Herzliya Mall Sees Visitor Surge Amidst Industry Decline
While the Israeli mall sector experienced a downturn in visitor numbers over the past summer, the Seven Stars Mall in Herzliya recorded a significant increase. Data from Counterite, a company monitoring customer traffic, revealed a 2.6% drop in mall visits nationwide during July-August 2026 compared to the previous year, with a 2.9% decrease in the central region. In contrast, the Seven Stars Mall in Herzliya saw a 13.9% rise in visitors.
This unusual trend prompted Counterite to investigate, initially suspecting a statistical error or system malfunction. However, they determined the surge was linked to a change in the mall's tenant mix and the opening of "Gravity Park," a 2,000-square-meter entertainment complex featuring approximately 110 arcade machines across five zones. Ticket prices for the park range from 100 to 500 shekels. Counterite noted that the data reflects entries, not necessarily spending, so the increase in visitors does not automatically equate to higher revenue.
In other business news, the Meex business tower in Holon, developed by Hazi Hinam's real estate arm, has secured a new tenant: ICON, a fitness chain from Holmes Place, will lease an entire floor of approximately 1,460 square meters for 15 years, in a deal valued at around 20 million shekels. The tower is also part of a complex including commercial and logistics spaces, and has already leased two floors to infrastructure company Lesico.
Mercantile Bank has launched a new advertising campaign targeting young members of the ultra-Orthodox community, emphasizing belief in their potential and offering business support. The campaign, with an investment of approximately one million shekels, features prominent ultra-Orthodox influencers and aims to connect with a generation increasingly involved in academia, employment, and entrepreneurship.
Additionally, Haifa University will offer financial grants of 10,000 shekels for undergraduate and 15,000 shekels for graduate studies to approximately 120 new students who have served in the reserves. The university president stated this is a way for Israeli society to acknowledge the significant burden carried by reservists.
Finally, four new directors have been appointed to the board of NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System for three-year terms: Daoud Houri, Sivan Dattouker, Gilad Rabinovich, and Avi Deutschman.
