For over six decades, Rüfenacht has played a foundational role in Switzerland’s pharmaceutical retail ecosystem—delivering seamless point-of-sale (POS) campaigns to thousands of pharmacies, drugstores, and medical offices nationwide.

Known to many as R8, our legacy has been built on trust, precision, and consistent, on-time execution. We’ve long been the partner who ensures your campaign materials arrive exactly when and where they should.

Today, we mark a pivotal step in our evolution. As we expand our services to offer end-to-end campaign management—including design, production, logistics, and in-store execution—we are embracing a new name that reflects our broader mission and deeper commitment to the industry.

Rüfenacht Dekorationen AG becomes Rüfenacht Pharma Retail Solutions SA.

This transformation signals more than a rebrand—it affirms our role as your integrated, strategic partner. One who simplifies complexity, drives measurable impact, and elevates your in-store visibility with Swiss-quality execution.

Rüfenacht: A Legacy of Swiss Precision, Gradually Expanding into Strategic Partnership

In 1961, Arlette and Rolf Rüfenacht embarked on a pioneering journey to bring Swiss-quality service to POS promotions in pharmacies and drugstores. Back then, there was no formal company name — just a strong commitment to craftsmanship, reliability, and elevating in-store visibility with tailored, high-quality solutions.

By 1989, the growing reputation of their work led to the creation of a formal identity: Rüfenacht Dekorationen AG, or R8 for short. This milestone wasn’t just about naming; it represented a maturing business with a clear focus on delivering expert in-store promotions, earning trust across Switzerland.

In 1995, under the new leadership of Mr. and Mrs. Maillard, the company entered an ambitious growth phase. They expanded operations nationwide by adding strategically located warehouses, boosting Rüfenacht’s ability to serve customers efficiently and reliably.

By 2013, Rüfenacht had outgrown its existing premises and moved into a modern headquarters in Studen (Bern), with over 1,000 m² of advanced storage space. This upgrade provided the infrastructure needed to handle increasingly complex campaign demands, combining operational excellence with a forward-looking mindset.

In 2021, Rüfenacht joined a family-owned pharmaceutical group, opening new opportunities for collaboration and innovation, and gradually broadening its capabilities beyond logistics alone.

In 2022, seizing this momentum, Rüfenacht modernized its internal processes and launched digital tools to improve customer interaction, transparency, and agility. These developments laid the groundwork for a natural, progressive expansion of services, combining physical execution with digital insights.

In 2023, Rüfenacht accelerated its digital transformation by launching a suite of advanced tools designed specifically for pharmaceutical retail campaigns. These included a digital POS booking formular, social media content management capabilities, digital twin modeling for store layouts, smart signage and shelf solutions, and custom analytics dashboards powered by Power BI. This tech-forward expansion marked a decisive step in bridging physical execution with digital intelligence—empowering clients with greater control, visibility, and impact across every touchpoint.

Now, in 2025, the company adopts a new name—Rüfenacht Pharma Retail Solutions SA—to reflect the full breadth of services we now offer as an integrated execution partner. This milestone is marked by the relocation of our headquarters to Sierre (Wallis), at the heart of the —an ecosystem dedicated to innovation and technology. Far from a departure from our roots, this move signals a bold continuation of our legacy: enhancing traditional campaign execution with digital intelligence, while staying true to our core values of Swiss precision, operational excellence, and client-centric service.

What’s New: From Logistics Specialist to One-Stop Shop

This expanded offering strengthens our long-standing mission. While logistics and merchandising remain at our core, we now offer a complete suite of solutions covering every step of your pharma retail campaign journey. From initial design and field-testing, to production, warehousing, installation, and post-campaign analytics, Rüfenacht serves as your single point of contact (SPoC).

These enhancements respond to the evolving needs of marketing leads, brand managers, and innovation officers who increasingly seek seamless coordination, transparent execution, and integrated solutions. With Rüfenacht, you gain a reliable partner who ensures your brand is delivered consistently and effectively — every time.

