade-card pricing is directly comparable to Aligro's cash-and-carry approach.
• Handelshof: German cash-and-carry wholesaler serving gastronomy, catering, and trade customers with broad food and non-food assortments. Highly comparable business model, scale profile, and customer segmentation to Aligro.
• METRO Cash & Carry: Global cash-and-carry leader with extensive European footprint including Switzerland-adjacent operations. Closest international model to Aligro: physical cash-and-carry stores serving HoReCa and traders, with private label and delivery services.
• BB Foodservice (BB AG): German cash-and-carry and foodservice distributor serving restaurants, hotels and communal caterers. Directly comparable full-range wholesale assortment and gastronomy customer base to Aligro's B2B core.
• Transgourmet (Prodega / Growa): Swiss cash-and-carry foodservice operator owned by Coop Group, running Prodega and Growa banners. Most direct head-to-head competitor to Aligro in the same B2B gastronomy and retailer customer base, with overlapping Swiss geography.
• Selgros Cash & Carry: European cash-and-carry chain focused on HoReCa, retailers and large consumers, part of the Transgourmet/Coop-owned group in Germany. Comparable assortment, customer mix (gastronomy + trade) and full-range warehouse model to Aligro.

Regional players

• Landi: Swiss agricultural cooperative with retail and wholesale activities including some cash-and-carry-style outlets serving rural gastronomy. Comparable Swiss focus and food trade orientation, but with a different cooperative ownership structure and rural footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@aligrosuisse3191
• Facebookfacebook.com/aligrosuisse
• Instagraminstagram.com/aligro.ch
• TikToktiktok.com/@aligro.ch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aligro