By BENJY SINGER4 IN JERUSALEM | MAY 15, 2020RELIGIONHOME ECONOMICSSUPER HAMOSHAVA on Emek Refaim Street: Hopefully things are getting back to normal.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Tuesday used to be my “fruit and veg day.” Why? Because it was 30% off on all fruit and vegetables at my local 24-hour supermarket on Azza Road in Rehavia. However, when I walked in armed with my mask and gloves on the first Tuesday after the post-Purim corona crisis hit, I saw a sign on the window saying the deal was no longer in effect.In my determination to avoid the dreaded supermarket, I went to the store opposite on Azza Road, where I noticed the price of produce had increased. Finally, I tried the small makolet (grocery store) on the corner of Berlin Street and Azza where the price of bananas had rocketed to NIS 13.99/kg. The price of other products like cheese – especially shredded – had also gone up.It wasn’t just grocery prices that have been hit. Last Friday, I went to my local bakery to buy hallot and rolls to have with my scrambled eggs. When I was ready to pay, they wanted to charge me NIS 15 for one whole-wheat hallah (NIS 30 for two) and NIS 3.50 for a roll (NIS 7 for two).Before the pandemic, I paid NIS 13.50 for a challah and NIS 2.50 shekels for a roll, and they always offered discounted prices for buying two or more. When I complained, I was told, “We’ve had to raise the prices of all our products and stop our special deals. What do you expect? Our bakery has been virtually empty since corona started.”Is it just me or are my experiences shared by others? Have store owners exploited the corona crisis and Health Ministry regulations? In Jerusalem spoke with local residents and store owners to see what they had to say.Bracha Sevitz told In Jerusalem, “Where my local supermarket used to have formula on sale every so often, I’ve noticed it has been full price since before Passover.”Sevitz continued, “The prices of bread, fruit and vegetables aren’t so different in the supermarkets, but I have noticed a difference in the smaller stores. Also, as I’m buying much more at the makolet instead of the supermarket, I’m spending more. Every time I buy cottage cheese or such foods, it seems like I’m spend an extra shekel or two.”About ordering online, Sevitz said, “They charge to deliver, and you need to buy more. The security and convenience of ordering online comes with the added price of not being able to choose specific items I want. And often the order is missing things, making it necessary to go out anyway.”In general, Sevitz said, her family is spending more on food. “Suddenly, I’m serving three meals a day plus about 17 snacks. Whatever I’ve ‘saved’ by not paying for daycare has gone to feeding the masses!”Elli Lifschitz recounted, “I have noticed the smaller supermarkets are more expensive than the bigger supermarkets, and the prices have risen by a shekel or two on various products since corona started.“I prefer to go shopping at Rami Levy in Talpiot and at the shuk. Each has its advantages, and I save a lot of money shopping this way. For the past two months, however, I have managed by shopping at the expensive makolet nearby, but I didn’t have a choice due to the Health Ministry regulations and wanting to avoid crowds.“I went to the shuk once during that time. Many of the shops were closed and it was sad to see, but I somehow did manage to find most of what I wanted. Still, I’m definitely looking forward to going back to my usual shopping, hopefully any day now, and being able to save money,” Lifschitz commented.Miriam Gold also noticed that the pandemic was having an impact on prices in the smaller stores.“Some prices have risen in my local makolet,” she said. “Also, I have witnessed store owners holding items for special clients and telling other people that they didn’t have the item. I saw this with eggs!”Ilana Gee told In Jerusalem, “I didn’t actually notice a big change in supermarket prices, which is where I shop. There were a few random foods which were low in stock and their prices had gone up.”Gee continued, “Besides the ‘Great Egg Shortage of 2020,’ the supermarkets were unexpectedly out of quick-cook oats. It was almost as if people were keen to stock up on dry goods, but specifically those that required minimal cooking time.”Martina Hammelburger shared, “I shop in the same two places, and the prices actually look pretty similar. I have noticed a difference in prices in the seasonal and non-seasonal fruit.”Hammelburger added, “Ironically, as we are not hosting Shabbat meals at the moment, our food budget has actually gone down!”Chavi Stern also thought that there had not been significant rise in prices.“I haven’t noticed the prices going up,” she said, “at least [not] in the supermarkets. Ironically, I’ve been spending less on food since the corona crisis started, as I have been preparing everything fresh, not buying food at work or takeaway.”Debra Weiner said, “As we have just been two people over the corona period, our food budget actually went down during corona. My bill was half of what it usually is. I didn’t really pay attention when buying four peppers. I did most of my shopping at the local makolet or online, to avoid the supermarket chains, which did cost me more.”WHAT DO the supermarkets say in response? In Jerusalem spoke to several in the neighborhood.Yisroel, the manager of the Machsanei Ha’Shuk supermarket on Hapalmach Street in Katamon, said, “Since the corona crisis started, we have taken every precaution. For instance, by limiting how many customers can enter, only allowing customers in with masks, taking temperatures of customers on entrance and only allowing four people per cashier. We also have made every effort to keep prices the same.