Supermarket Price Wars: Rami Levy and Osher Ad Lead the Pack
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
A price comparison of Israeli supermarkets reveals significant cost differences, with chains like Rami Levy and Osher Ad among the cheapest for a broad basket of goods. Consumers are advised to check existing stock before shopping and compare prices of frequently bought items to save money. Sales and promotions heavily influence final costs, and fresh produce often shows the largest price variations between stores. The practical cost of shopping also includes travel and time, suggesting a focused comparison of staple items is more effective than chasing every discount.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Supermarket price comparisons show significant differences, with Rami Levy and Osher Ad among the cheapest chains.
- Consumers should check existing stock before shopping to avoid duplicate purchases and save money.
- Sales and promotions significantly impact final prices and can change a store's overall ranking.
- Fresh produce sections often exhibit the largest price disparities between different supermarket chains.
- Comparing prices of 10-15 staple items at accessible stores offers a practical way to save.
- The total cost of shopping includes travel and time, not just the price of goods.
A recent comparison of supermarket prices in Israel reveals significant variations, challenging the notion of a single "cheapest" option for consumers. Five discount chains, including Rami Levy, Osher Ad, Carrefour Hyper, Yash Hasad, and Yohananof, fall within a narrow price range of approximately 100 shekels (4.3%) of each other for a broad basket of goods. However, the sixth chain is about 187 shekels more expensive than the fifth, with prices continuing to climb significantly thereafter. This comparison highlights how choosing where to shop can lead to substantially different bills for the same list of products.
Experts advise consumers to check their existing pantry and refrigerator before making new purchases, especially after holidays, to avoid buying duplicates and to utilize items nearing their expiration dates. Planning meals around existing stock can reduce unnecessary spending. The article emphasizes that while holiday shopping is event-driven, regular shopping should focus on recurring needs like breakfast, lunches, cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Identifying frequently purchased items and comparing their prices across stores can lead to savings.
Price differences are particularly noticeable in packaged goods. For example, the price gap for bread can be as much as eight shekels per package, 12 shekels for breakfast cereals, and 27 shekels for laundry gel. While these individual differences may seem small, they accumulate over the month. The survey found that for over half of the 183 products examined, the highest price was more than 50% higher than the lowest, and for 23 products, it was more than double. In contrast, prices for regulated items like 5% white cheese showed minimal variation across chains.
Promotions and sales play a crucial role in determining the final cost and can even alter the perceived cheapest chain. For instance, a sale on bread made it the lowest-priced item in the survey, and Carrefour Hyper moved from fifth to third place due to extensive promotions. The article also points out that fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables, can have substantial price disparities, with differences reaching 59% in this category compared to 24% for other items. Consumers looking to save should pay close attention to fresh item pricing, while also considering quality and freshness.
Ultimately, the article suggests that the true cost of shopping includes not just the price of goods but also the time and expense of travel and parking. While theoretically, buying each item from its cheapest seller could save hundreds of shekels, this is impractical. A more realistic approach is to compare prices for 10-15 frequently purchased items at accessible stores to gain a useful understanding of savings potential, rather than chasing every small discount across multiple locations.
