avec – Best food on the go
Best food on the go
Best food on the go
Modern convenience format at highly frequented locations, for example train or service stations, with an extensive offering of fresh food, other comestibles and regional products.
The avec convenience stores add to the offering at highly frequented locations such as train and service stations. With its extensive range, the convenience format offers fresh products for immediate consumption, from early until late or also round-the-clock in some places, 365 days a year. The offering is adjusted to customers’ needs depending on the time of day. Valora operates avec express at locations with smaller sales areas.
avec traces its origins to a joint venture between Migros, SBB, and Valora in 2000. In 2005, Valora took over a portion of the stores. Since then, the brand and store concept have continued to evolve and set benchmarks in the market, even by international standards. This is reflected, among other things, in the awards won by the avec stores on Freiestrasse in Zurich as Europe’s Best Convenience Store in 2025, as well as the store in Horgen, which took third place in the Best Convenience Store of the World 2025 competition.
As a result of a long-standing partnership with our landlords, avec—with around 350 stores—is the convenience format with the largest network of retail locations in Switzerland.
In Germany, through its partnership with Deutsche Bahn, avec will grow to approximately 100 stores by the end of 2026.
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In figures
avec in figures
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Press releases
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Valora combines its Retail and Food Service divisions
01.06.2026 • 15:00 Valora, the European retail unit of FEMSA (Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V.), is combining its Retail and Food Service divisions, effective June 1, 2026. With this new unit, Valora combines its expertise in operating small convenience stores and freshly prepared food to-go. Roger Vogt, who has been leading Valora's Retail business for eight years, will assume responsibility for the fully integrated, cross-border organization as CEO Valora Retail & Food Service. -
Valora Group continues growth trajectory with successful financial year 2025
05.03.2026 • 12:00 The Valora Group continued to develop positively in the past fiscal year and improved its operating result. Operating profit (EBIT) increased by 8.5% to CHF 105.5 million, exceeding the previous year’s record result. The strong convenience business in Switzerland made a significant contribution to the result, supported by a stable performance in the Food Service B2C segment. At the same time, Valora consistently expanded its fresh food to-go offering across its convenience formats. -
Ditsch opens first store in the United States
19.01.2026 • 10:00 With the opening of the first Ditsch clip-in in the United States, the popular pretzel products of the traditional German bakery are now available for the first time with a dedicated point of sale on the U.S. market. The new location is situated inside an OXXO store in El Paso, Texas, and caters to the growing consumer demand for freshly prepared, high-quality food to-go. With this new point of sale, Ditsch is not only pursuing further growth, but also gaining valuable insights into international customer needs. -
Valora strengthens Foodvenience strategy and merges the Convenience Retail and Food Service B2C divisions
12.01.2026 • 11:00 The Valora Group is further sharpening its focus on its successful Foodvenience strategy and, to this end, is combining the Retail and Food Service B2C divisions. This step will allow the core competencies of both areas to be leveraged more efficiently and enable Valora to respond even more effectively to changing consumer behavior. In doing so, Valora is laying the foundation for future unique formats and offerings. Effective June 1, 2026, following the completion of the transition phase, Roger Vogt, previously CEO Retail, will assume responsibility for the new unit. -
avec store opens in Hamburg: Valora sets new standards for convenience retail in Germany
19.11.2025 • 11:00 Europe’s award-winning convenience concept comes to Hamburg: In the vibrant district of St. Georg, Valora opens the first avec store in northern Germany. It represents the consistent implementation of Valora’s “Foodvenience” strategy and simultaneously serves as a flagship store for the expansion of avec in Germany. -
Ditsch launches new food concept “good bite”: The classic pretzel reimagined
07.11.2025 • 15:15 Ditsch is bringing a fresh breeze to the snack culture: the new concept good bite is celebrating its premiere at Hannover Central Station. It presents the iconic Ditsch pretzel in a modern form – as Pretzel Bites with creative sweet and savory toppings. This turns a familiar classic into an innovative snacking experience for an urban, trend-conscious target group -
Ditsch pretzel bakery: sales company founded for the UK
23.09.2025 • 11:00 Ditsch, die Food Service B2B Einheit der Valora Gruppe, gründet in Grossbritannien die neue Vertriebsgesellschaft «Ditsch UK». Damit setzt das Unternehmen seinen erfolgreichen internationalen Expansionskurs fort und baut seine lokale Präsenz nach Deutschland und den USA weiter aus. Gleichzeitig stärkt Ditsch seine Position in einem vielversprechenden Markt für Laugenbackwaren. -
Half-year results 2025: Valora with strong convenience retail business
20.08.2025 • 11:00 The Valora Group achieved strong results in the first half of 2025, thereby confirming the record level of the previous year: with external sales of CHF 1,4 billion, operating profit (EBIT) came in at CHF 43,7 million, matching last year’s high level (+1,4% in constant currencies). The main driver of this positive performance was once again the convenience retail business, particularly in the food and tobacco categories. -
To the top of Europe with avec: Valora named Convenience Retailer of the year
28.05.2025 • 15:00 The Valora Group has been named “European Convenience Retailer of the Year” for its avec flagship store on Freiestrasse in Zurich. The award is considered one of the most prestigious in international convenience retail and was presented at the renowned NACS Convenience Summit Europe in Copenhagen. The international jury of experts praised a store concept that is setting new innovative standards for convenience retail across Europe.
History
Seit 25 Jahren am Markt
2024
Ein Highlight dieses Jahres ist die Eröffnung von "The Kitchen by avec" an der Freiestrasse in Zürich (CH)
Hier werden to-go-Gerichte inmitten des avec Stores frisch zubereitet. Im Juni führt Valora für mehr Transparenz für unsere Kundinnen und Kunden als erster Retailer der Schweiz auf unseren Eigenmarken ok.– und READY TO GO sowohl den Nutri-Score wie auch den Eco-Score von Beelong ein. Im Juli wird der erste Brezelkönig Clip-in überhaupt in den avec Store an der Tankstelle Deitingen Süd integriert.
2023
Im Kampf gegen die Verschwendung von Lebensmitteln baut Valora ihre gruppenweite Partnerschaft mit der Organisation Too Good To Go weiter aus
Ab Februar geben auch rund 330 Verkaufsstellen von k kiosk und avec in der Schweiz nicht verkaufte Lebensmittel gegen Ladenschluss vergünstigt ab. Im Bereich 24/7 rücken wir aufgrund der hohen Beliebtheit bei der Kundschaft unsere hybriden avec 24/7-Stores stärker in den Fokus. Im Zuge dessen wird der Betrieb der komplett autonom betriebenen avec box eingestellt. Die dafür entwickelte Technologie und die vielen gewonnenen Erkenntnisse werden umfassend in den hybriden 24/7-Stores aufgegriffen. In Düsseldorf eröffnen wir einen avec im neusten Design in ÖV-Lage.