The second day of the 16th annual conference of the shopping malls and retail chains industry in Israel, covered by Israel Hayom, which opened in Eilat, was stormy.
Speech by the editor of "Israel Hayom" at the shopping malls and retail chains conference
Many accusations have been directed against the government led by Lapid, who is still in office, for giving up billions in favor of purchases abroad in the form of a VAT benefit.
It is evident that the owners of the trading chains are walking around with a full belly about the government allowing purchases on shopping sites without VAT and considering increasing the benefit.
Ofer Barak, CEO of the Stock chain in an interview with Sonia Gorodisky
Shahar Turgeman, chairman of the Brill Group, said angrily: "The state decided that it will give a 70 percent discount to those who buy online abroad. And if abroad it is 50 or 70 percent cheaper, then people will buy online.
The VAT exemption for online shopping does not reach 60 percent of Israeli residents.
"Religious and ultra-Orthodox people don't shop online, and neither does a certain generation - the third generation. Those who shop online are within the borders of Gedera and Hadera. The VAT exemption is a benefit that the state gives in the amount of three billion shekels.
It would be better if they gave the VAT benefit on electricity and water bills, it's more equitable."
The editor of "Israel Today", Omer Lahmanovich, at the shopping malls conference in Eilat, photo: Yehuda Ben Yathach
Serge Deri, CEO of Renoir, said: "The country is very expensive.
And the profit in the retail sector is low.
In the end, the bottom line is that everything is in the reports, the costs are high and the expenses are crazy. There is strict regulation in Israel and everything here is more expensive. He who eats a pig earns like a pig."
Chai Galis, CEO of Big Malls, claims that the coming months will be challenging mainly due to the rise in the index, which will affect family spending: "A less good period is expected, the coming months will be challenging.
A slowdown in the economy is expected.
There is no way that a family that pays 1,500 NIS more than a mortgage will not roll it over to the shopping centers."
Galis assured the tenants that there would be no price increase in the management fees at Big.
"We believe in the Israeli market and the Israeli economy. Israel is a strong economy and Big will help merchants stay on track. There will be no price increase in our management fees."
Harel Wiesel, CEO and owner of the Fox-Wiesel Group, compared the malls in Israel to third-world countries. "There are malls or power centers or small malls that are currently blinded and do not look 5 years ahead, and there are others who look 5 years ahead and know that the situation can change and treat them with the utmost responsibility .
"I suggest to everyone to take a tour of malls in the world and see what they do there. I think that in many things we look like third world countries here. Here in Israel it looks like Romania in 1940."
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