10 years of Wert&Voll – Our history
In July 2025, the Wert&Voll online shop will celebrate its 10th birthday—and we want to celebrate with you! 
Look forward to a year full of surprises: every month, you'll receive a special anniversary newsletter (sign uphere ). It will feature exciting promotions, exclusive discounts, and even competitions. But that's not all! We'll take you on a journey through our history – 10 years full of adventures, challenges, and milestones.
We summarize the content of the newsletters in this blog series.
The founding of Wert&Voll
The story of Wert&Voll began with a simple but powerful idea. Nicole and Nik Berva founded the online shop in the summer of 2015 out of a deep conviction: they wanted to integrate sustainable alternatives to plastic into their everyday lives and make them available to others.
It all began when Nicole, a teacher, led a project week on the topic of plastic waste. A documentary film (Plastic Planet) opened their eyes and they decided to radically change the way they used plastic. But at that time, it was difficult to find suitable alternatives. Nik discovered products such as the leak-proof containers from Onyx Containers and the lunch boxes from EcoLunchbox, but they were not available in Switzerland. So he courageously set about importing these products himself and making them available via a small website. With a cleared corner in Nik's carpentry workshop, the adventure began and Wert&Voll was born. It was born out of a personal conviction rather than a big business plan.
This is what the Wert&Voll shop looked like in 2015:
What started out as a small passion project soon spread by word of mouth. Many products were available exclusively at Wert&Voll. As awareness of sustainability grew in Switzerland, so did their customer base. But with success came new challenges: after three years, the online shop had grown so much that it was taking up more and more time. Nik often came home late from work because he was still packing orders after his job as a self-employed carpenter. The shop became an integral part of everyday life and, as a result, a burden. Nicole is a teacher with heart and soul, and Nik is a passionate carpenter—giving up their professions was out of the question for both of them.
They were aware that they had created something unique and valuable with Wert&Voll. So, with mixed feelings, they decided to find a successor solution.
How Wert&Voll came to us
Sometimes the right people and ideas come together in unexpected ways. Nik and Nicole had built up the Wert&Voll online shop, but at some point it became clear that they wanted to hand it over to someone else—but only to the right person. The search for successors began.
Meanwhile, Nathalie and I had the opportunity to take over a forest program. At a meeting with the then leaders, Maja and Bruno, we discovered stainless steel cans that we had never seen before. "My friend Nik sells these in his shop," Bruno told us—and jokingly added, "Maybe you'd like to take him over?"
That same evening, we immersed ourselves in the shop. We were fascinated by the unique products and the warm philosophy. But then doubts crept in: How would we finance it? Where would we store it? How do you even run an online shop?
Weeks passed during which we talked about it again and again—not knowing that Nik had already started a total sell-off. When we found out, things got serious. We got in touch, met Nik, and immediately felt that it was a good fit. He showed us everything and offered his support with the handover.
But the decision wasn't easy. Friends and family were divided, and we also felt increasingly uncertain. We contacted Nik and told him that we were very interested, but that the financial investment was difficult for us. Nik then suggested a payment plan that minimized the financial risk. After two sleepless nights, we plucked up the courage and agreed.
Today, we are the new faces behind Wert&Voll. What began as a spontaneous idea became our big step into self-employment.
The relaunch – Wert&Voll breaks new ground
Once all the details had been clarified with Nik, things got serious. We quickly realized that the total sell-out had done its job. We were left with a few remaining products—ready to go, but with almost nothing to sell.
So we had to restock our inventory! We combed through Nik's former suppliers, made new contacts, and reordered what we considered essential. At the same time, we cleared out our garage, searched Tutti for suitable shelves, and set up our first small warehouse. Within a week, we had created the necessary infrastructure to continue running the shop from our home. The online shop remained closed during this transition period.
On March 19, 2019, the time had come: With freshly replenished inventory, Wert&Voll went back online. And then—the first order! We were sitting together when the notification came in. Someone had actually bought something from us! Full of excitement, we packed the order. The product was carefully placed in the box, the package was packed with the utmost precision—and then we headed to the post office in the neighboring village.
This daily routine quickly became an integral part of our lives. Loyal Wert&Voll customers confirmed that the shop had a future—and we decided to do everything we could to justify that trust.
