Holiday Shopping Basket Drops 1% in Year But Remains 7% Higher Than Three Years Ago

Holiday Basket Price Dynamics

A price audit of the holiday shopping basket ahead of Rosh Hashanah presents a mixed picture. Compared to last year, prices have decreased by an average of approximately 1%. However, compared to three years ago, prior to the October 7 war, they remain 7% higher. These findings stem from a price survey conducted by the Israel Consumer Council two weeks before the holiday, based on data from all retail chains reporting to the Pricez website.

Price Shifts Across Categories

Key holiday items have seen notable price increases: red and white wine prices rose by an average of 7%, while honey became 4% more expensive. The sharpest spike was recorded for avocados, which jumped 31% compared to last year. Significant increases were also noted for fresh and frozen meat (+4%), fresh vegetables (+3%), and spices (+2%).

Conversely, some categories saw price drops: breakfast cereals and cornflakes decreased by about 13%, canned tomatoes fell by 8%, and fabric softeners dropped by 9%. These reductions partially offset the broader price increases in the basket.

Retail Chain Comparison

In an audit of a basket containing 456 common products, the Consumer Council identified Rami Levy as the cheapest retail chain and Super Yuda as the most expensive:

"The total cost of the full basket at Rami Levy is 5,986 NIS, compared to 8,904 NIS at Super Yuda—representing a 49% price gap."

Among neighborhood urban chains, Neto Hisachon BaShchuna was the cheapest, while Super Yuda was again the most expensive, showing a 33% gap. Among the major discount chains competing primarily on price, Rami Levy was the cheapest and Victory was the most expensive, with a 13% gap between them. Among smaller neighborhood discount chains, Neto Hisachon was the cheapest and Freshmarket was the most expensive, with a 19% gap.

Compared to last year, the three chains that reduced prices the most were Rami Levy BaShchuna (-8.7%), Super Beit HaPri (-6.2%), and Carrefour Hyper (-5%). In contrast, Hazi Hinam saw the highest price increase (+7%), followed by Super Yuda (+6.6%) and King Store (+2.4%). Carrefour chains performed relatively well in the comparison, partly due to discounts offered as part of the Ministry of Economy's controversial "Israel's Basket" initiative.

Extreme Price Gaps on Individual Products

Price disparities for individual items between different chains are stark, reaching up to 60 NIS:

Frozen Salmon Fillet (1 kg): Sold for 48 NIS at Neto Hisachon and HaMefitz, compared to 109 NIS at Mini Super Alonit (a 127% gap).
Fresh Beef Shoulder (1 kg): Cost 59.50 NIS at Osher Ad, compared to 99.90 NIS at Yesh Hesed and Yesh BaShchuna (a 68% gap).
Fresh Chicken Breast (1 kg): Sold for 24.90 NIS at Salah Dabbah, compared to 62.70 NIS at Super Yuda (a 152% gap).