Trade (wholesale & retail) · Lucerne

5 049 companies in trade in the canton of Lucerne.

The commercial register lists 5 049 active companies in trade in the canton of Lucerne, placing Lucerne 9th nationally for this sector (5 % of the national total). 3 552 of them (70 %) are VAT-registered, and 1 614 (32 %) published an official change in the past 18 months: registration, amendment, change of officers, share capital or address.

5 049active companies
24registered in the past 30 days
3 552VAT-registered
9thcanton's Swiss rank
Free watch, 3 days

What moves in trade in the canton of Lucerne, 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 Lucerne: 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 Lucerne, against 14 % across Switzerland. 24 companies in trade were registered in the canton of Lucerne over the past 30 days, 76 over 90 days.

Lucerne is the centre of central Switzerland: tourism and hospitality around the lake, wholesale trade and logistics at the crossing point of the north-south routes, mechanical engineering in the valleys, and a tax regime that has attracted many head offices and consultancies over the past twenty years. The Lucerne register is one of the most dynamic outside Zurich and Zug.

Market analysis

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

666companies registered in 2025 and 2026
CHF 497 Mof combined share capital (3 391 capital companies)
3 552VAT-registered
109are hiring right now (Job-Room postings)

Of these 5 049 companies, the dominant legal forms are: Limited liability company (GmbH / Sàrl) (39 %), Sole proprietorship (30 %), Public limited company (AG / SA) (27 %). 666 were entered in the commercial register in 2025 and 2026, that is 13 % of the active base; 371 registrations in 2025. That is in line with the average of the three previous years (357 a year): a steady pace of registration.

Share capital is known for 3 391 companies (67 %): CHF 497 M combined, median company in the 20-100k band; 1 337 of them (39 %) have capital of at least CHF 100,000.

3 552 companies (70 %) are VAT-registered, a sign of real activity; 5 047 (100 %) have at least one registered director; 1 126 publish a general phone or email, 1 234 have a website verified by ciblr, and 109 run job postings on Job-Room.

SOGC publications in the last 90 days: 75 new registrations, 74 changes of directors, 1 capital changes, 68 relocations of seat, 60 other amendments, 5 liquidations or deletions.

Registrations by year

02004006002020 : 36036020202021 : 40640620212022 : 39439420222023 : 34334320232024 : 33433420242025 : 37137120252026 : 2952952026
Companies still active, by year of first registration; 2026 year to date (light tint).

Legal forms

Limited liability company (GmbH / Sàrl)
1 99439 %
Sole proprietorship
1 50530 %
Public limited company (AG / SA)
1 35027 %
General partnership
661,3 %
Coopérative
160,3 %
The most common legal forms in this sector.
By size

Small or large?

Micro companies
3 62972 %
Small companies
3817,5 %
Medium companies
89318 %
Large companies
1462,9 %
ciblr size index, computed from registry signals (capital, legal form, age, VAT). n/a: no signal yet.
By city

Where are they?

Luzern
1 30226 %
Kriens
2324,6 %
Sursee
2154,3 %
Emmenbrücke
1753,5 %
Ebikon
1442,9 %
Meggen
1272,5 %
Emmen
1182,3 %
Rothenburg
1162,3 %
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 Lucerne?

5 049 companies in trade are registered with the commercial register as active in the canton of Lucerne, or 5 % of the 106 501 companies in the sector across Switzerland.

How many are VAT-registered?

3 552 of these companies (70 %) 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. 1,072 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 Lucerne: 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 Lucerne