By NIR KIPNIS

JUNE 18, 2026 10:55

In talks on rising expenses, someone always points out that consumers share responsibility. Why not follow the American example of clipping coupons, purchasing bulk dry goods, and avoiding firms that hike prices?

Others ask why look abroad at all. Consider the Ultra-Orthodox community in Israel. Do high prices affect them? They simply avoid buying. Only the rest of us complain while spending, then spend while complaining.

Even granting some merit to these points, there exists a smarter consumer angle to what appears as gullible behavior. It stems from brand loyalty.

Loyalty, when not absolute, proves valuable in daily life and consumer choices alike. It does not always form under ideal conditions, since Israelis hold special regard for brands. Purchasing a shirt from a recognized firm means embracing the name and oversized logo on the front, otherwise how would others recognize the ability to afford it?

Ata and I

Some view this as a sign of new wealth, where individuals purchase status without grasping that prominent logos push them away from refined style. Perhaps, yet it arises because Israel itself is a newly affluent society. Not long ago, people wore blue-gray work attire from Ata five days a week and a white collared shirt for Shabbat, so a little extravagance seems natural. Vehicles turn over rapidly despite elevated prices compared to most nations, and overseas travel increases to demonstrate that the Jewish people endure.

One face of brand loyalty reads as gullibility, yet the reverse shows a thoughtful buyer who values reliability, quality, progress, equity, and similar attributes that companies seek to embody, at least outwardly.

Many refuse any pasta except the variety in the blue box and select only the toilet tissue featuring the embossed puppies. Why? Sometimes the reply just because suffices. Past purchases brought satisfaction, and a modest price difference fails to prompt switching.

Not everyone follows this pattern, and it does not always reflect prudent buying that avoids cheap options leading to greater long-term costs. Consider food processors as an example. Experience shows that kitchen appliances warrant paying slightly more to avoid repeated replacements that add up.

This holds relatively rather than universally. Occasionally extra payment covers identical quality due solely to branding. Determining the boundary proves challenging because emotions influence even routine grocery decisions.

Fuchsia pink

Consider the bright pink bags from Rami Levy. Without personal acquaintance, most readers can picture them clearly. Reactions vary widely. Shoppers split into groups: those who keep several at home and those who avoid them entirely. Human nature often requires external validation through brands that signal status.

Luxury car makers therefore affix replacement vehicle notices to loaners, since owners of premium models feel diminished driving a lesser brand temporarily. Hyundai drivers accept a Kia substitute without issue, while BMW enthusiasts insist on the sticker to prevent misperceptions.

Some readers may claim immunity, yet only a small fraction truly resist advertising and branding influences.

Come Gali

Most own at least one pair of athletic shoes. Few can detail the manufacturing methods or materials involved. Nearly everyone recognizes names such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Asics, New Balance, Reebok, Saucony, Brooks, and Hoka.

Far fewer possess sneakers from Gali.

The reaction often involves amusement.

Setting laughter aside, the key question follows: among those without Gali footwear, how many can describe the technical or orthopedic distinctions versus the imported options listed?

Brand loyalty carries genuine benefits like quality and dependability, yet it has limits. When a brand disappoints its buyers, restoring confidence becomes difficult or impossible, much like broken trust in other areas of life.