A half-free chain proved to me that it is possible to experience the pleasure of shopping abroad here in Israel, with high quality and great abundance/ShutterStock
When we talk about Passover, there are two things that almost never change: the first is the family Seder night meal, and the second - the trips abroad. And when we travel abroad, one of our greatest pleasures is going on a shopping spree at the big local supermarkets. The variety of products, the unfamiliar smells and colors, and the cheap prices cause you to add a few more kilograms to your suitcase for the return trip.
As someone who really likes supermarkets, I admit that I did not get to visit one of the branches of the half-free chain because of the geographical location where I live, but there was always talk about that food chain that has a special shopping experience. So I made a decision to go before the holiday to one of the half-free chain branches to understand what everyone is talking about, and on the way also to do some concentrated shopping for the holiday. When I arrived for the first time at one of the chain's branches (Hod Hasharon) I understood what everyone was talking about. I immediately had the feeling that it was the same foreign supermarket that we all love so much, only here in Israel. From what it looks like, the chain promises its customers a shopping experience that cannot be found anywhere else, starting with the huge and never-ending areas, through a wide variety of fresh departments, A huge variety of brands of every product such as some 20 types of cooking oil on one shelf, 50 types of tea on another shelf, etc.
The smells of cooked food entering the supermarket that make you think about the next meal you are going to prepare at home and all at competitive prices.
An exceptional shopping experience. Half free/PR
As Israelis, we all know that one of the heaviest expenses for the Seder table is the cost of the meat and fish that play an important part in the holiday meal, and here at half-free I was surprised to find out that you don't have to break the bank. If near my house I am used to buying fresh salmon fillets at prices ranging from NIS 130 to 160 per kg, here you can find the same fresh fillet at a price of NIS 89.90 per kg. The same goes for a fresh entrecote steak, which until now I was used to buying at the butchers below the house at prices that don't put a whole meal at a good restaurant to shame. At the half-free rates, I found the same portion for 99 NIS per kg and a wide variety of other worthwhile offers for Passover in all departments that do help to save significantly in the shopping basket.
Here are some examples:
Skinless frozen tilapia fillet from Sea Delicacies for NIS 19.90 per kg
Pasta Perfecto as LP Assem 400 grams for NIS 9.9
Half-free must 750 ml 2 pcs for NIS 20
Tahina in extension 450 grams for NIS 7.90
A quartet of tuna per HaGil 640 grams for NIS 17.90
Sugata Thai rice 1 kg for NIS 4.90
Everything from everything/PR
Her butcher is bigger than any neighborhood butcher shop
Like many others, we also like to go to specialized butchers and delicatessens and spread our shopping in several different places, thinking that this way we get the freshest and highest quality products. The butcher shop, the fish shop and the various half-free delicacies changed my whole way of thinking. About 30 butchers provided customer service with great patience, answered questions and recommended the best produce. What stood out before my eyes was the abundance and colors that radiate freshness. Here are some of the deals I found there:
Fresh entrecote steak for NIS 99 per kg
Fresh veal shoulder for NIS 49.90 per kg
Fresh chicken breast 2 kg for NIS 50
2 kg fresh chicken legs for NIS 50
Fresh ground beef 2 kg for NIS 90
Half-free butchers, with about 30 service providers/PR
Barboni and even red tuna
Of course I couldn't skip the fresh fish department, a department that is very rare to find in supermarkets. In Half Free I found exactly such a department, with a variety of fresh fish such as barbony or red tuna that can also be found in the delicatessen under the house, but at completely different prices.
For example
:
Fresh Norwegian salmon fillet for NIS 89.90 per kg
Fresh carp fish for NIS 24.90 per kg
Bream fish 2 kg for NIS 110
Fresh tilapia fish 2 kg for NIS 50
2 kg fresh bream fish for NIS 120
The fish department in the network is half free/PR
"mini winery" and even accessories for home design
Among the refrigerators and shelves, the wine department caught my eye, which I would even call a "mini winery". Here I found a huge selection of wines and alcoholic beverages from Israel and the world, with only this area being larger than the various wine shops.
After I finished walking through all the passages, I went up to the second floor to design the house, whose area is like a small supermarket. I found there a variety of accessories for the holiday table, textiles for the whole family, dishes from a variety of brands such as Solatham or Pod Appel, and even pet food.
Which gave the final stamp to "everything, but really everything, under one roof". That means even for holiday gifts you don't need to go to another store, the place is impressively arranged with spacious aisles and full shelves of all the brands that Israelis love.
The second floor in the network is half free/PR
Dozens of cash registers are active at the same time
Before I went to the cash register, I asked one of the customers, his name was Shimon, if he was a regular customer of the chain. Shimon answered me "since they have a branch here, I do all my shopping for half free". To the question why here, he replied: "The prices, the quality, the service and the convenience, because there is everything here and most importantly - look how many cash registers there are here." And yes, I saw how many cash registers there are here, over 30 cash registers active at any given moment.
From here to the separate fruit and vegetable area. One of the problems in quite a few supermarkets I've visited is this area, with products that look like they were picked up from the market floor. Half free is a completely different experience - from the design that looks like an indoor market in Europe, through the celebration of colors, to the huge variety of Israeli produce alongside exotic fruits that are hard to find elsewhere. A lot of produce comes from the southern settlements, so even buying fruits and vegetables helps to strengthen them.
The fruit and vegetable department is half free/public relations
My attention is drawn to the stand of crackers in bulk and spices by weight, intoxicating smells of the markets of old.
The Half Free chain proved to me that it is possible to experience the pleasure of shopping abroad here in Israel, with high quality and great abundance, while cutting prices significantly. When it comes to preparing for Passover, it is about saving both time and money.
For the full Half Free specials brochure>>
Yaniv Dornbush, in collaboration with Half Free
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