Israel Sees Record Spending on Election Day as Israelis Hit Malls

Israelis are taking advantage of the election day holiday for extensive shopping and leisure activities, leading to a significant surge in consumer spending. Between 8 AM and 2 PM on election day for the 26th Knesset, credit card transactions exceeded 731.33 million shekels, according to data from Shava, which manages the national credit card payment system. This represents a 37.5% increase compared to the same period during the previous election in November 2022, when spending reached 531.81 million shekels. The current figures also surpass the previous record set during municipal elections in January 2024, which saw 696.11 million shekels spent in the same hours, marking a 5.1% rise. If this trend continues, a new all-time record for credit card spending on an election day is expected.

The peak spending minute occurred at 12:40 PM, with 3.61 million shekels spent across 15,500 transactions. For context, the full daily spending on the 25th Knesset election was 1.346 billion shekels, on the 24th Knesset election it was 1.249 billion shekels, and on the 23rd Knesset election it was 1.191 billion shekels.

Data from the fintech company Hyp further supports this trend, showing a 13% increase in overall transactions by 10 AM compared to a regular Tuesday. The fashion sector saw a dramatic 198% rise in transactions and a 17% increase in average transaction value, from 278.98 to 326.64 shekels, driven by discounts of 15% to 50%. Restaurants experienced a 10% increase in transactions and a 50% jump in average transaction value, from 50 to 75 shekels. Conversely, food delivery services saw a 78% drop in transactions, likely because people were out of their homes and workplaces.

Shopping centers across the country reported unusually high visitor traffic. "Big Fashion Galiloot" noted over 10,000 visitors by noon, a 134% increase over a normal day and even higher than Fridays or holiday eves. Merchants at Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv reported triple sales, with their food court operating on an expanded schedule. Maor Zion, marketing manager at the center, stated that around 22,000 visitors arrived by 1 PM, 2.5 times a normal day, with high demand for culinary activities and tours. Ofer Shopping Malls also reported increased traffic, with CEO Omer Ugolnik noting that visitor pace is three times higher than a regular day and 30% higher than the previous election day, with revenue approximately 2.5 times greater. Notable locations within the chain include Ramat Aviv Mall, HaKanyon HaGadol in Petah Tikva, Rehovot Mall, Haifa Mall, and Grand Canyon Beer Sheva, where security and cleaning services were enhanced.