Osher Ad or Rami Levy: The Cheapest Shopping Basket in Israel
A price comparison across 11 retail chains reveals a 31% gap on 152 items. The battle for the top spot was decided by a mere 88 agorot.
The summer vacation period is characterized by a significant increase in household expenses in Israel, yet a substantial portion of this financial burden stems from an incorrect choice of supermarket chain. A comprehensive price comparison conducted by Dr. Hezi Gur for the "Maariv" website reveals dramatic gaps of almost 31% between different retail chains for the exact same basket of products.
As part of the study conducted at the Retail Research Institute, a representative shopping basket was examined, including 152 common products—from basic food items to cleaning and toiletry products—across 11 major food chains nationwide.
According to the findings, the cheapest chain is "Osher Ad," where the total cost of the basket stood at 1,884.44 NIS. Standing almost level with it is the "Rami Levy" chain, with a basket costing 1,885.32 NIS. This tiny difference of only 88 agorot indicates an especially close head-to-head battle in the discount sector.
Conversely, the most expensive chain examined in the survey is "Tiv Taam," where the price of the same basket reached 2,468.04 NIS. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive chain stands at no less than 583.60 NIS for a single purchase.
The data proves that when household expenses are skyrocketing, consumers who fail to compare prices pay a "lack of awareness tax" amounting to hundreds of shekels. An early check and an informed choice of retail chain remain the fastest and most effective ways to ease the family budget.
