How Israeli supermarket shoppers are getting ripped off:When you buy packaged items, do you look at the price per 100g that is posted?
Do you realize that the price per kilogram is 10X that price?
Once you take that into account, some of the prices on supermarket shelves turn out to be TRULY astonishing.
Here are some notable items:
(adapted from Globes)
Wissotzky Tea: 130nis/kg
Wissotzky Herbal Teas (Infusions): 230-350nis/kg
Wissotzky Children's Teas: 270nis/kg
Wissotzky Green Teas: 660nis/kg
(there is a reason I stock up on Stash teas when iHerb has a sale - Go ahead and do the same! It's still pricey for a kilo, but not quite AS pricey... or buy loose teas from a spice store!)
Chewing Gum: (various brands) 150-200nis/kg
Tic Tacs: 200nis/kg
Instant Coffee (Taster's Choice): 130nis/kg
Elite Chocolate Hearts: 174nis/kg
Black Pepper: 150nis/kg (I just checked my last spice order, I pay 70/kg from a spice store in the shuk - more than 50% lower than the supermarket price!)
Ground Ginger: I just saw it marked at 226nis/kg!
Bamba: 90nis/kg
Cookies: I saw some Shufersal branded cookies marked at 119nis/kg!! Some of the Gluten Free cookies are over 200nis/kg!! (unbelievable)
Telma Branflakes - 43nis/kg (don't tell me cereal is cheap when you see prices like this!) (note: I buy branflakes in bulk from the shuk for 16/kg)
In short, if you're shopping in a supermarket - watch out!
Globes notes that just about any item (with a few exceptions) where the price is 100 shekels per kilo or more is SERIOUSLY inflated, and I would add that most any item that is wheat based (crackers, cookies, cereal) that is more than over 30 shekels per kilo is also seriously inflated! (Some are inflated at lower amounts)
Here are some strategies I've implemented to save money:
1. Avoid packaged food items
2. Buy items like coffee and tea ONLY on sale or from a discounter
3. Buy spices and other dry goods from the shuk (we actually have a group delivery from a store in the Teverya shuk, so we get shuk prices but delivered to my house!)
Will this information change the way you shop? I'd love to hear your ideas for staying away from rip-offs!
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