BUYME Doubles Gift Card Orders in June Amid Rising Competition from PayBox and Wolt
In June, Israeli parents preparing gifts for teachers before summer vacation significantly increased their use of BUYME, a leading gift card platform. BUYME doubled its order volume from 7% in May to 14% in June, rising to the second most popular Israeli site by order share, with an average order value of about 260 shekels and 1.8 orders per customer, according to Shop Analytics data.
Most buyers (87%) chose the BUYME ALL voucher, which allows recipients to select their own gift. However, a new competitor, PayBox, launched a gift service this year and saw a fourfold increase in orders compared to May, with an average order value of 248 shekels. Its most popular voucher was the All-In Zone, in partnership with the HiTechZone consumer club. Wolt is also emerging as a player in the gift card market, leveraging its millions of users and high usage frequency.
On the international e-commerce front, AliExpress maintained its top position among Israeli shoppers, increasing orders by 5% after implementing upfront VAT collection for orders over $75 and offering local pickup points, which may reduce customs delays. Shein and Temu saw declines in orders, with Shein dropping by about 10%. iHerb experienced a 15% surge in orders due to a major digital campaign, while Amazon grew by 6%, boosted by early Prime Day deals.
In the Israeli online retail sector, KSP led with a 10% increase in orders and an average basket of 316 shekels. Supermarket chains Shufersal and Rami Levy showed differing reliance on Wolt for deliveries, with Wolt accounting for 11% and 5% of their online orders respectively. Conversely, Tiv Taam and Victory had over half their online orders through Wolt.
The tourism sector featured three companies in the rankings: Booking.com (6th), Wizz Air (9th), and Agoda (10th). El Al ranked 7th and recently launched El Al Travel, a platform for booking hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages. Israir and Arkia also appeared in the top 20, focusing on low-cost and domestic flights.
Fashion retailer Terminal X ranked 5th, followed by Zara at 8th, which saw a significant jump in orders with an average basket value of 506 shekels. Overall, the Israeli online market showed a 2% increase in orders among leading sites, while international sites remained mostly stable.
