Israelis Spend 37.5% More on Election Day as Malls See Mixed Foot Traffic
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Israelis spent 37.5% more on credit cards on election day compared to the previous election, totaling over 731 million shekels by early afternoon. Major malls like Azrieli reported triple normal peak-hour traffic, while others saw significant visitor numbers. However, one traffic analysis firm reported a 20% decrease in mall entries compared to the last election day, though still higher than a regular weekday.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israelis spent 731 million shekels on credit cards by 2 PM on election day, a 37.5% increase from the last election.
- Peak spending occurred at 12:40 PM with over 15,500 transactions totaling 3.61 million shekels.
- Azrieli Malls reported triple the usual peak-hour foot traffic on election day.
- Galiloot Mall recorded over 17,390 entries by early afternoon.
- One analysis firm noted a 20% drop in mall entries compared to the previous election day.
- Despite the drop, mall traffic was up 38% compared to a regular weekday.
Election Day for the 26th Knesset is proving to be a significant shopping day, with Israelis spending 37.5% more on credit cards compared to the previous election. Between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM, consumers spent over 731 million shekels, according to data from Shva, the national payment system operator. This represents a notable increase from the last election on November 1, 2022, when spending in the same hours was 531.81 million shekels, and also a 5.1% rise compared to the local elections on January 30, 2024.
The peak spending hour was 12:40 PM, with over 15,500 transactions totaling 3.61 million shekels. Several malls reported exceptionally high visitor numbers. Azrieli Malls noted that peak hours saw triple the usual foot traffic, leading them to prepare for the day like a holiday, with expanded delivery windows, open parking levels, and increased cleaning, security, and activity staff. Galiloot Mall recorded over 17,390 entries by early afternoon.
However, data from Counterite, a company that analyzes mall traffic, presents a different picture. Their figures indicate a roughly 20% decrease in mall entries by noon compared to the previous election day in November 2022, across the malls in their sample. This comparison was made for the same malls and measurement times. Despite this, Counterite also reported a 38% increase in visitor traffic compared to a regular weekday, the previous Tuesday.
Eyal Glazer, CEO of Counterite, stated that election days are a "commercial opportunity" for malls and retail chains, with special activities and offers designed to attract customers and combine leisure with shopping. He noted that malls in the central region included in their sample also saw a similar 20% drop compared to the previous election but a 40% rise compared to the prior Tuesday.
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