
Last month, the Histadrut launched a new initiative aimed at addressing the rising cost of living in Israel: an online supermarket with reduced prices for the 800,000 or so union members represented by the Histadrut. Many of the products for sale are markedly cheaper than the same products in other stores.
A tube of Colgate brand toothpaste, which sells for 11.90 shekels ($3.15) on average, is for sale at the Histadrut supermarket for 4.90 shekels ($1.30). Four cans of tuna sell for 12.90 shekels ($3.42) instead of the average price of 21.90 shekels ($5.81). A bottle of olive oil that would sell for 32.9 shekels ($8.72) elsewhere is available for 29 shekels ($7.69), and a package of Barilla brand spaghetti is on sale for only 2.90 shekels (77 cents) instead of 7.9 shekels ($2.09).
The service will be available throughout all of Israel, with delivery times of 3-5 days.
Histadrut Chair Arnon Bar-David first came up with the idea for the “socially minded supermarket” two years ago during the Histadrut’s activism against the rising cost of living in Israel.
“During a difficult and challenging period, we’ve come out with meaningful news as a part of the Histadrut’s struggle against the high cost of living, and we’re launching the socially minded supermarket,” Bar-David said. “Starting today, members of the Histadrut can decrease their spending on household goods—all this, at the click of a button.”
“The Histadrut has been fighting the waves of price increases for a long while, and today I’m enacting my promise: reaching out my hand to the public and helping fight the high cost of living in Israel,” he continued. “In doing so, I see an important step toward lightening the economic burden, and I’m committing to continue working to improve the well-being of the workers.”
Dudu Bezalel, general manager of the Histadrut and board chair for the new supermarket, further developed the idea. Bezalel hired Idan Nasimi, who had previously served as assistant general manager of the bouquet delivery chain ZER4U, as general manager of the supermarket initiative. Over the past two months, the team has built relationships with importers and local manufactures and has worked to put logistics in place for nationwide delivery.
“In the past years, we’ve improved and upgraded services for members of the Histadruts, and now our package of services also includes a socially minded supermarket,” Bezalel said. “In this period when prices continue to climb, we’ve harnessed the Histadrut in order to help you battle the high cost of living.”
Nasimi described the development process as intensive, involving “months of feverish preparations, connection with Israeli producers—large and small, in-depth market research alongside import operations.”
“We had a mission here to bring genuine good news to the public and to open a supermarket that makes it possible to buy groceries with peace of mind and without breaking the bank,” Nasimi said.