Super-Pharm Enters Auto Market, Offering Mercedes at Discount
Israel's largest pharmacy and consumer goods chain, Super-Pharm, has expanded its product offerings to include premium German cars, specifically a Mercedes-Benz E-Class AMG 350, available for purchase on its website. The vehicle is listed at 500,000 shekels, a significant reduction from the official market price of approximately 629,000 shekels, potentially saving buyers around 129,000 shekels. However, the exact savings are difficult to ascertain as the official importer, Colmobil, does not supply this specific modification. A less powerful E-Class 300 AMG is officially sold for 630,000 shekels, with parallel imports influencing pricing.
Super-Pharm's website is acting as a platform for pre-orders and down payments, a model previously used for selling AION electric vehicles. Unlike the AION sales, which were linked to a Super-Pharm co-owner's control over the Chinese brand's importer, there is no direct ownership connection between Super-Pharm and Mercedes-Benz. The offering of the Mercedes was not accompanied by official announcements and was discovered incidentally through an internal website search, suggesting an experimental approach.
This move places Super-Pharm in direct competition with official car dealerships. The pharmacy chain is not the first major Israeli retailer to venture into the automotive sector; supermarket chains Osher Ad and Rami Levy have also successfully sold cars through their platforms, broadening the scope of traditional retail.
