New Survey Reveals True Cost of Supermarket Promotions Across Israel
A new comprehensive survey reveals that supermarket promotions save consumers at most 318 NIS, with Osher Ad emerging as the cheapest chain for regular, non-promotional shopping compared to Shufersal Deal.
Shoppers often fall for supermarket promotional signs promising deep discounts, only to find the final bill surprisingly high. A comprehensive new survey conducted by the Retail Research Institute using the Prices website sheds light on the actual savings, revealing which Israeli supermarket chains offer the lowest prices even without promotional gimmicks.
The study, published on Monday, examined a standardized basket of 272 identical products—sharing the exact same brand, barcode, and packaging—across seven major food chains: Rami Levy, Osher Ad, Yochananof, Carrefour Hyper, Victory, Shufersal Deal, and Machsanei HaShuk. The total basket cost ranged between 4,000 and 4,600 NIS.
The Illusion of Promotional Savings
The findings indicate that promotions save consumers at best only 318 NIS on the entire basket. Moreover, nearly half of the promotional items in one chain remain more expensive than the regular price of the same product at a competing chain. For basic staple goods, the institute found virtually no genuine competition among retailers.
When factoring in every possible promotion and requiring consumers to purchase bulk quantities to unlock discounts, Rami Levy offered the cheapest promotional basket at 3,784.65 NIS, followed by Osher Ad and Yochananof. At the bottom of the promotional ranking were Victory and Shufersal Deal, where the identical basket cost 4,326.22 NIS—a massive gap of 541 NIS.
Osher Ad Wins on Base Prices
However, most shoppers do not buy commercial quantities just to secure a discount. For the average consumer purchasing single items off the shelf, the picture changes entirely, making Osher Ad the ultimate winner.
When evaluating regular baseline prices without any promotions, Osher Ad surpassed Rami Levy to claim first place as the cheapest chain, with a basket totaling 4,010.30 NIS. Conversely, Shufersal Deal emerged as the most expensive, charging 633 NIS more for the exact same non-promotional basket—a staggering 16% price difference.
The survey's ultimate takeaway highlights the sheer power of base pricing: Osher Ad's standard, unpromoted basket is cheaper than the promotional baskets offered by Carrefour Hyper, Machsanei HaShuk, Victory, and Shufersal Deal.
