Ritschard
Ritschard SA is a Swiss international freight forwarder (founded 1931, Planzer Group subsidiary) offering integrated sea, air, road, rail, logistics, customs, and moving services across Switzerland, France, and Hong Kong, with a focus on Fashion & Luxury, Cosmetics, and Industrial enterprise clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1931
- HeadquartersMeyrin, Switzerland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ritschard does
Ritschard SA is a Swiss international freight forwarding and logistics company founded in 1931 and headquartered in Meyrin, Switzerland. It operates under the Planzer Group (since 2014) through three wholly-owned subsidiaries: Fernex (France, 1991, with a 30+ vehicle fleet), Rapides Savoyards (France, 1988, with 1,000 sqm of warehousing), and Ritschard Hong Kong (2010). The company offers an integrated seven-service platform spanning sea freight, air freight, road freight, rail freight (including Asia-Europe block trains via Duisburg and Hamburg), warehousing and logistics (7,000 sqm platform in Satigny with bonded warehouse), customs brokerage, and moving services.
The technology stack is a traditional WMS with FIFO inventory management, use-by-date tracking, EDI transfers, a 24/7 client portal, Track & Trace for parcels and pallets, online proof of delivery, and GPS tracking for secure containers. Ritschard serves three primary verticals: Fashion & Luxury (with TAPA security standards, 800 sqm dedicated secure storage, and white-glove delivery to point of sale), Personal Care & Cosmetics (with 24-hour Switzerland distribution), and Industry (multi-modal B2B/B2C delivery). Key regulatory credentials include ISO 9001 (renewed 2025-2028), AEO certification in both France (2009) and Switzerland (2013), FOCA authorization, IATA registration since 1947, and CITES expertise.
Revenue is generated through quote-based freight forwarding fees, customs brokerage professional services, managed warehousing services, and professional moving services. Pricing is multi-year contract based, tailored to transport mode, shipment size, and destination. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales through dedicated account managers, supplemented by global network partnerships (WCA, IFA, IAM) and the company's own subsidiaries in France and Hong Kong. Distribution channels include direct sales, subsidiary operations, and channel/reseller agency networks spanning five continents.
Ritschard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ritschard
- Legal name
- Ritschard SA
- Website
- https://ritschard.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1931
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Ritschard SA is a Swiss international freight forwarder (founded 1931, Planzer Group subsidiary) offering integrated sea, air, road, rail, logistics, customs, and moving services across Switzerland, France, and Hong Kong, with a focus on Fashion & Luxury, Cosmetics, and Industrial enterprise clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ritschard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Truckload (TL) Freight Brokerage (TLADAMAB)
Keywords
Where Ritschard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Meyrin
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
Ritschard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Freight Forwarding Services: International freight forwarding services including sea freight, air freight, road freight, and rail freight. Core revenue stream from organizing and coordinating international transport of goods.
- Customs Brokerage: Customs clearance services for imports and exports in Switzerland and France, including Authorized Exporter/Consignee services and Open Customs Warehouse (OCW) management.
- Logistics and Warehousing: Storage, picking, labeling, assembly, co-packing, and distribution services from 7,000 sqm logistics platform in Satigny. Returns management and waste disposal also included.
- Moving Services: National and international moving services including door-to-door removals, diplomatic moves, corporate transfers, heavy handling, and exhibition transport.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based pricing tailored to client requirements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ritschard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ritschard SA is an international freight forwarder that moves cargo for businesses across sea, air, road, and rail modes, complemented by customs brokerage, warehousing, logistics, and moving services. The company is headquartered in Meyrin, Switzerland, and focuses on fashion & luxury, personal care & cosmetics, and industrial sector clients. Services are delivered directly by Ritschard and via memberships in networks such as WCA, IFA, IATA, FIATA, and IAM.
Product overview
Ritschard is a Swiss international freight forwarding company offering a unified logistics platform with seven core service lines: Sea Freight, Air Freight, Road Freight, Rail Freight, Logistics (warehousing), Customs, and Moving services. The company operates through three subsidiaries—Fernex (France, +30 vehicle fleet), Rapides Savoyards (France, 1,000 m² warehouse), and Ritschard Hong Kong—and serves three key industry verticals: Fashion & Luxury, Personal Care & Cosmetics, and Industry. Services are delivered through a combination of proprietary infrastructure (7,000 sqm Satigny logistics platform, Minergie-ECO® headquarters in Meyrin, bonded warehouses), its own vehicle fleet, GPS-tracked secure transport, and a global partner network. The product portfolio is fully integrated end-to-end, with in-house customs, WMS, EDI capabilities, and Track & Trace across all transport modes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sea Freight Services International ocean freight forwarding services for B2B clients moving cargo between global ports, including FCL, LCL, and door-to-door options.