“The prices of fruit and vegetables are dependent on the purchase prices. If the wholesale price goes up, naturally we have to charge more. However, if the prices did go up when corona started, they have come down again.“In fact, we have extended our special deals here. For instance, for Yom Ha’atzmaut, we had meat, chicken, barbecues, coal and other products at a much lower price than usual. Also, every two weeks we produce a flyer with special deals. Since corona started, we have included a broader selection of food than usual.“Initially, when corona started, people were anxious about coming here. Now, things have calmed down and we are still taking every precaution. We welcome the community to carry on shopping with us,” Yisroel concluded.In Jerusalem then took a walk along the German Colony’s Emek Refaim Street. The manager of the Super Hamoshava supermarket said, “Our prices, especially on fruit and vegetables, are dependent on the purchase price. If we pay more for them, then naturally the shop prices go up. For certain, the prices of gloves went up. Since the corona crisis started, we have only had 50% of our regular customers, but hopefully things are getting back to normal.”The floor manager of the Zol Yoter deli noted, “Like normal, the store prices are dependent on the wholesale price. Yes, the fruit may have been more expensive, but that usually happens at the beginning of a season, even without corona. Ironically, we have had more customers since corona started, as people prefer not to go to the bigger supermarkets. Plus we have two very wide entrances, so people feel safe here.“Also, we have offered extra-special deals during this corona crisis. For instance, for Yom Ha’atzmaut, we gave really good reductions on barbecue-related products,” she commented.The manager of the One Stop & Shop supermarket also said the prices hadn’t risen, unless their purchase prices had gone up. She commented, “As always, prices are dependent on the shuk [market] price. Bananas can be 9.99 per kg. one week and 14.99 per kg. the following week. But that’s because of the seasonal price we buy them at, not corona.“In Jerusalem also spoke to a variety of the local, smaller stores in Katamon to see what they had to say about their prices.The Kos Shel Bracha wine shop along Lamed Hey Street told In Jerusalem, “We have had less customers, as people have not been going out or entertaining. Also, people have less money to spend. We actually lowered prices to adapt to this new reality and are delivering more.”A worker at the Super Shelanu 24-hour store along the street stated, “Many of our prices did go up. That’s because we had to pay more for them. Especially the purchase prices of fruit, milk and cheese went up, so we had to charge more. We also had to raise the price of bread by a small amount.“The price of toilet paper and gloves went up too. For instance, before corona, we paid NIS 10.50 for gloves and sold them for 13. Now, we pay NIS 22 and sell them for 30,” the worker concluded. (A hefty profit, it seems.)Staff at the Marzipan Bakery on Rachel Imenu Street in the German Colony said they had closed for a month and only opened after Passover: “We still only have 25% of our regular business, but did not raise any prices. The impact of corona has been very hard and we hope that we will return soon. We have to be optimistic.”Nuriel, the proprietor of the popular Duvshanit Bakery back on Hapalmach Street, told In Jerusalem, “Corona has hit us hard. We have lost over 50% of our business; on some days we only have 25% of our regular business. Customers can only come in two at a time, with no sitting room either inside or outside. Our customers are very pleased we stayed open and have come to support us.“The community especially relies on our products for Shabbat. Because we are taking precautions – including a thick plastic cover over the food – they feel safe here. We have even had new customers, as they were unable to go to other stores and didn’t want to go to the supermarkets.”About the prices, Nuriel noted, “We are proud to say that we have managed to keep the prices the same. I don’t see why we should have raised them. As many of our customers are out of work and don’t have money to buy the basics, we didn’t think it was fair to raise prices. We managed to do this by baking less products and cutting down on our expenses.“As our loyal customers will remember, two weeks before the corona crisis hit, we celebrated our 50th anniversary. We are here for our customers and will continue to serve them in these difficult times, according to the regulations, without raising prices,” Nuriel promised.Coronavirus has hit our pockets hard, with many people now unemployed or making reduced salaries. While the price of food has been affected by corona, it seems the supermarkets and smaller stores are making an effort to keep prices down and not exploit the current situation. We can be hopeful that as life gets back to normal, so will food prices.
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