Pascal Schmitt

Bongenie Grieder, Brunschwig & Cie

Bongénie-Grieder has come to epitomise elegance with over 17,000 square metres of space devoted to style. Our 15 sales points are situated in some of the most beautiful and iconic locations in Switzerland, including Place du Molard in Geneva, Place St-François in Lausanne, Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich and Eisengasse in Basel. The Bongénie story begins with the Brunschwig family. For more than 125 years, successive generations of the family have guided the business through an era of exciting change. Adolphe Brunschwig founded the first ‘Bon Génie' store in Geneva in 1891, followed by a second store in Lausanne in 1903. By 1972, stores could be found all across Switzerland, aided by the integration of Zurich fashion house, Grieder. Today, the company employs almost seven hundred people. In addition to its main focus – developing and managing the Bongénie-Grieder stores – the Brunschwig group also owns shares in a number of other retailers, including Hofstetter SA, MXM SA (Max Mara and Max Mara Weekend in Switzerland), Buzzano SA and Eugène Baud SA, as well as Transphere SA, a communications and advertising agency, and Version B SA, an architectural firm. New ambitions The Bongénie-Grieder stores evolved from homeware to speciality stores under the guidance of Adolphe's son, Emile Brunschwig, followed by his sons Michel and Jean-Jacques. From then on, ready-to-wear collections for women, men and children were available alongside accessories, perfumes and home decor. The fourth generation of the Brunschwig family has continued to develop the range, inspired by the American concept of a department store. Anne-Marie de Picciotto, as well as Nicolas, Jean-Marc and Pierre Brunschwig, now prioritise the qualitative growth of the group through a modernisation programme that was started in 1997. The programme includes the renovation of all stores and diversification of the mid-range to luxury product offerings through the addition of brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Valentino, Brunello Cucinelli and others. Today, Bongénie-Grieder stores are places in which to wander, meet, try and shop in comfort. The contemporary, open spaces are designed to place the products in the best possible light and provide a paramount customer experience. Our restaurants, bars and beauty salons are places in which to sit, relax and be pampered. In our clothing departments, the chicest brands go hand in hand with classic labels. Through our carefully selected ranges, you can create your capsule wardrobe without ruining yourself, or treat yourself to a little luxury and an elegant new outfit. At Bongénie-Grieder, we cater for a range of different lifestyles and welcome a cosmopolitan crowd of all ages into our stores. A visionary brand In April 2013, keeping pace with its competitors, Bongénie-Grieder decided to launch its own online store, offering access to all its collections outside standard opening hours. With a large variety of brands from every range – women, men, children and homeware – the online shop offers many of the benefits of our stores from the comfort of your own home. Our customer service is available for more information, shipping is fast and free of charge, and we accept returns for free in our stores.