The lights are back on in Gähwil’s village shop. Around the clock.
At the end of February 2024 the last shop in Gähwil closed. A year later the village association and Toggenburgshop AG joined forces. Since May 2025 the Dorla has been open: 24 hours a day, with no staff at the till.
St. Galler Tagblatt · toggenburg24 · stgallen24 · Toggenburger Zeitung · Wiler Nachrichten · Radio SRF 1 · dorla.ch
The last shop in the village closes
Gähwil belongs to the municipality of Kirchberg in the Toggenburg; about 1,100 people live here. Until summer 2023 the village had a Spar shop. A new operator took over in August 2023; six months later it was over: the shop did not pay its way. The post office counter disappeared with it.
Older residents now had to travel to Kirchberg, and the village had lost its meeting place. In March 2024 a newspaper headline about Gähwil read: “They don’t deserve a village shop.”
“We sensed that people miss the village shop”
So says Pirmin Fischbacher, president of the village association “Gähwil vereint”. A staffed shop would have been too expensive again. So the association contacted Toggenburgshop AG, which already ran staff-free shops in the Toggenburg. Cheesemaker Martin Kurmann put them in touch with the landlord, co-owner Urs Gebert let the premises at a moderate rent, and the Spar- und Leihkasse Kirchberg granted a contribution from its fund.
1 2024
The village association looks for a solution. The information evening after its general meeting is very well attended.
2 Early 2025
A team from the association and Toggenburgshop AG starts a one-year pilot.
3 May 2025
The checkout and the access to the beer and spirits cellar are set up. The shelves arrive just before the opening.
4 28 May 2025
Opening day. It rains, and still many villagers come.
5 March 2026
At the general meeting of “Gähwil vereint” the news is announced: the pilot has passed, the Dorla stays.
A shop in the village again
In the building on Hulfteggstrasse that housed the old village shop.
About 100 m²
From bread and pasta to fresh produce from the region.
Always close, always there
The shop window in the evening: 24 hours for Gähwil.
A shop carried by the village
Three employees from Gähwil look after the shop. The producers from the region stock their own shelves, and the village association has backed the shop from the start.
«That is not something to take for granted – and above all it is thanks to the people of Gähwil themselves.»
- residents
- 1,100residents
- open, no staff at the till
- 24/7open, no staff at the till
- women from Gähwil look after the shop
- 3women from Gähwil look after the shop
Scan it yourself, pay without cash
The Dorla is freely accessible, day and night. At the scango.ch self-checkout customers scan their shopping and pay with TWINT, debit or credit card. For anyone who would rather pay cash there are vouchers: they were introduced because that is exactly what villagers asked for.
Beer and spirits are kept in a separate cellar. The door only opens once an ID shows that you are at least 18.
Bread from Wattwil, cheese from the village
As much of the range as possible comes from the region. Thurbeck bakery in Wattwil delivers bread every day, Käserei Kurmann in Gähwil the cheese, Näf-Metzg in Mosnang meat and sausages, and Brauerei St. Johann, among others, the beer. Producers receive a statement every month and pay no shelf rent.
Bread every day
Fresh from Thurbeck bakery in Wattwil.
Fresh from the field
Lettuce, radishes and vegetables, as local as possible.
Beer from the Toggenburg
From Brauerei St. Johann to the Mini.Bierladen in Lichtensteig.
A meeting place, even without a counter
One year after the opening the Dorla invited everyone to a Friday after-work gathering: sausage, bread roll and beer for CHF 6 outside the shop. News is shared in the WhatsApp community, and you can pre-order for parties.
What other villages can learn from the Dorla
Why did the old shop fail, and why does the Dorla work?
A staffed shop has to earn the wages for every opening hour, and the old shop could not manage that. The Dorla needs nobody at the till. Three women from the village look after it, producers stock their own shelves, and the premises are let at a moderate rent.
What does a village need for a shop like the Dorla?
Toggenburgshop AG looks for locations with about 1,000 residents and shop premises of 70 to 120 m². Just as important are people in the village who want the shop and back it, like the village association in Gähwil.
Can a village shop work without cash?
Customers pay with TWINT, debit or credit card. Anyone who would rather pay cash buys vouchers and pays with them at the checkout.
How does the Dorla sell alcohol without staff?
Beer and spirits are kept in a separate cellar. Its door only opens after an age check with an ID, from 18.
And if someone does not pay?
The shop is under video surveillance, and the footage is analysed with AI. Anyone caught pays a handling fee of CHF 250. Day to day, though, what counts most is trust in the village.
“You have shown that a village shop can still work today.”
That is what the Dorla wrote to Gähwil in April 2026, after the end of the pilot.
Would you like to see the Dorla for yourself?
On a site visit we show you the shop in operation, from the checkout to the cellar, and answer your questions.