MarketWise

Sakal has opened a Timberland flagship store in the Ramat Aviv Mall, bringing the number of Timberland stores in Israel to six.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
timberland biz 88 224 (photo credit: Courtesy)
timberland biz 88 224
(photo credit: Courtesy)
EVERYONE IS out for a bargain, but it's not always that one can be certain that advertisements by major commercial enterprises will deliver what they promise. However, when they do, it creates a new climate of competition in which members of the general public are genuinely beneficiaries, even if the competition also makes more money for the enterprises in the game. For instance members of the New Hamashbir LeTzarchan 365 Club have done very nicely this week in the huge discount campaign in which purchasers of several categories of merchandise were not only given the regular discount that all members of the 365 Club automatically receive, but an additional NIS 100 discount on numerous other purchases, which of course encouraged people to buy more than they intended - which is really what super sale specials are all about. Increased traffic in branches of the chain, and the sight of people departing with numerous parcels in their hands was ample proof of the success of the campaign, and will help to simplify Hamashbir's end-of-year stocktaking. For 365 Club members with a large families or a large circle of friends, it was on opportunity to stock up on household gifts at tremendous savings. Some savvy people who have enough money to spend actually have a gifts closet in their homes in which they store bargain purchases of usually expensive products. Then, when they have to give a gift, they have lots of choices at their fingertips, without having to make an additional financial outlay. SIMILARLY, SUPERSOL ran a double lottery contest among its members with prizes consisting of NIS 1,500 worth of groceries per month for the next 10 years. Of course no-one takes into account what NIS 1,500 will be able to buy in 10 years time, but anyone currently paying a weekly grocery bill of around NIS 600, knows full well that 10 years ago, they would have been able to buy a lot more for only NIS 200. The Supersol contest also included daily lotteries with smaller prizes, and the more one bought, the more chances one had of winning the daily prize or the big prize, the draw for which will be held on December 9. NOT TO be outdone, the veteran LifeStyle Club operated by SuperPharm, but also covering purchases at McDonald's, Toys 'R' Us, Blockbuster and Office Depot, is offering its 300,000 members the chance to win a cruise to the Caribbean on the Royal Caribbean. The cruise, conducted in conjunction with ISSTA, comprises a week's vacation cruise for two, including round-trip flights to the US. Twelve lucky LifeStyle club members will win the cruise in lottery draws, which will be conducted every two days. Those members who miss out on winning a cruise can console themselves with discounts of 30% to 50% in any of the five enterprises covered by the LifeStyle membership card. In addition, members will receive a booklet of discount vouchers that will entitle them to a total of NIS 2,500 each in discounts on specific products. The NIS 3 million Caribbean cruise campaign conducted by the Bauman, Bar Rebanai advertising agency, will become operational on November 18, and will include radio, television and Internet commercials, print media advertising and signboards at points of sale. FOR THOSE who are housebound or who simply can't be bothered threading their way through the throngs, the easiest way to profit from discounts is via the Internet. www.israelsales.co.il which is powered by coops.co.il offers discounts on a variety of products in many shopping outlets. Among the more recent options is the possibility to use electronic coupons for purchases in the Haifa Grand Canyon which is part of the Zeevi Group-British Investments' Israel Malls. "ORGANIC" HAS become the buzzword for health and environmental addicts who bemoan the evils of chemicals and pesticides which they say pollute not only the environment, but also our intestines. With Hanukka on the horizon, and oil as its major symbol, Adama is marketing organic canola oil, which it recommends for people making their own Hanukka doughnuts, latkes (potato pancakes) or other fried foods. Other organic oils produced by Adama include Soy and Olive and Sunflower. While American immigrants and Israelis who lived in the US may be familiar with canola, it is not nearly as well known in Israel as olive, safflower or soy oils, which may well be the reason that Adama is putting greater focus on this product than its other organic oils, noting that canola contains vitamin-E, which is an antitoxidant protecting cells against the effects of free radicals. All Adama products are organic. ONE OF the cheapest and most effective forms of marketing is to donate a prize to a charitable event. The gift is often tax deductible, and the charity concerned refers to it in most of its publicity - so the cost to the donor or the manufacturer is minimal but the marketing is maximal. That may not have occurred to Eurocom CEO Moti Elmaliach when he agreed to the request by television personality and model Sharon Ayalon, who asked him to donate a 103-inch plasma screen as a prize for the fund-raiser that she is organizing on behalf of the non-profit organization Lev Ohev (Loving Heart) at the Gaash Golf Links on Sunday, November 18. The screen will be awarded to the professional or amateur golfer who manages to score a hole in one on the 18th hole. It may be problematic if more than one person manages to do this. ANYONE WHO doesn't have a reed-slim figure and who wants to shop at Zara, leaves in a state of frustration. Reasonably priced and featuring the latest trends with sufficient classic options to suit conservative tastes, Zara's chain of stores offers many temptations to the fashion conscious, but an insufficient range of sizes. Now, for the first time, Zara is introducing maternity wear, which is basically similar to its other merchandise, but larger in size. This may help to increase sales not only to expectant mothers but also to women of all ages who have just a little extra flesh on their bones. SAKAL,THE Israel distributor for Timberland, the highly reputed, veteran American company that manufacturers outdoor wear and footwear, has opened a Timberland flagship store in the Ramat Aviv Mall, bringing the number of Timberland stores in Israel to six. The new store was opened at an investment of $200,000.