Ikea France uses "vous", but Ikea Suisse uses "tu"
This question is not so much about the use of "tu" and "vous" itself, but about what it says about the different cultures of France and Swiss Romande. The first screenshot below is taken from the Ikea France website, the second from the Ikea Switzerland website (French version). It struck me as odd that the French website uses "vous" while the Swiss one uses "tu" – not only in these search boxes, but right across their websites.
So what is going on here? Why does Switzerland use "tu" whereas France uses "vous"? Normally one would say that the use of "tu" in advertising reflects a more familiar, informal tone of voice. Fine, but why would Switzerland adopt such a tone while France does not? Is Switzerland a more informal, less deferential society than France?
