The Israeli consumer who entered Victory branches this week may find, next to the shelves of staple products, a technological luxury product: The Dyson wet vacuum, model WashG1, sold at a price of just NIS 1,099. This is a significantly lower price than the prevailing market prices, which range around NIS 2,000 at the official importer and about NIS 1,690 in the cheapest parallel import promotions.
Starting today, 1,700 vacuum cleaners will be sold in all Victory branches, and next week electric scooters by Segway will arrive at the chain, imported by the company “Meir,” owned by Yaakov Shahar, which sells on the market for NIS 1,890, and will be sold at Victory for NIS 999.
The move, announced by the chain’s owner Eyal Ravid, does not stand on its own. It constitutes another stage in the new “price war” of the food retail chains, which over the past year have decided to storm the “non-food” market (non-food products) and become dominant players in the field of electrical appliances and cellular products.
From iPhones to Tumble Dryers
What began as a one-off gimmick by chains such as Osher Ad and Victory with the sale of iPhone 17 devices at “American prices” has become a strategic trend. Over the past year we have seen the chains selling everything: From washing machines and dryers for NIS 379, to small electrical appliances such as kettles and microwaves for just NIS 30.
The method is simple but effective: Parallel import. The chains bypass the official importers, purchase inventory abroad and sell it at zero gross profit or even at a loss. The goal is not to make money on the vacuum or the iPhone, but to “sell the customer.” A consumer who comes to a branch to purchase a Dyson at a bargain price does not leave without loading a cart full of food and toiletry products – where the chain’s real profit lies.
Is this good for the consumer? According to the data, this competition is making an impact: The price index for electrical and electronic products plunged in 2025 by about 6%, while the general price index continued to rise. However, experts warn against a “thrill strategy.”
In addition, purchasing via parallel import sometimes raises questions regarding warranty. Although legally the official importer is required to provide service for Apple devices (as part of an international warranty), for products such as Dyson or washing machines, service is usually provided by external laboratories of the parallel importer, which may affect repair times and the availability of spare parts.