Following a change in price structure, consumers announced a boycott of delivery service Wolt, saying the new pricing system is worse for users of the platform.“It’s fun to see the public making a decision that will actually make companies like Wolt lower prices or be out of a job,” one user said in the Secret Tel Aviv Facebook group, attaching a screenshot showing Wolt’s menu option to delete an account.In a period where Israelis are impacted by high costs of living, inflation, high interest, and additional taxes meant to tackle the costs of the war, “the solution is not tech innovations that increase the cost of living,” the user went on, highlighting the fact that Wolt’s new price structure was rolled out as part of a series of new features.
“We need technological innovations that bring the cost of living down,” he added.Another person in the Facebook group called for people to share recommendations for restaurants that have their own delivery, to provide an alternative to Wolt.
Monopolizing delivery
Many commented on the fact that Wolt is the only major platform of its kind in the country. Others highlighted the fact that Wolt takes service fees not only from those ordering but from the restaurants with which they work.A Wolt delivery person told the TV program Hazinor that delivery people are noticing a significant decline in orders. “Since the boycott started, our orders have gone down by 50%,” he told the program.Economics reporter Shaul Amsterdamski also commented on the change in a post on Facebook, which opened with him saying that “we must not give in to Wolt.”Amsterdamski highlighted that “because Israel is such a small market, Wolt’s branch here did what all Israeli monopolies do: As soon as it reached a certain market share it started abusing its power to get more and more out of consumers through [providing] a variety of new services.”Amsterdamski highlighted the different services Wolt now provides, stating that it should be considered whether Wolt should be subject to a new kind of taxation.The new pricing system announced by the company last week includes a series of changes in its application, the first of which is Wolt+, a monthly subscription costing NIS 49 per month, which allows customers to order without delivery fees within a certain radius and for a certain minimum order.The restructuring also includes new features, the company said. The platform also shifted to dynamic operating fees, at an average of NIS 4, it said.“The new Wolt experience 2025 will give our customers new opportunities to get more value out of Wolt. We are proud to introduce Wolt +, our flagship value offer, which has been a huge success in 28 Wolt countries and is now landing in Israel,” the company said in response to the boycott.“Wolt + has been beneficial for both customers and merchants in every market it has launched, and we are sure this will be the case here in Israel as well.”Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.