Benchmark
Franc Surge Supercharges Swiss Spending Power in German Towns
Here's how Swiss consumers are dealing with a strong currency
Swiss flags on display in a kiosk in Lucern, Switzerland, on Saturday August 10th, 2013.
Photographer: Gianluca Colla/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Swiss shoppers are making the most of the strong franc: they are hunting for bargains abroad.
That’s what customs office data in Loerrach, on the German border to Switzerland, indicate. Export forms, which allow shoppers to reclaim value-added tax on goods they're bringing back into Switzerland, increased 27 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier.