Meat Price Survey Reveals Significant Gaps Between Supermarkets and Butchers

A new holiday survey on meat and chicken prices in Israel has uncovered substantial price differences, with a gap of up to 50% between the cheapest and most expensive options, translating to hundreds of shekels. Rami Levy emerged as the cheapest supermarket chain with a basket totaling NIS 1,314.40, followed by Victory and Yohananof. In contrast, specialized butcher shops like Gourmet, Netaz Kitzabim, and Meatman offered significantly more expensive baskets, ranging from NIS 1,799.40 to NIS 1,973.

The survey highlighted that price alone doesn't tell the whole story, especially with meat. Among the eight surveyed supermarket chains, Rami Levy was the cheapest, but Machsaney Hashuk, often perceived as having attractive prices, was the most expensive, claiming superior quality. The price difference between the cheapest and most expensive supermarket basket was approximately 25%.

Specialized butcher shops, while generally more expensive than supermarkets, showed smaller price variations among themselves, with a difference of about 10% between the cheapest and most expensive. However, even the cheapest specialized butcher was more expensive than any of the surveyed supermarkets.

The article also notes a shift in consumer behavior, with a growing preference for pre-cut, cleaned, and prepared meat products, for which consumers are willing to pay a premium of around 20%. The naming of cuts, influenced by social media and culinary trends, also impacts consumer perception and price, with internationally recognized names like 'brisket' commanding different expectations than traditional Israeli terms like 'beef chest'. Factors such as origin, aging, cutting, packaging, and service significantly influence the final price, making direct kilogram-to-kilogram comparisons complex.