Israelis have gone mall crazy. The number of shopping malls springing up around the country is amazing taking into account the size of the population.
By GREER FAY CASHMANkiryat ono mall 88 224(photo credit: Courtesy )
BUSINESS IS after all business for IDB chairman Nochi Dankner, even if for altruistic reasons, as he this week called Tiberius mayor Zohar Oved to tell him that Cellcom is investing NIS 4.5 million in the construction of a new telephone service center in Tiberius.
The new facility will cover an area of 1,000 square meters, but more important, will provide at least 300 new jobs. Given his philanthropic record, no-one would doubt Dankner's altruistic motives. But at the same there is no better way to market Cellcom or the IDB group than to significantly contribute to the economy and to create new employment opportunities. This was a factor immediately recognized by Oved who in welcoming Dankner's decision to make Tiberius the site for a new telephone service center that will cater to the needs of the whole country, said that Dankner was an exemplary model of interfacing business with corporate responsibility and community concerns. During the second Lebanon War, when many of the nation's resources were directed towards the population in the north, Dankner was involved in much of the strategic planning for social welfare, and was also a generous contributor whose seven-digit donations went a long way in facilitating the implementation of the social welfare plans.
SILVER MENORAHS and dreidls, either of which would make a suitable wedding or housewarming gift are high up on the buying list at this time of the year. It wouldn't be Hanukkah if HaZorfim, one of Israel's leading silversmiths was not marketing its one hundred choices of menorot in varying designs and sizes - and the good news is that because of the holiday period, prices on most Hanukkah related items have been reduced by up to 30 per cent. One of the sales gimmicks which may work on non-Israelis is that the Kfar Daniel plant in which the menorot are fashioned is in exactly that part of the country in which the Maccabean Revolt took place.
EVEN JEWISH holidays are subject to the current nostalgia trend. It's not just a matter of revamping vintage fashions, hair styles and make-up techniques, if one listens to the radio one can hear vintage songs - and not only those that were once at the top of the hit parade. There's also a folk song and special occasion song revival in which Hanukkah is included. NMC has produced a CD originally recorded in 1976 featuring 30 of the most popular Hanukkah songs, taken from the original first commercial recordings. The CD is called Lechvod Hanukkah and is accompanied by a Hanukkah activities book designed to keep children happily occupied.
ISRAELIS HAVE gone mall crazy. The number of shopping malls springing up all over the country is simply amazing taking into account the size of the population. One sometimes wonders just how many malls Israel can sustain. But apparently malls are doing so well, that two months ahead of the opening of the second phase of the Kiryat Ono Mall, Azorim's flagship project, all the shops had been rented out, and there was a long and growing waiting list. Moreover some of those on the waiting list offered to pay an evacuation fee to people with rental contracts. As it is, some 80 different chain stores are represented in the mall which in addition to serving the community in whose midst it is located, serves populations in Savyon, Yahud, Or Yehuda, Tel Hashomer, Neve Monesson, Givat Shmuel, Kiryat Krinizi and then some.
VOICE-ME a new Israeli start-up, believes that it has come up with the next thing that will shake up the whole business of messaging. Offering a new solution in the fast moving world of modern technology, Voice-Me has developed a technology for those who would like to do something else when reading their e-mail messages. but who understand that they must at least scan them in case there's anything important that they should know, will soon be able to listen to voice mail while they're simultaneously engaged in doing something else. The service will be free of charge and does not require any program down-loading. To learn more about it, go to www.voiceme.co.il
A FLAGSHIP store of the Camera store chain has opened in the outlet mall at the Glilot-Tel Aviv country club intersection and intends to open at least five additional stores in Kfar Saba, Ashdod, Tiberius, Holon and Rishon Lezion during the course of 2008. Camera, which sells digital camera, multi-media and other photographic equipment is part of the 4H Group and currently has stores in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa. Beersheba and Eilat. The company's strategy says Camera CEO Roni Hacham, is to open easily accessible stores in city centers where there are good parking facilities, which are important factors in influencing custom.
GOLDEN PARTY is the name of the December promotion by the Miller exclusive jewellery chain, which encourages people to bring in their old genuine gold jewelry items into the store and 'sell' them at 25 per cent above the market rate for gold. They won't get cash, but they will get a voucher to be used towards any purchase in the store. It's a clever strategy, because sometimes people fall in love with an item displayed in the window, but think it's just little bit beyond their financial reach. However, if they have jewelry items which they no longer wear, they can do a semi-barter, and go home with something new and fashionable. This year's Golden Party will be held from December 19-22 at the Mamilla shopping center in the heart of Jerusalem.
BOOK WORMS will be able to buy four books for NIS 100 as part of Tsomet Books winter campaign. The Tsomet management expects to sell at least 800,000 during the campaign. These expectations are based on sales during regular periods.Tsomet in Hebrew means intersection or junction. Tsomet Books has taken this meaning to be part of its new logo which translates as 'It's always good to stop at the intersection (tsomet).' It sounds much better in Hebrew - (Tamid k'dai la'atzor b'Tsomet). The new slogan will be broadcast on Friday, November 30 and will accompany the buy four books for NIS 100 offer. Tsomet prides itself on having introduced concept book stores to Israel in which there was room for people to sit and browse and have coffee and cake, so that reading became a social experience. One can see people sitting and reading in Tsomet shops all over the country. Even if they initially come in for a free read, most of them eventually buy, but even if there are a few who don't the sight of them sitting there attracts passers-by into the store.
SPORT AND health expert Yair Karni will feature in the new Megagluflex campaign run by Taam-Teva-Altman. Karni, 56, is Israel's champion marathon runner and the sport nutritionist and running coach at the Wingate Institute. As far as the campaign goes, he's the genuine article. He's been taking Megagluflex for years. The NIS 1m. campaign which has been prepared by Shalmor-Avnon-Amichai, will be launched on November 29.
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