Weekend shopping survey: Cost comparison of non-kosher chains

In the past, we were required to carefully plan our purchases in order to find a supermarket that would operate on Saturdays and holidays. The culture of consumption in those days focused mainly on urgent products such as diapers, diapers, or cigarettes that ran out unexpectedly, and sometimes as a result of the arrival of unexpected guests when the refrigerator was empty. In Tel Aviv, the convenience stores and chains like AMPM provided a response to these needs, while in the suburbs availability on the weekends was low and sometimes non-existent.

In 2008, the Mega company lost significant market shares due to its ownership of a food chain that is open on Saturdays and holidays (AMPM), contrary to the position of the ultra-Orthodox sector. This move led to the rabbis' decision to boycott the ultra-Orthodox "Shefa Shuk" chain owned by Mega, and some claim that this was the beginning of the snowball that led to the chain's downfall in 2015.

The non-kosher supermarkets in Israel: a survey of costs, trends and effectsDuring the last decades, the consumption culture in Israel has changed substantially, especially in regards to the consumption of non-kosher products on Shabbat and holidays. In the past, we had to go on a well-planned journey in order to find a grocery store open on Saturdays and holidays, when the needs were mainly urgent products such as diapers or diapers. In recent years, the availability of non-kosher chains has become a matter of course, especially in urban areas such as Tel Aviv, where convenience stores and urban chains such as the AMPM chain have become part of the urban landscape.

The background for the expansion of the non-kosher market

In the past, consumption on Shabbat and holidays focused on emergency products, but over the years, awareness and the need for high availability of non-kosher products have grown. The first swallow for this change was the Tiv Taam chain, which launched a non-kosher experiential supermarket in the early 1990s. The chain recognized the need of immigrants from the CIS countries for familiar products, and then expanded to other target audiences. Today, Tiv Taam turns over NIS 1.7 billion a year and has become a leading public company in the non-kosher sector in Israel.

The development of non-kosher networks

With the success of Tiv Taam, the non-kosher market in Israel expanded, and in recent years other chains such as Keshet Taam have joined. This chain developed dynamically with huge branches and a huge variety of products, and today it turns over more than a billion NIS a year and is on its way to becoming a public company. While Tiv Taam specialized in providing solutions to customers who are not strict about kosher, Keshet Tamam also emphasizes the shopping experience and innovation, with an emphasis on special culinary products and seafood that cannot be found in regular food chains.

The Arab sector as a major player in the market

The stores in the Arab sector used to be part of the weekend experience, when customers were looking for unique products and discounted prices. In recent years, players from the Arab sector have also become a central part of the non-kosher market. Chains such as Salah Dabah and King Store have set a new standard of huge stores with a national distribution, which appeal not only to an audience from the Arab sector but to the entire population. Competition in the Arab sector focuses on the size of the stores and the shopping experience, and less on prices.

Market analysis and survey.

In the survey we conducted, we examined a wide shopping basket of 194 products from all segments, including fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry products, grocery and cleaning products. The survey was conducted in four non-kosher marketing chains: Tiv Taam, Keshet Tamim, Salah Dabah and King Store. For comparison, we also conducted the same survey in kosher chains such as Rami Levy and Shufersel Deal.

The results of the survey

The cheapest basket is found in the Keshet Taam network with a gap of 8% compared to the expensive basket in the survey of the Tiv Taam network. The gap between the Keshet Tamim chain and the Dabach chain is only 3%, and shows a trend of a similar basket value in service-intensive stores. A comparison of kosher chains reveals an average difference of about 10%, and if we compare the most expensive basket to the cheapest, the difference is 22%, which is about NIS 528.

Conclusions and recommendations for consumers

The competition between the non-kosher chains is not only focused on price, but also on the shopping experience. Consumers are required to take into account all parameters before making purchase decisions. Price is certainly a significant factor, but availability, product quality and convenience are also important. The non-kosher chains provide a wide range of solutions on weekends, while the kosher chains are closed, so the economic and experiential considerations must be carefully considered when planning to buy on weekends.

In conclusion, it is important to conduct market surveys and be aware of the gaps between the various networks. When it comes to a significant purchase, such as a weekly basket for the family, comparing prices and planning in advance can save hundreds of NIS every month.