Passover purchases at low ebb

Israelis prefer nature to malls during holiday, numbers show

This year’s Passover saw Israelis spend less money in stores than during any of the past 11 celebrations of the annual holiday, according to a report published Tuesday.

The average credit card expenditure during the interim days of the holiday, standing at some NIS 350 (almost $100), was lower by 7 percent than it was during the same period last year, according to data analyzed by Gamma Management and Clearing Ltd., based on 6 million credit card purchases made during the holiday.

The report attributed the trend to Israelis’ rediscovery of the great outdoors, which took a bite out of consumerist pursuits.

The report’s publication came on the heels of Finance Minister Yair Lapid’s much-discussed lament about the decreasing buying power of the middle classes.