Migros
A Turkish supermarket group operating mainstream, premium, convenience, beauty, wholesale, and online retail formats.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Migros Ticaret A.Ş., commonly known as Migros Türk or simply Migros in Turkey, is a Turkish supermarket and retail group headquartered in Istanbul. It should be distinguished from the Swiss Migros cooperative group, from which the Turkish business originated, and from other companies using the Migros name. The Turkish operation was established in 1954 after Istanbul governor Fahrettin Kerim Gökay and Foreign Minister Fethi Çelikbaş approached Swiss Migros founder Gottlieb Duttweiler about creating a modern food-distribution system for Turkey's growing urban population. The venture initially used mobile sales trucks modeled on the early Swiss Migros approach and opened its first permanent store in 1957 at Istanbul's Beyoğlu fish market. The business developed from a pioneering urban grocery operation into one of Turkey's largest organized retailers. Its store portfolio includes neighborhood convenience outlets, conventional supermarkets of different sizes, large hypermarkets, premium food stores, beauty stores, and digital commerce. The core Migros formats are generally identified by scale: M stores provide a basic grocery range with selected non-food products; MM stores offer a broader assortment; MMM stores add categories such as stationery, textiles, household appliances, books, cosmetics, and bakery products; and 5M hypermarkets carry the broadest selection, particularly in large cities, tourism centers, and major suburban locations. Migros Jet serves neighborhood shopping missions with smaller stores and convenience-oriented assortments. The group also operates Macrocenter, a premium supermarket format launched in 1995. Macrocenter targets affluent urban consumers with imported foods, gourmet products, organic and specialty ranges, premium private-label goods, delicatessen services, and, in some locations, cafés or other service elements. Mion extends the group into personal care and beauty retail, while Migros Toptan supplies food-service and out-of-home-consumption customers through a wholesale operation. Migros Sanal Market, launched in 1997, provides online ordering and home delivery across grocery and selected non-food categories. Ownership has changed several times. Koç Group obtained control in 1975 and supported major investment in procurement, distribution, perishables infrastructure, and regional expansion. Migros became publicly traded in 1991. In 2008, private-equity firm BC Partners acquired control in a highly leveraged transaction and subsequently increased its stake. After a 2009 initial public offering and a later partial sell-down, Anadolu Group acquired BC Partners' remaining major holding in 2015. Migros remains listed on Borsa Istanbul while operating under Anadolu Group ownership. The company historically expanded outside Turkey through the Ramstore brand, with operations or investments in Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia. Those international activities were progressively divested: the Azerbaijan stores were sold in 2011, the North Macedonian business in 2021, and the Kazakhstan operation in 2024. As a result, the contemporary Migros Türk business is focused on Turkey. The company reported 3,725 stores in Turkey as of September 2025, comprising 3,389 Migros stores, 230 Macro stores, 105 Mion stores, and one Petimo location. The group competes through network scale, multiple price and format tiers, private-label products, fresh-food procurement, digital ordering, and a broad geographic presence.
History
Migros Türk was created in 1954 as a Turkish-Swiss joint venture. The initiative responded to concerns about reliable food distribution in Istanbul and other population centers. Istanbul governor Fahrettin Kerim Gökay and Foreign Minister Fethi Çelikbaş sought assistance from Gottlieb Duttweiler, founder of the Swiss Migros system. Charles Henri Hochstrasser became the first head of the Turkish operation. The company initially sold goods from mobile trucks, a format associated with the early Swiss business, before moving into fixed retail premises. Its first permanent store opened in 1957 at the fish market in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Koç Group acquired majority control in 1975. Under Koç ownership, Migros expanded its Istanbul network and built supply-chain capabilities, including direct purchasing relationships with fruit and vegetable producers. A central perishables warehouse opened in 1981. The company then extended its infrastructure and store base into western Turkey: four large stores opened in İzmir in 1988, followed by further investment in the Aegean region. In 1991, Migros introduced larger MM and MMM stores in İzmir and Istanbul and expanded into cities including Ankara, Antalya, and Bursa, as well as resort destinations such as Marmaris, Bodrum, Silivri, and Yalova. The company became publicly traded during the same year. Migros diversified its formats during the 1990s. Macrocenter was established in 1995 as a premium, boutique-style food retailer for affluent urban districts. That year also saw the launch of Şok, a discount warehouse concept that later grew to hundreds of locations before being sold in 2011. International development began with a Ramstore in Baku in 1996, followed by a Moscow shopping center in 1997 and further expansion in Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia. The group also entered electronic commerce: Kangurum was introduced in 1999 as a broad online marketplace, while Migros Sanal Market began operations in 1997 and later operated through Sanal Merkez T.A.Ş. In 2000, Migros introduced Bakkalım, a franchise concept intended to modernize traditional Turkish neighborhood groceries. Although it reached roughly 700 locations, the format was later discontinued as the company concentrated on other store formats and online services. Migros also developed the Migros Jet neighborhood format, introduced in 2011, and continued to operate M, MM, MMM, and 5M stores differentiated by assortment breadth and selling space. The ownership structure changed substantially in the 2000s. BC Partners agreed in 2008 to acquire Migros Türk from Koç Holding in a large leveraged buyout. The private-equity owner subsequently raised its stake to approximately 98 percent. Migros completed an IPO in 2009 and sold part of its holding to public-market investors in 2011. In January 2015, BC Partners agreed to sell a 40.25 percent stake to Anadolu Group, which became the strategic owner while Migros continued as a listed company. The company subsequently narrowed its geographic scope. The Azerbaijan stores were sold in 2011. The North Macedonian operation was sold in 2021, and the Kazakhstan business was sold in 2024. Migros Türk therefore returned to a predominantly Turkey-focused model. Its current activities combine mainstream grocery retail, premium food retail through Macrocenter, personal care through Mion, wholesale distribution through Migros Toptan, and home delivery through Migros Sanal Market. The reference material reports 3,725 Turkish stores as of September 2025: 3,389 Migros stores, 230 Macro stores, 105 Mion stores, and one Petimo store.
