"I believed in the brand."

Neue Fricktaler Zeitung, February 13, 2026 - Petra Schuhmacher

Marc Joss from Bozen is co-owner and managing director of Switcher. In March, the first Switcher store in Aargau will open in Rheinfelden. 

"I'm from the upper Fricktal region," says Marc Joss, born in 1976, as he introduces himself during our conversation in his office in Frick. He was born and raised in Bözen. 
"I was a member of the gymnastics club, the youth team, and later the soccer club in Frick, where I was deeply rooted. It was a really good time." After school, he went to Aarau to train as a retail salesman, then took his first job in Seon. There, at Mammut, he had a lot to do with people from western Switzerland and realized that his school French was pretty much reaching its limits.

Looking for a change, he decided to take a seasonal job in a sports shop in the Valais ski resort of Grimentz. He enjoyed it, learned French, stayed on for a second season, and moved to Lausanne in 2001. "My German was in high demand in western Switzerland. That, combined with my professional experience, gave me a good chance of finding a job, and that's how I ended up at Switcher." He actually wanted to return to Bozen, but his next stop was Hong Kong, where he spent a year managing Switcher's stores. 
China coordinated and improved his English before returning to Lausanne for the time being. "My time in Lausanne had a significant impact on me. Ten years were 
After all, that's where I was. That's also where I met my wife, and we lived there as a family with our two boys," says Marc Joss.

"I had truly arrived in French-speaking Switzerland. It took me and my wife quite a while to realize that we could also speak Swiss German with each other, since she comes from the Zurich Oberland," he adds with a smile. But he still felt homesick for Bözen, and when he inherited building land from his mother, nothing stood in the way of his return. "It was a homecoming to my roots. I quickly settled back in, rejoined the gymnastics club, and was also active on the local council for four years. The change was greater for my family. Especially for my boys, who had only spoken French until then, it was a real new start."



Faith in the Marc Joss brand remains with Switcher, takes over Swiss 
Sales management and commutes throughout Switzerland from Bözen. While things are going well for Marc Joss, Switcher is experiencing turbulence, which culminates in bankruptcy in 2016. 
end. "For me personally, however, that was not the end of the story," explains Marc Joss. Once the insolvency had been legally settled and the trademark rights for Switcher had been sold 
With new investors on board, the new investors sought someone locally in Switzerland and approached Marc Joss. "I didn't have to think twice when the offer came," said the Switcher CEO.

"I believed in the brand."

"I knew we had to start small," says Marc Joss, looking back. "We started out in the old community center in Elfingen." The expensive warehouse in western Switzerland 
was terminated. In the summer of 2023, the company moved into its warehouse and office in Frick on Widengasse. "Rebuilding Switcher was really hard work. 
Time. We were out of the market for four years, and then COVID-19 hit.

Unfortunately, our initial trading strategy did not work out, and investors 
were not satisfied with the figures," says the managing director. "During this time, my involvement with the club saved me. It cleared my head and gave me the support I needed. But I also had an iron will and knew that I had to find the right formula and then it would work."
 
Successfully breaking new ground The online shop was launched, marketing was stepped up, and logistics processes were optimized. The formula worked. The figures were 
Better, much better. "Growth is desirable, but I knew that 
If we continue to grow the company without making some adjustments, we will run into problems. Growth must be kept under control," explains Joss.

With Galaxus and Zalando Switzerland, two new sales channels were established. Marc Joss hired a marketing expert and opened the first retail store in Winterthur in 2025. "I have a broad range of superficial knowledge and can hold my own in any conversation," reveals Marc Joss. "But I'm not a specialist, and once you reach a certain size..." 
requires specialists. Many small companies get stuck in development because they don't make the right decisions." The managing director's plans are ambitious. On March 3, the first Switcher store in Aargau will open in Rheinfelder Marktgasse, followed by another opening in Bulle in August. By the end of 2027 
Five to ten more shops are set to follow. How does one manage such an ambitious undertaking in terms of energy? "I'm good at doing nothing, I can really switch off completely," Marc Joss replies to the question, adding: "The job fulfills me. That's where I get my energy from." 

Switcher, the company with the yellow whale logo, was founded in 1981. 
founded in Lausanne with the aim of creating sustainable and durable basic fashion. 
at an affordable price. In 2016, Switcher had to file for bankruptcy. The trademark rights were sold, and new investors came on board.