Village residents more likely than city dwellers to shop on Galaxus

Manuel Wenk

10.12.2025

Translation: Katherine Martin

People living in the countryside shop online 21 per cent more often than those living in cities. Sales figures published by Galaxus reveal that while cameras are highly sought-after in urban areas, satellite TVs and Lego sets are especially popular in rural places.

A century ago, about 70 per cent of Switzerland’s population lived in the countryside. Today, almost 90 per cent (page in German) live in urban areas spanning from Geneva to Zernez. More specifically, 65 per cent are town or city dwellers, while 21 per cent live in the suburbs surrounding them. Meanwhile, a further 14 per cent of the population call the countryside home.

Figures published by Galaxus have now revealed that rural populations shop online more frequently than urban ones. The average countryside-dwelling customer is 21 per cent more likely to shop on the platform than someone in a metropolitan area. To create its evaluation, Galaxus compared Federal Statistical Office (FSO) population data from 2024 with its 2025 sales data (January to October).

Is the internet the new village shop?

Galaxus’s product range is divided into 14 categories, including sport, fashion and IT + multimedia. Across all product categories, people based in rural areas buy more products than city residents.

Although suburban customers aren’t included in this analysis, they rank somewhere between their urban and rural counterparts when it comes to online shopping.

Compared with their city-dwelling neighbours, customers based in the countryside buy a particularly large number of toys, garden products and pet supplies. This makes sense when you consider that the country lifestyle typically involves living in a family house, having some additional space (and as you’d expect, more room for pets and vegetable patches).

One of the main reasons for the gap between urban and rural areas is probably the availability of specialised stores. Folks living in the countryside have fewer brick-and-mortar stores nearby – let alone access to a large shopping centre around the corner or specialist retailers selling electronics or furniture. Many products are simply easier to buy online.

There are also other reasons why internet shopping is more popular in the countryside. Rural families have more children (link in German) and live in larger homes. And people with more space and more kids tend to order more stuff.

Meanwhile, shipping partners such as Swiss Post and Planzer deliver just as quickly to mountain villages such as Grindelwald as they do to Bern city centre. For many people living in the countryside, online shops, which are open 24/7, have become the digital equivalent of the village shop.

Same clicks, different purchases

Looking at the lower-level data, it’s clear how different urban and rural areas are. In the countryside, products such as satellite dishes, tools, car accessories, advent calendars and winter sports equipment are highly sought-after. In small, isolated villages, traditional satellite signal still seems to be the simplest, cheapest way to watch television. After all, roughly ten per cent of the population watch TV via satellite. Though popular, online TV requires fast internet – something less widely available outside of metropolitan areas.

In the city, it’s IT and multimedia devices that top the rankings. Cameras, laptops and clothes steamers are particularly popular in metropolitan areas, probably due to the fact that they’re a good fit for city-based, always-on-the-go lifestyles. Many city dwellers work remotely, commute or live in smaller homes. With this in mind, lightweight, flexible devices come in handy. Think laptops for working from home or steamers for quickly ironing the creases out of a shirt before a day at the office.

Another interesting trend is the return of analogue or film-based cameras. Amidst the hustle and bustle of cities, this slowed-down style of photography seems to have found a growing fan base. In fact, sales of analogue cameras have more than doubled since 2021. It’s quite possible that these city-based photographers are filling their rolls of film not with urban skylines, but with memories of trips to the countryside and the mountains.

From cow pastures to high-rise flats, online shopping brings cities and the countryside together. The differences between them lie in the details – and show that our digital shopping carts reveal more about our lives than you might think at first glance.

What does your online shopping cart say about you? Are you Team Satellite Dish or Team Analogue Camera?

Manuel Wenk

Communications Manager

Manuel.Wenk@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a Multimedia Producer, preparing multimedia content and knowing about cutting-edge technology is my business. My main focus at digitec is producing videos. I can’t wait to try out new products such as cameras, drones or smartphones as soon as they’re launched. This is where being at the source comes in rather handy. When I’m not working, I’m probably skiing, biking or hiking – the mountains are my place to be. more

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