- 2025
Turkish network reaches 3,725 stores
[1]The reference material reports 3,725 stores in Turkey as of September 2025 across Migros, Macro, Mion, and Petimo formats.
- 2024
Kazakhstan exit completes international withdrawal
[1]Migros sells its Kazakhstan stores, ending its international retail presence.
- 2021
North Macedonian operations are sold
[1]Migros divests its stores in North Macedonia.
- 2015
Anadolu Group becomes strategic owner
[1]Anadolu Group acquires BC Partners' 40.25 percent stake.
- 2011
Şok is divested and Azerbaijan stores are sold
[1]Migros sells its Şok discount chain and exits its Azerbaijani stores.
- 2009
Initial public offering
[1]Migros Türk conducts an IPO on the Istanbul stock exchange.
- 2008
BC Partners takeover
[1]BC Partners agrees to acquire control of Migros Türk from Koç Holding.
- 1997
Migros Sanal Market begins operations
[1]The company begins online grocery and home-delivery operations through Migros Sanal Market.
- 1996
Ramstore international expansion begins
[1]Migros opens its first store outside Turkey, a Ramstore in Baku, Azerbaijan.
- 1995
Macrocenter and Şok are launched
[1]The group adds both the premium Macrocenter concept and the discount-oriented Şok format.
Products and positioning
Multi-format mass-market grocery retail, supplemented by premium food, convenience, beauty, wholesale, and online channels.
Mainstream supermarket · 1954
Migros
The core supermarket network ranges from compact neighborhood locations to large stores. M, MM, MMM, and 5M designations generally indicate increasing selling space and assortment breadth, progressing from everyday groceries toward non-food categories such as stationery, textiles, cosmetics, books, appliances, and bakery goods.
Convenience grocery · 2011
Migros Jet
Migros Jet is a neighborhood-oriented convenience format introduced in 2011. Its smaller stores focus on frequent shopping trips and everyday food and household essentials, extending the group's reach into dense residential areas.
Premium supermarket · 1995
Macrocenter
Macrocenter is Migros's premium food format, serving affluent urban customers with imported products, gourmet foods, organic ranges, specialty Turkish products, premium private labels, delicatessen counters, and selected in-store services.
Beauty and personal care
Mion
Mion is a personal-care and beauty retail concept designed to make cosmetics, hygiene, and self-care products more accessible. It broadens Migros's presence beyond food into dedicated health and beauty shopping.
Online grocery and delivery · 1997
Migros Sanal Market
Migros Sanal Market provides online ordering and home delivery for groceries and selected non-food goods. The service began in 1997 and has used internet, telephone, and kiosk-based ordering channels.
Wholesale
Migros Toptan
Migros Toptan is the group's wholesale operation for hotels, restaurants, caterers, and other out-of-home-consumption customers. It supplies food and non-food products through regional offices in Turkey.
Online marketplace · 1999
Kangurum
Kangurum was an early Migros Turkey online marketplace launched in 1999. It offered a broad assortment, including groceries, appliances, toys, gifts, and travel-related services, but is no longer presented as a current format.
Franchised neighborhood grocery · 2000
Bakkalım
Bakkalım was a franchising initiative intended to modernize traditional Turkish corner shops. It expanded to approximately 700 outlets before being phased out as Migros concentrated on other formats and digital commerce.
Discount grocery · 1995
Şok
Şok was a discount warehouse format launched by Migros in 1995 and expanded across Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir. It was sold in 2011 to a consortium led by Gözde Girişim and is no longer part of Migros.
