Price shock at Effi-Märt Migros defends itself with flyers against higher parking fees

Parking fees have been increased at Effi-Märt in Effretikon ZH. You now pay two francs instead of 50 centimes for the first hour. Migros is opposing this increase.

Effi-Märt is a popular shopping center in Effretikon ZH. However, customers and Migros are currently angry. The reason: last week it was announced that parking fees were going up. Previously you paid 50 centimes for the first hour, now it's two francs.

Migros then sent out a flyer to express its displeasure, as reported byBlick. The flyer stated that the fee increase had not been agreed. These have since been taken down again. "Migros is very unhappy with the current situation," wrote the retailer.

Real estate company does not understand the uproar

The shopping center and the parking garage belong to the real estate company Siska from Winterthur. The criticism is also directed at them. Günther Heuberger, Managing Director, does not understand the uproar. He told Blick that his company had increased the fees in all six parking garages in the canton of Zurich. And for the first time in 13 years.

Heuberger justifies the price increase with an enormous rise in maintenance costs, particularly in the area of electricity. In addition, external services such as cleaning have also become more expensive. Vandalism, littering, unreported parking damage and the resulting need for video surveillance are also causing additional costs.

Migros does not accept the explanation

Siska has received around 30 complaints from the public about the increased parking prices, most of them about the situation in Effi-Märt. After the real estate company replied to the emails, there was a certain amount of understanding.

Migros, on the other hand, was unable to come to terms with this explanation. The flyer was only put up after the discussions with Siska. When asked, Migros said that its employees had been confronted with a high number of expressions of displeasure due to the parking fee increase.

Migros is said to have received over 400 responses

Over 400 responses were received in the first few days. "It was therefore important for us to make it clear that we are not charging these fees in order to relieve and protect our employees," says Silke Seichter, spokesperson for Migros. Customers mainly compared the prices with other local charges, "which are now by far the highest in Effi-Märt."

Blick writes that the parking prices at Effi-Märt are low compared to Zurich and Winterthur. In the two big cities, parking costs many times more.

However, a quick online search by Tamedia shows the opposite: for the same amount of time at the Coop or Manor in Winterthur, parking costs 1.50 francs. In the Migros parking garage in Zurich-Altstetten, the rate for one hour is 50 centimes. In the Coop parking garage in Neuhausen, the first hour is even free.

Shoppers are also expressing their displeasure on the online database "Parkopedia": "A rip-off for a dilapidated underground car park", they say. And: "New parking fee is a cheek."

Other stores take a less harsh view

The other stores in Effi-Märt are also criticizing. Denner is one of them. Spokesman Mladen Tomic says that this one-sided approach by the landlord is unacceptable and that they will seek talks with them in order to find a satisfactory solution for customers. Coop says that it is a tenant in this building and has no influence on the structure of the parking fees. The increase in parking fees does not affect them directly, according to Dosenbach.