CATISHOP.CH – Caritas Ticino

Why it matters: run by Caritas Ticino – an anti-poverty association founded in 1942 – this second-hand shop doubles as an occupational programme, staffed by people working their way back into employment. The stock is genuinely broad: furniture, clothing, books, household goods and electronics, at prices that feel impossible anywhere else in Switzerland. Caritas Ticino’s recycling arm keeps textiles, furniture and electrical goods out of Ticino landfill, so each purchase gives both an object and a person a second chance. Tip: it sits in Pregassona, a short bus ride northeast of the centre, and it closes over lunch – come before noon or after 13.30.