International supermarket and shopping center · 1996
Ramstore
Ramstore was the international retail brand used for Migros Türk's expansion into Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia. The group progressively sold these operations, completing its exit with the Kazakhstan sale in 2024.
Controversies
Criticism over caged-egg sourcing
Migros faced customer and animal-welfare criticism over the sale of eggs from caged hens and its reported lack of a public cage-free commitment. The issue generated a large petition but the supplied reference does not document a final company policy outcome.
Marketing campaigns
- Cage-free egg petition
Turkey
Animal-welfare advocates and customers petitioned Migros to stop selling eggs sourced from caged hens and to publish a cage-free sourcing commitment. The petition was reported to have gathered more than 130,000 signatures.
Brand decisions
2024
Exit from KazakhstanStrategyBackground
Migros had progressively reduced its international Ramstore footprint.
Action taken
The company sold its Kazakhstan stores.
Aftermath
The sale ended Migros Türk's international presence and left Turkey as its operating market.
2015
Anadolu Group investmentM&ABackground
BC Partners decided to sell its major holding after several years of ownership.
Action taken
Anadolu Group acquired a 40.25 percent stake and became the strategic owner of Migros.
Aftermath
Migros continued as a listed Turkish retailer under Anadolu Group ownership.
2011
Divestment of ŞokStrategyBackground
Migros reassessed its portfolio of retail formats while operating a large discount network.
Action taken
It sold Şok to a consortium led by Gözde Girişim.
Aftermath
Migros focused more directly on its supermarket, convenience, premium, and online businesses.
2008
BC Partners acquisitionM&ABackground
Koç Group decided to sell control of the supermarket chain after years of domestic and international expansion.
Action taken
BC Partners agreed to acquire control and later increased its holding to approximately 98 percent.
Aftermath
The transaction was followed by an IPO in 2009 and a later reduction of the private-equity owner's stake.
1995
Launch of Macrocenter and ŞokStrategyBackground
Migros sought to cover both premium urban food retail and price-oriented discount shopping.
Action taken
It introduced Macrocenter as a premium supermarket and Şok as a discount warehouse format.
Aftermath
The two formats broadened the group's segmentation, although Şok was later divested in 2011.
Recent events
- 2024
Migros exits Kazakhstan[1]
M&A
The sale of the Kazakhstan stores ended Migros Türk's international retail presence outside Turkey.
- 2024
Migros announces major portfolio restructuring[3]
M&A
Migros announced plans to focus more strongly on its core retail activities and to sell or reorganize several non-core businesses.
- 2024
DERTOUR Group agrees to acquire Hotelplan Group from Migros[4]
M&A
Migros agreed to sell its travel subsidiary Hotelplan Group to DERTOUR Group, subject to the applicable closing conditions.
- 2024
Migros sells Mibelle Group to a consortium led by Yellow et al.[3]
M&A
Migros announced the sale of its personal-care, home-care, and nutrition manufacturer Mibelle Group as part of its portfolio refocusing.
- 2023
Mario Irminger becomes head of Migros Group management[5]
Leadership change
Mario Irminger succeeded Fabrice Zumbrunnen as president of the General Management of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives.
- 2021
Migros exits North Macedonia[1]
M&A
The company sold its North Macedonian stores, continuing the retreat from international Ramstore operations.
- 2021
Migros launches its M-Plus positioning initiative[3]
Campaign
Migros introduced M-Plus as a framework for communicating its cooperative value proposition and social, environmental, and community commitments.
- 2015
Anadolu Group agrees to acquire BC Partners' Migros stake[1]
M&A
Anadolu Group agreed to purchase BC Partners' 40.25 percent stake, becoming the strategic owner of the Turkish retailer.
- 2015
Anadolu Group becomes the strategic controlling shareholder of Migros[6]
M&A
Anadolu Group, through MH Perakendecilik, increased its ownership and became the strategic controlling shareholder of Migros Ticaret.
- 2011
Şok is sold to a consortium led by Gözde Girişim[1]
M&A
Migros divested its Şok discount-store business to a consortium led by Gözde Girişim, a company associated with Yıldız Holding.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources7 sources
- 1Migros (Turkey)en.wikipedia.org
- 2Migros Ticaret A.Ş. corporate websitemigros.com.tr
- 3Migros announces major portfolio restructuringcorporate.migros.ch
- 4DERTOUR Group agrees to acquire Hotelplan Group from Migrosdertour-group.com
- 5Mario Irminger becomes head of Migros Group managementcorporate.migros.ch
- 6Anadolu Group becomes the strategic controlling shareholder of Migrosanadolugroup.com
- 7Migros completes sale of Şok discount storesmigroskurumsalstrcdn01.blob.core.windows.net
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