Quantifiable outcome
- Asia to Europe rail transit in 20-25 days door-to-door
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Ritschard
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ritschard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Ritschard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Benoît AltminorRitschard became a sponsor of Swiss solo sailor Benoît Alt in 2026. His goal is to participate in the SAS (Les Sables-les Açores-Les Sables) solo transoceanic race aboard the Foiler 716 yacht. Shared values include sea/ocean connection, resilience, team spirit, and taste for challenge.
- WCA (World Cargo Alliance)coreMembership in World Cargo Alliance network provides global coverage for sea freight and other logistics services. Enables international coordination and partnerships with agents worldwide.
- IFA (International Freight Association)coreMembership in International Freight Association network provides access to global logistics network for air freight and international coordination.
- IAM (International Association of Movers)coreMembership in International Association of Movers network for moving and relocation services, providing global network for international moves.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ritschard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Geodis: French global logistics company owned by SNCF, with strong freight forwarding and contract logistics operations. Comparable in multimodal services and has direct regional overlap with Ritschard's French operations.
- Expeditors International: US-listed global freight forwarder specializing in air and ocean freight with customs brokerage. Comparable asset-light business model focused on international forwarding with strong information systems.
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German family-owned global freight forwarder with air, sea, road, and contract logistics operations. Closely comparable mid-sized family/privately-held forwarder with multimodal service portfolio similar to Ritschard.
- Bertschi Global: Swiss privately-held specialized freight forwarder with strong intermodal and container logistics operations. Most closely comparable Swiss mid-sized competitor with similar multimodal forwarding approach.
Broad incumbents
- DHL Global Forwarding: Division of Deutsche Post DHL providing international air, ocean, and road freight forwarding. Direct competitor in multimodal forwarding with substantially greater global station network.
- DACHSER: German family-owned global logistics provider with road, air, and sea freight forwarding. Comparable family-owned structure and similar multimodal forwarding model, though with greater road transport emphasis.
- CEVA Logistics: French-origin global supply chain management company (now owned by CMA CGM) offering freight forwarding and contract logistics. Direct comparable in multimodal forwarding with French/European footprint.
- DSV: Danish global transport and logistics company that acquired Swiss-origin Panalpina in 2019. Offers air, sea, road freight forwarding with similar multimodal structure to Ritschard at much larger scale.
- Kuehne+Nagel: Swiss-headquartered global freight forwarder with sea, air, road, and contract logistics services. Directly comparable business model to Ritschard but operates at vastly larger scale (80,000+ employees, listed on SIX Swiss Exchange).
- DB Schenker: German global logistics provider (recently divested by Deutsche Bahn) offering land, air, and ocean freight forwarding plus contract logistics. Direct competitor in European multimodal forwarding.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ritschard social profiles
Digital presenceRitschard compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Ritschard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ritschard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Ritschard subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Ritschard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ritschard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ritschard
What does Ritschard do?
Ritschard SA is an international freight forwarder that moves cargo for businesses across sea, air, road, and rail modes, complemented by customs brokerage, warehousing, logistics, and moving services. The company is headquartered in Meyrin, Switzerland, and focuses on fashion & luxury, personal care & cosmetics, and industrial sector clients. Services are delivered directly by Ritschard and via memberships in networks such as WCA, IFA, IATA, FIATA, and IAM.
Is Ritschard a public or private company?
Ritschard is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Ritschard founded?
Ritschard was founded in 1931. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Ritschard based?
Ritschard is headquartered in Meyrin, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Ritschard make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Freight Forwarding Services are the primary driver. The others are customs Brokerage, logistics and Warehousing and moving Services.
Who are Ritschard's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Geodis, Expeditors International, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics and Bertschi Global. Broad incumbents are DHL Global Forwarding, DACHSER, CEVA Logistics, DSV, Kuehne+Nagel and DB Schenker.
Does Ritschard have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ritschard.
What industry is Ritschard in?
Ritschard's product category is Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLADAMAB, Truckload (TL) Freight Brokerage. Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.