🇨🇭 Foreign ownership of Swiss brands
25.6% of the 133 Swiss brands with a controlling owner (34) are owned by a company headquartered outside Switzerland, most often in the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. That ranks 27 of 94 countries analysed.
Which countries own them
| Owner headquartered in | Brands | Share of foreign-owned | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | 10 | 29.4% | |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 6 | 17.6% | |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 4 | 11.8% | |
| 🇫🇷 France | 3 | 8.8% | |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 3 | 8.8% | |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 2 | 5.9% | |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 2 | 5.9% | |
| 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 1 | 2.9% | |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 1 | 2.9% | |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 1 | 2.9% | |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1 | 2.9% |
Largest foreign owners
| Owner | Headquarters | Swiss brands owned |
|---|---|---|
| LVMH | 🇫🇷 France | 3 |
| Movado Group | 🇺🇸 United States | 3 |
| Bayer | 🇩🇪 Germany | 2 |
| Cellularline | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2 |
| Colgate-Palmolive | 🇺🇸 United States | 2 |
| Haleon | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 2 |
| lastminute.com Group | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 2 |
| Lufthansa Group | 🇩🇪 Germany | 2 |
| Mondelēz | 🇺🇸 United States | 2 |
| Associated British Foods | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1 |
Where foreign ownership is highest
Top-level categories with at least 5 Swiss brands that have a controlling owner.
| Category | Brands | Foreign-owned | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel, footwear & accessories | 19 | 8 | 42.1% |
| Home, garden & DIY | 12 | 3 | 25% |
| Internet & digital | 12 | 3 | 25% |
| Food | 25 | 6 | 24% |
| Beverages | 5 | 1 | 20% |
| Travel & transport | 20 | 3 | 15% |
| Finance & insurance | 10 | 1 | 10% |
| Media & entertainment | 10 | 1 | 10% |
Examples
- BICO owned by Hilding Anders
- Bemfola owned by Richter
- Berocca owned by Bayer
- Bravofly owned by lastminute.com Group
- Concord owned by Movado Group
- EBEL owned by Movado Group
- Edelweiss owned by Lufthansa Group
- Elevit owned by Bayer
- Eversys owned by De'Longhi
- FREDERIQUE CONSTANT owned by Citizen Watch
- Goldfish owned by Campbell's
- Hotelscan owned by lastminute.com Group
How this is computed
Of 135 Swiss brands recorded, 133 have a current controlling owner (outright or a stake of 50% or more, followed up to the ultimate parent). The other 2 are licensed, part-owned or lack a current owner and are left out. A brand is foreign-owned when that ultimate parent is headquartered in a different country from the brand's origin. Data as of . Method and ranking for all countries.
Coverage caveat. The brands tracked skew towards those held by large filing companies, so this overstates foreign ownership relative to every brand in the country. See also the Switzerland country page.