Our son Levi was right in the middle of it all. He stacked packages, stuck labels on them, and was always excited when we unpacked new products.
At first, we found it difficult to take anything from the shop ourselves—we wanted to keep everything available for our customers. But eventually, we treated ourselves to our first stainless steel cans and drinking bottles from our own shop. After all, we should know what we're selling!
But we didn't just want to restore the old range; we wanted to further develop Wert&Voll and offer additional products for a lifestyle with less plastic. We gradually expanded our range: we added the entire Ecolunchbox range, stainless steel ice cube trays and ice cream makers, a larger Klean Kanteen range, and new manufacturers such as Qwetch drinking bottles and beeswax wraps from Bern. Each new delivery gave us more confidence – we grew with our task.
After a year, it was time to take stock. Sales had increased, the product range had grown—and, above all, we had found our place. Wert&Voll had not only survived, but had grown with us. We had learned that it pays to try new things and that time brings the necessary experience. In 2020, there were decisive developments that transformed the shop from a trading platform into a brand in its own right.
Wert&Voll reinvents itself
Today, we're going to take a trip down memory lane and look back at a crucial chapter in the history of Wert&Voll. You may remember that the shop was originally founded to make plastic-free products available in Switzerland. But five years after it was founded—and one year after we took over Wert&Voll—the world suddenly looked very different.
Suddenly, there were shops everywhere selling similar products. Even the big retailers now had plastic-free alternatives in their ranges. Our former market position dwindled. Then came the next blow:Onyx Containers and Lunchbotsstopped supplying us. Lunchbots switched to direct sales and Onyx withdrew from the North American market after a stroke of bad luck.
In one fell swoop, half of our product range was gone.The most popular products were no longer available, competition was tougher than ever—and we, as newly minted entrepreneurs, were under enormous pressure. The easiest way out? Give up.
But that's exactly what we didn't do.
Instead, we saw the challenge as an opportunity and developed anew vision for Wert&Voll. We decided to purchase an engraving laser and offer personalized products. At the same time, we set out to find a manufacturer who would produce directly for us. For the first time, we were able to build our own brand—independent of suppliers and stronger than before.
This step was not without risk. We had to immerse ourselves in the world of stainless steel lunch boxes, take out a loan, and be even more courageous than when we originally purchased the shop. But it was worth it: your feedback was overwhelming!After just one year, we were able to recoup our investment—and we knew that"nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Today, Wert&Voll is more than just a shop—it's a brand with heart. And we're thrilled that you're part of this journey. ❤️
Small online shops are having a particularly difficult time
Last time, I told you how we reinvented ourselves at Wert&Voll. Today, I would like to share with you why, unfortunately, not all small Swiss online shops succeed in doing so—and what decision we have made for the future.
As a small shop, we walk a fine line between joy and frustration every day. There is hardly anything better than reading your positive feedback, packing your orders, and knowing that our work makes sense.
But that's not always enough to survive. Because, to be honest, online shops have to pay for their customers.
What does that mean? For every sale, we spend an average of 30% of the revenue on advertising—plus high fees to payment providers and others. When you add up all these costs, there's not much left at the end of the day.
Anyone who then tries to compete with the big shops on price loses twice over. The truth is that many products are only profitable if you sell them in huge quantities. And small shops like ours simply can't compete on that level.
But: We don't want that anymore either.
That's why we made a conscious decision to shift our focus. Instead of offering a large assortment of many different brands that are now available everywhere, we are focusing on what makes us unique:
👉Engraved lunch boxes
👉Personalized stainless steel products
👉 A genuine understanding of your needs
👉 Customer service that truly deserves its name
Because while the big companies simply funnel packages through, we pack every product with love, and often the whole family pitches in.
That is our strength. That is our way.
Of course, we are also aware that this does not work for everyone. For example, our valued partnersLoggia16(beeswax wraps from Bern) and suederei Naturseifenhad to close their doors with a heavy heart. This makes us sad—because we know how much heart and soul goes into such projects.
And at the same time, it encourages us tocontinue making courageous decisions and to remain true to ourselves in the process.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story ❤️❤️❤️