Zurich's latest luxury address and place to be — a series of introductions
Series part 2: The story of Bongénie and Grieder
At the beginning of every tradition is a story that has its origins in the past. After over a century of elegance and tradition, the legendary Grieder department store closed its doors on parade ground forever last Saturday. For exactly 111 years, 10 months and 29 days, it is not only shaped Zurich's luxury landscape, but also the cityscape on Paradeplatz. Now an era has come to an end — but not without the start of a new one. However, the Crown remains in the experienced and responsible hands of the fifth generation of the renowned Brunschwig luxury department store family in Geneva. Just two days after the farewell and after eight years of intensive planning and extensive renovation, a new chapter of excellence begins on Switzerland's most exclusive luxury mile, Bahnhofstraße, in house number 3.
With a selected series of articles, we take our valued club members, all passionate bon vivants as well as Zurich residents and city guests with a sense of elegance, enjoyment and good taste into the world of the new Bongénie in Zurich.
A look back: The origins of Bongénie and Grieder
Everything today has its roots back in the past — and this began with Bongénie and Grieder over 100 years ago with their two patrons and namesakes: Adolphe Brunschwig in Geneva and Adolf Grieder in Zurich.
In 1891, Adolphe Brunschwig opened the first Bongénie (then Bon Génie) in Geneva, thus laying the foundation for a Swiss department store dynasty that continues to steer the fate of the Swiss version of a small Harrod over several generations with secure family hands. Almost at the same time, in 1889, the trained silk ribbon weaver Adolf Grieder founded the silk house Grieder & Co. In the following decades, he developed his company into an internationally renowned house with around 500 employees. In 1913, five years before he retired from active working life, Grieder strategically moved his headquarters to Bahnhofstraße 30, to what was then Peterhof am Paradeplatz — an effective advertising move that subsequently led to the creation of the legendary Grieder House. Adolf Grieder spent his retirement as a benefactor in Tessin, where he wrote and painted poetry in Castagnola near Lugano until his death in 1933.
A Strategic Expansion Point: How Bongénie Grieder Took Over
At the end of the 1960s, an American investor wanted to conquer the Swiss luxury fashion house market. His plan: Take over Grieder and thus establish himself in the Swiss fashion world.
The Grieder ownership at that time signaled a willingness to sell, but after further market analyses, it became clear to the investor — Grieder alone was not enough.
His eye fell on the renowned Bongénie, the perfect counterpart in Welschland for entering the Swiss market. But the Brunschwig family stood firm and gratefully rejected the offer.
Since Grieder alone was not enough for him, the investor finally abandoned his project. But before he retired, he gave brothers Jean-Jacques and Michel Brunschwig, the third generation of Bongénie, a decisive clue: Grieder was for sale. The Brothers Decided — and Took Action. In 1972, Bongénie took over the Grieder business and brand — a strategic move that ensured the continuation of a story steeped in tradition. This was followed shortly after by the buyback of the Weilemann House in Bern, just two houses next to the current Bongénie location, and the Merkur store in Basel, which operates today as the Basel Bongénie Branch. Both locations experienced a new heyday under the name Grieder and the Management of Brunschwigs and consolidated the presence of the exclusive brand in the German-Swiss luxury world over many years. With this decision, the Brunschwig family ensured that Swiss tradition remained in Swiss hands.
The new era of Bongénie in Zurich
The Move to Obere Bahnhofstraße with Lake Views, Right Next to One of the City's Most Legendary and Exclusive Hotels, Baur au Lac, was not just a necessity, but a turning point in the history of Bongénie.
When the Swatch Group, owner of sixteen well-known watch brands such as Omega, Blancpain, Glashütte and Breguet, took over the legendary Grieder House from Credit Suisse, which has now become history, at the end of 2014, the lease agreement for Bongénie was not extended. Instead, the choice is said to have fallen on luxury giant LVMH, which is owned by the French Billionaire Arnault Family. This decision is likely to change the dynamics of the luxury world on Bahnhofstrasse: Louis Vuitton probably wants to move to the space previously used by Bongénie in the Grieder House, while Dior — also part of the LVMH Empire — wants to take over Louis Vuitton's current store in the future. Rumor has it that Tiffany & Co. could move into the Still-Dior store. What many would have seen as a setback was taken by Bongénie and the Brunschwig family as an impetus for a new vision. In keeping with Sunzi's sixth part of his work “The Art of War,” written over 2,500 years ago, an apparent weakness was transformed into a strength. The result? A new chapter in the story of Bongénie, in which the noble brand Grieder is worthily laid to rest — diagonally across the street, on the same corner from where Grieder himself once set off for parade ground. You could say that Grieder has returned in his own way — to the corner of Bahnhofstraße-Börsenstraße.
Bongénie Zurich — upscale shopping world on 4000 square meters and four floors
There's no other way to say it: The Bongénie Branch in Zurich is more than a light-filled, spacious luxury boutique — it's an experience, a genuine new place to be in Zurich.
The newly opened Bongénie is a place where elegance breathes, aesthetics are felt and every angle is thought out in an original Swiss way. Staged with sophisticated lightness, exciting architecture and artistic interior design in a listed building, it is undoubtedly the new most brilliant icon in Zurich's Luxury World.
Wow! The Bongénie in Zurich — This is how this series continues
Now it's there — the new Bongénie in Zurich. A masterfully staged temple for fashion and the beautiful things in life that invites you to linger. A place where style meets elegance — and where, thanks in part to the in-house bar and restaurant Emile, you can easily lose yourself until late at night.
In the next articles of our presentation series, we invite you to an enjoyable visit: We will be pampered for a moment at the bar and dive into the culinary world of the restaurant Click here to read the third part.
In the first part of the presentation series, we take them on a walk through all 4 floors, Click here to read the first part of the series
