Trade (wholesale & retail) · Berne

9 753 companies in trade in the canton of Berne.

The commercial register lists 9 753 active companies in trade in the canton of Berne, placing Berne 2nd nationally for this sector (9 % of the national total). 6 383 of them (65 %) are VAT-registered, and 2 398 (25 %) published an official change in the past 18 months: registration, amendment, change of officers, share capital or address.

9 753active companies
45registered in the past 30 days
6 383VAT-registered
2ndcanton's Swiss rank
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What moves in trade in the canton of Berne, in your inbox from tomorrow morning.

The first email goes out within the minute, with the last 30 days of your perimeter: new registrations, changes of officers, moves, capital. Then two morning emails with only what has moved since, as soon as there is something new. No account, no password.

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What moves in your canton, from tomorrow morning.
The canton in brief

Trade (wholesale & retail) in the canton of Berne: what the register shows.

Wholesale and retail trade bring together importers, distributors, garages and shops. New registrations and address changes signal the opening of outlets or warehouses, and therefore needs in logistics, payments, fit-out and insurance.

This sector accounts for 15 % of companies classified in the canton of Berne, against 14 % across Switzerland. 45 companies in trade were registered in the canton of Berne over the past 30 days, 115 over 90 days.

Berne combines the federal administration, telecoms and energy (historic head offices in the capital), precision industry and watchmaking in the Bernese Jura and in Biel, tourism in the Oberland, and farming that remains very present in the Emmental and the Seeland. The fabric is dominated by family-owned SMEs, with a bilingual French and German register.

Market analysis

The market in trade in the canton of Berne, in figures

1 172companies registered in 2025 and 2026
CHF 551 Mof combined share capital (5 292 capital companies)
6 383VAT-registered
171are hiring right now (Job-Room postings)

Of these 9 753 companies, the dominant legal forms are: Sole proprietorship (41 %), Limited liability company (GmbH / Sàrl) (32 %), Public limited company (AG / SA) (22 %). 1 172 were entered in the commercial register in 2025 and 2026, that is 12 % of the active base; 670 registrations in 2025. That is in line with the average of the three previous years (595 a year): a steady pace of registration.

Share capital is known for 5 292 companies (54 %): CHF 551 M combined, median company in the 20-100k band; 2 064 of them (39 %) have capital of at least CHF 100,000.

6 383 companies (65 %) are VAT-registered, a sign of real activity; 9 753 (100 %) have at least one registered director; 2 318 publish a general phone or email, 2 667 have a website verified by ciblr, and 171 run job postings on Job-Room.

SOGC publications in the last 90 days: 114 new registrations, 108 changes of directors, 1 capital changes, 100 relocations of seat, 129 other amendments, 20 liquidations or deletions.

Registrations by year

02004006008002020 : 65565520202021 : 69469420212022 : 54954920222023 : 60260220232024 : 63563520242025 : 67067020252026 : 5025022026
Companies still active, by year of first registration; 2026 year to date (light tint).

Legal forms

Sole proprietorship
4 03141 %
Limited liability company (GmbH / Sàrl)
3 14432 %
Public limited company (AG / SA)
2 10522 %
General partnership
2412,5 %
Coopérative
710,7 %
The most common legal forms in this sector.
By size

Small or large?

Micro companies
8 27785 %
Small companies
9319,5 %
Medium companies
4024,1 %
Large companies
1431,5 %
ciblr size index, computed from registry signals (capital, legal form, age, VAT). n/a: no signal yet.
By city

Where are they?

Bern
1 10611 %
Biel/Bienne
5375,5 %
Thun
3333,4 %
Burgdorf
1912 %
Langenthal
1831,9 %
Lyss
1571,6 %
Steffisburg
1341,4 %
Interlaken
1241,3 %
The 8 municipalities with the most companies in the sector.
Frequently asked questions

In brief.

How many companies in trade are active in the canton of Berne?

9 753 companies in trade are registered with the commercial register as active in the canton of Berne, or 9 % of the 106 553 companies in the sector across Switzerland.

How many are VAT-registered?

6 383 of these companies (65 %) are VAT-registered according to the UID register, which generally indicates turnover above CHF 100 000 and genuine activity.

How can I get their contact details?

ciblr gives you three days of watch on this target: the last 30 days of movements within the minute, then two morning emails with what has moved, as soon as there is something new. The subscription at CHF 299 per month gives access to the whole target, with contact details, Excel export and change tracking.

Method

Where do these figures come from?

Most recent SOGC publication captured for this canton: a day ago. 1,995 publications captured in the past 30 days. Company officers there are re-read directly in the cantonal commercial register.

Every company counted here is registered with the commercial register (Zefix) with the status "active". The sector is derived from the FSO's NOGA code, the size is estimated by ciblr from official publications (legal form, share capital, declared headcount, VAT registration), and "recent signal" means an SOGC publication (registration, amendment, change of officers, share capital or address) in the past 18 months. The figures are recalculated every week from the ciblr database. No data is purchased or invented.

These companies, with their contact details.

ciblr sends you three days of watch of companies in trade in the canton of Berne: the last 30 days within the minute, then two morning emails, as soon as the perimeter moves. For the whole target, the subscription is CHF 299 per month, no commitment.

Neighbouring cantons

What about next door?

The same figures for neighbouring cantons, useful for regional prospecting.

The same sector elsewhere
Other sectors in the canton of Berne