In first, Israeli supermarket to open in New York

Osher Ad plans branch in Brooklyn to cater to local ultra-Orthodox community

Illustrative: A young boy in the supermarket checkout line (photo credit: Nati Shohat/Flash90)
Illustrative: A young boy in the supermarket checkout line (photo credit: Nati Shohat/Flash90)

Israeli market chain Osher Ad plans to open a branch in New York City, according to a report published Sunday.

The proposed store would make the supermarket chain, which specializes in supplying only kosher food, Israel’s first with a foreign outlet.

According to the report published in Bloomberg, which cited two anonymous sources familiar with the matter, Osher Ad acquired a 70,000-square-feet store in Brooklyn from the Pathmark supermarket chain.

The supermarket chain’s owners are hoping to capitalize on Brooklyn’s substantial ultra-Orthodox community, said to number around 45,000 households.

Along with an American partner, initial investment in the branch was reported to be $9 million dollars, with the annual revenue anticipated to reach $100 million.

The store is expected to open by the end of August of this year.

Osher Ad, which has 15 locations throughout the country, is Israel’s fourth largest supermarket chain, according to Bloomberg.

Last year, the Orthodox-run company faced criticism after a sign was posted outside of its location in the Jerusalem Talpiyot neighborhood asking customers who entered the store to be dressed modestly. The sign was swiftly ordered down by the store’s manager.

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