Discounter or local supermarket
Shops differ in more than their prices. A discounter, a local supermarket and a convenience store run on different rules, and that is the usual explanation for why their prices differ. The explanation is right. It just does not hold for every product.
Three kinds of shop
Discounter. A big hall, usually on the edge of town, with large packs, a narrow range and little service. It makes its money on volume, which is how it can keep the price of each item low.
Local supermarket. Close by, open at convenient hours, with more fresh and ready-made food. It costs more to run, and that is built into the shelf price.
Convenience store. Small, open when everything else is shut, and almost always the most expensive. You are paying for it being there.
When the gap actually matters
How far the kinds of shop differ depends on the product. On bread, milk and the other goods with a state-set price there is almost no gap. On branded goods, cleaning products and nappies it can be large.
So the gap to look at is not the average one. It is the gap on the most expensive items in your basket. Ten percent off a product that costs 60 shekels is worth ten times as much as ten percent off one that costs six.
How to check it on your own basket
There is no need to argue about which chain is cheaper. You can look. Build the list, pick a branch and see its prices, then pick another branch and compare. If most of the difference comes from two or three items, those are the ones to buy elsewhere. The rest you can buy close to home.
Common questions
How much do I need to save for the drive to be worth it?
It depends on the distance and on your time. A simple rule: if the gap across the whole basket is smaller than the cost of getting there and back, the trip saves nothing.
What if I buy only the expensive things at the discounter?
That is usually the strategy that pays. Buy the expensive items where they are cheap and everything else close to home.
