Israelis Spend Nearly $1 Billion in Two Days During Shopping IL Event

Israelis spent nearly 3.5 billion shekels (approximately $950 million) over two days during the Shopping IL event held on Wednesday and Thursday, November 4-5. Data from Shva, the national credit card payment system, revealed that spending increased across all surveyed sectors. Notably, restaurants, cafes, and leisure activities saw significant spending surges.

While online purchases accounted for about 1.88 billion shekels, a modest 1.4% increase from the previous year, physical store spending saw a larger overall rise. Online's share of total spending slightly decreased to approximately 53.8% from 54.7% last year.

Electronics and appliance stores recorded 245 million shekels in sales, a 4.6% increase. Clothing and footwear stores generated 226 million shekels, up 3.9%. Pharmacies and drugstores saw 114 million shekels in spending, a 5.9% rise, while sports apparel and equipment sales reached 29 million shekels, a 6.2% increase.

Spending on dining and fast food was particularly strong, with Israelis spending 263 million shekels, an 18% jump from the previous year, surpassing sales in electronics and apparel. Delicatessens, butchers, bakeries, and convenience stores added another 144 million shekels in sales.

The leisure and entertainment sector experienced the sharpest rise at 24.4%, though the absolute amount was smaller, totaling 21 million shekels. Hotels and guest houses saw 64 million shekels in payments, a 14.1% increase, and travel agencies reported 90 million shekels, up 10.7%. Air travel spending remained relatively stable with 30 million shekels, a 0.9% increase.

It is important to note that these figures represent total spending in these sectors during the event days, not solely purchases made within the Shopping IL promotions. The data also does not account for price changes, meaning some of the increase may reflect inflation rather than a higher volume of goods purchased.