Lost Loot Located; Basel Tops Swiss Cost Of Living Index; Supermarket Receipts Set To Go Extinct; Three Kings Debts Mount

News For 20 December 2016

A woman from France found an envelope at SBB containing 50’000 Swiss francs in cash last week. She handed it in to the police and it is now at the lost property office, where the police are trying to find the rightful owner.  The woman who found the money has already been promised 5000 Francs out of the 50’000.-. In Basel-Stadt, the finder’s reward is explicitly regulated to be 10 percent of the value of the found property. If the money isn’t claimed, the finder will legally receive the entire sum.  The found amount of 50’000 isn’t even a record in Basel. Just last spring, a couple had forgotten a bag on a tram with 144’000 Swiss francs in it– also in cash. 

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The latest report by Credit Suisse detailing the cost of living in Switzerland ranks Basel near the top.  The annual report released last week, focuses on the cost to households of tax, housing, health insurance and care, commuting and childcare.  This year, Geneva topped the list again, with Basel not far behind in second.  The average Swiss household spends 25% of its income on taxes and housing.  Households in Basel find themselves with 3% less disposable income than the national average after spending on the necessities.  On the bright side however, Basel clearly offers a lot in return as the shortage in housing indicates strong demand to live here. 

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Paper receipts at grocery stores are set to become a thing of the past. As of the end of January 2017, Lidl will have stopped the automatic printing of paper receipts completely.  Customers will only receive one upon request. According to Lidl spokeswoman Corina Milz, they will be able to avoid 30 tons of paper waste.  At Coop supermarkets as well as Coop-affiliated stores, customers who are in possession of a Supercard can still choose whether they want a printed receipt or an email containing their receipt.  Migros and Aldi are still on the paper receipt track. However, Migros customers with Cumulus cards also have the option of receiving email receipts in addition to the paper version. 

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Despite its prestigious address and historic significance, the Three Kings hotel has managed to accrue a 20 million Swiss Franc debt.  In addition, the company operates at an annual loss of approximately 2 million francs according to the business manager of the holding company.  Operating in the red however, has not dissuaded the owner, Thomas Straumann from adding 26.5 million francs of his own money to the enterprise to keep it going.  In addition, he has no plans to sell the property, and plans on maintaining the current standard of service including the highest Michelin Star rating in the restaurant.