During a visit to Israel, we visited several supermarkets in Jerusalem, Eilat, and Hadera. It is interesting to check out the assortment and see the prices. Where do the products originate from? How are they presented? And how is it going with the fourth range?
Many products are locally sourced. Travel across the country, and you see fruits and vegetables being grown as far as the Negev. In the north of the country, bananas are even grown for domestic consumption. In late December, there were lots of Orri - the late-ripening, Israeli-bred mandarin - hanging on the trees. Harvesting begins in mid-January, and the fruit is on European shelves from early February.
Each store has a range of processed products and chilled, fresh herbs. You can see these products in the photos. We came across different brands like Rosella, Froots, Pink Lady, Tessa, La Trentina, Melinda apples, Royal Berry blueberries, and, of course, Jaffa oranges.
Click here to see the photo report.
Jerusalem
Of Israel's Mahshani Shuk chain of 63 stores, we visited the Jaffa Street branch in Jerusalem. The chain was founded In 1996 and is owned by the Naaman and Cohen families.
Eilat
The Rami Levy Hashikma Marketing branch in Eilat looked untidy. Many broken plastic bags lay among the products. Apparently, a bad roll of bags because every new bag had a hole in it. This is the third-largest Israeli supermarket chain behind Shufersal Ltd. and Alon Holding-Blue Square Ltd., with annual sales of 1.16 billion Shekel or NIS.
Founded in 1976, Rami Levy was Israel's first discount store. The company went public in Tel Aviv in 2007, and its sales volume and the number of stores increase yearly. Rami Levy operates a chain of 44 discount supermarkets in central and northern Israel. The company also has a wholesale business that distributes to 450 stores in and around Jerusalem.
Hadera
The Yohannoff chain store we visited in Hadera near Caesarea scored the best for neatness and presentation. This supermarket chain currently has 39 stores across Israel and is owned by the Yohannoff family, with CEO Eitan Yohannoff at the helm. They started as a wholesaler in the 1970s.
They get their fruits and vegetables directly from the producers. In 1992, the company started extensive retail operations. The chain's branches, spread across the country from Kiryat Shmona to Beer Sheva, are located in city centers and industrial and commercial areas. Each branch has a large parking lot.
Below you can see the products' prices. At the time of the visit, the Shekel was worth about €0.27.
