A record in shopping ahead of Rosh Hashanah: in September we spent over NIS 38.811 billion

A record in shopping ahead of Rosh Hashanah: this year in September we spent over NIS 38.811 billion on credit cards within Israel - an increase of 21.4% compared to 2021. For comparison, in September 2021 expenditures totaling NIS 31.961 billion were recorded, according to data from the Automated Bank Services Company, which manages and develops The national credit card payment system. The data does not include online purchases from websites abroad and does not include shopping overseas.
For comparison, in September 2020, during which the second lockdown took place and there were restrictions on economic activity due to the corona virus, the expenses on credit cards reached NIS 30.184 billion. In September 2019, the total expenses reached NIS 30.378 billion.
This increase was expected, as it continues a trend: both in July and August there was an increase in the number of transactions and in the amount of expenses even though more Israelis flew abroad this summer. Additional reasons for the record: the transition to credit payments in cash and checks continued. A third important reason is that September 2021 was Full of holidays while in September this year there were more weekdays and Yom Kippur and Sukkot in October - which left more shopping days in September this year compared to last year. Most of the increase is attributed to online sales, as there was a decrease in sales in physical stores. Malls also report a decrease in sales.
In the food chains, there was an increase in shopping on credit from NIS 139.124 million in 2019 to NIS 169.833 million this year - a 22% increase in sales, possibly due to price increases but also due to various holiday dates. In September 2021, we spent NIS 154.807 million shopping in the marketing chains. We also spent more on restaurants and fast food (about NIS 82 million compared to NIS 64 million last year), transportation about NIS 13.2 million compared to NIS 10.3 million last year) and fuel (about NIS 52 million compared to NIS 46 million last year).
 A jump in spending on aviation from NIS 2.77 million in 2021 to NIS 5.88 million this year, an increase of 112%. We spent less on hotels compared to 2021: NIS 26.4 million compared to NIS 27.1 million in 2021. We spent NIS 80.6 million on electrical products in September of this year - similar to 2020 when we spent NIS 80.5 million and more than in 2021 when we spent NIS 62.5 million.
The average daily expenditure last September reached a peak of NIS 1.294 billion - an increase of 21.5% compared to 2021. This is a growth of 2.9% on average, compared to August 2022, when the average daily expenditure amount reached NIS 1.257 billion. That is: the average daily expenses increased by about NIS 40 million from month to month. In September 2021, the average daily amount of expenses amounted to only NIS 1.065 billion.
There was also a 31% increase in purchases on Israeli websites compared to September last year. The monthly spending in online transactions reached a new record in September and a total amount of NIS 22.447 billion. In September 2021, the amount of expenses in online transactions reached NIS 17.191 billion. The amount of daily spending in online transactions in September was NIS 748,246, a figure that represents an increase of 6.5% and approximately NIS 46 million in the average daily spending amount online compared to August 2022 when we spent NIS 702,297 million online.
As mentioned, expenses in physical transactions in the businesses themselves grew in September at a rate of 10.8% compared to last year. The amount of expenses in physical transactions in September 2022 was 16.364 billion NIS compared to a total amount of expenses in physical transactions of 14.772 billion NIS in September 2021. The average daily expenses in physical transactions in September was 545.448 million NIS. This is a decrease of 1.7% compared to August 2022 when the average daily amount of expenses in physical transactions was NIS 555.042 million.
Also according to data from the RIS company that measures sales in most stores in malls and shopping centers (power centers), there is a 1.3% drop in revenue. The company checked the data from the week before Rosh Hashanah until the end of the week on Rosh Hashanah - year against year. Revenue in shopping centers increased by 1% and revenue in malls decreased by 2.7%.
Where was there an increase in sales? There was a 20% increase in Hatz HaFaetz Outlet and a 7% increase in sales at Big Pashan Yerka. Azrieli Mall in front of the Eilat sea showed a 4% increase in sales and the highest sales price per square meter: NIS 166.
There was also a 2.2% decrease in the daily average of cash withdrawals at bank ATMs in September compared to August. The average daily withdrawal amount in September was 189.475 million shekels compared to 193.779 million shekels in August 2022. In September 2022 Israelis withdrew from bank ATMs a total of 5.684 billion shekels, this is an increase of 14.8% compared to September 2021 when the volume of cash withdrawals from bank ATMs reached the amount of 4.951 A billion shekels.
Ronit Tishler Pitti, Vice President of Operations and Partner Relations at Sheba: "In the days before Rosh Hashanah, we saw how the Israeli public increases the use and scope of spending on credit cards as part of its preparations for the Tishrei holidays. Purchases in online transactions continue to grow significantly, and this is part of their consumption habits The new ones that the public adopted during the Corona crisis period. During the busy hours of activity on Rosh Hashanah Eve, the Sheba systems recorded activity of over 16 thousand credit transactions per minute.