On Tuesday, with my usual detective routine, I arm myself with the Action magazine (Migros Magazine) and discover that women's clothing is on promotion. 'Eureka,' I think, 'I'm going to surprise Mutti, buy her the Migros bras with the X, the ones that make a bit of a lingerie diva.'

I rarely set foot in Migros, because, let's face it, it's like stepping into a black hole: at least an hour disappears. But this time I'm motivated. I arrive, I search, I search, I explore every corner of the store. It's okay that I'm not a hawk, but with contact lenses, my eyesight still works. Nothing. Zero. Nada.

Finally, I ask the saleswoman, 'Excuse me, the bras with the X, like the famous ones but Migros version, where did you hide them?'

With a gentle smile, she replies, 'They're not there.'

I remain incredulous: 'They're not there? But then when are they coming?'

And she, with the calmness of a Tibetan monk: 'Never.'

'Never?! But why?!" I exclaim, shocked.

And she: 'Because they are no longer in assortment.

First pantyhose disappear from the small branches, then bras from the big ones.... but what is this, an intimate elimination challenge? Luckily, Pampers are always there, solid as a rock: I can almost see them winking from the shelves, as if to say 'Don't worry, we're not going anywhere!