Why It Matters: Solving the Coordination Headache

Ask any pharma marketer or POS project lead, and they’ll tell you: the hardest part of running an in-store campaign isn’t the creative concept — it’s the execution. Poor installation, late arrivals, mismatched materials, or vague feedback loops can erode internal trust, frustrate sales teams, and dilute ROI.

“We have always had the utmost trust in Rüfenacht and their execution, which allowed us to embark on new or large projects with peace of mind, knowing that Rüfenacht would give 200% for our campaigns and customers, always thinking ahead, keeping us informed, and providing regular updates,” shares Andrea Odermatt, Brand Activation Manager at Haleon. “That was incredibly valuable for us — heartfelt thanks at this point for the meaningful collaboration.”

How It Works: Integration Across the Rüfenacht Value Chain

Our gradual service evolution means we can now support you across the entire campaign value chain. Here’s how:

• Early Project Support: We collaborate with your team to stress-test designs, validate materials for durability and compliance, and plan realistic production and deployment schedules.
• Smart POS Targeting & Booking: Leveraging our nationwide Swiss logistics network and deep field experience, we help you prioritize high-value locations and secure optimal retail slots.
• Seamless Execution: From our five strategic warehouses, we manage the end-to-end distribution of materials to over 2,000 PoS locations, ensuring precise installation and setup.
• Technology-Enabled Tracking: Our systems provide clear proof of service, verified field photos, and actionable analytics, giving you full control and insight without micro-management.

By acting as your SPoC, we simplify the connection between creative, production, logistics, and retail execution. Instead of juggling updates or resolving cross-vendor issues, you can focus on what matters: making your campaign impactful.

What Clients Can Expect: Practical Use Case & Impact

Let’s take a typical scenario: a Swiss pharmaceutical company preparing to launch a seasonal skincare promotion across 150 pharmacies. Previously, the marketing team would coordinate with separate creative agencies, printers, transporters, and local merchandisers, often discovering too late that materials were too large for display spaces, misaligned with store timelines, or improperly installed.

With Rüfenacht, that same campaign unfolds differently:

• Pre-Launch: We collaborate during concept development, advising on feasible display formats, testing materials in the field, and ensuring all assets are compliant and retailer-approved.
• Deployment: We handle production, warehousing, and distribution, delivering precisely labeled packages to each pharmacy. Our dedicated merchandisers install the materials on time, ensuring correct placement and maximum visibility.
• Post-Campaign: You receive a comprehensive report detailing installations, field photos, campaign reach, and performance insights, ready to present to internal stakeholders or HQ.

The result? Time savings, fewer execution errors, stronger internal alignment, and an uplift in campaign ROI. Early pilot campaigns show a reduction of over 30% in last-minute troubleshooting and a measurable increase in on-time, on-spec installations.

Next Steps: How to Experience the Rüfenacht Advantage

Curious about what this means for your next campaign? Book a call with our Customer Success team to explore how Rüfenacht’s steadily expanded service model can elevate your brand visibility, improve execution reliability, and deliver measurable results.

We’re ready to bring Swiss precision, creativity, and operational excellence to your next pharma retail activation. Let’s move beyond execution — let’s partner for success.

Contact Us:

Rüfenacht Pharma Retail Solutions SA
Book a Call or visit : www.ruefenacht-pharma.ch
Email: info@r-8.ch
Phone: +41 32 343 31 80
Address: Rue du Technopole 1, 3960 Sierre VS, Suisse
Warehouse: Gewerbestrasse 1, 2557 Studen BE

This new chapter at Rüfenacht is not a dramatic shift — it’s a natural continuation of the values and service quality our clients have trusted for decades. We remain committed to standing beside you as your reliable operational and strategic partner.

Because at Rüfenacht, we believe your reputation deserves flawless execution — and that execution deserves a partner who understands the stakes.