The new Echad supermarket that opened in Ra’anana is a no frills store carrying generic goods. According to partner Eri Shachar, he and his associate plan to open a second store in March and they hope to continue branching out around Israel. They hope there will be three stores operating by the end of 2015, including one in Petach Tikvah. Eri told the evening news the store is not just for people having difficulty making ends meet, but for any and all shoppers who want quality and are willing to forgo the familiar name brands to save a great deal of money.

Taking their lead perhaps from Coffix and the other 5 shekel stores, the supermarket excludes all major brands, offering instead its own no-frills brand along with the Aldi chain of goods imported from Europe. Eri promises that one’s shopping basket will cost 30-40% less than in any other supermarket in Israel. What shoppers will not find are products from Tnuva, Strauss, Osem, Nestle and the like, the large names that usually line the shelves of Israeli supermarkets.

Shachar explains the food it so costly here in Israel because the major name brands run the marketplace. He is simply not relying on them and will not accept their products.

No mention was made regarding kosher certification on the products that will be featured in the new chain of stores.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)