Hamashbir store in Tel Aviv – new store is different
צילום: עומר הכהן
Women-only department store opens
Bnei Brak store employs only female workers, men banned in bid to attract ultra-Orthodox costumers
The newly-opened branch of Hamashbir Hahadash Latzarhan department store chain in Bnei Brak will provide its customers with a unique shopping experience: The branch is the first in the world designed for women only and will be operated by female employees.
Located at the heart of one of Israel's largest ultra-Orthodox communities, the new store, a joint venture between Hamashbir and haredi businessman Yehuda Amar, caters for women from the ultra-Orthodox sector and bans men from entering the premises.
True to its target audience, this branch looks very different from other Hamashbir stores in the country.
"The entire store is based on the principle of trial and error," Tzvika Weinstock, the company's regional director, said.
For example, the cosmetics department conspicuously lacks the regular model posters, which have been replaced with pictures of the products themselves; the houseware department offers particularly large sets of dishes for the normally larger Orthodox family; and the sock department offers an exceptionally large variety of pantyhose, as polls conducted before the store opened showed these are in high demand among haredi women.
In addition, owners of the new branch have no intention of opening a coffee shop at the venue, in order to avoid potential controversy. They also stressed that female customers and employees will have to dress modestly while in the store.
And if a woman chooses to visit the store wearing pants? "We hope anyone who comes here to shop will respect the sensitivities of the place, but we won't start dressing women up in skirts," the store's manager said.
Chain CEO Rami Shavit said he believes the branch will become a success.
"This is a market share that has not been addressed by other chains so far… Bnei Brak is the trade capital of the Orthodox community. I don't plan to make money in the first year, but I believe in this market," he said.
Story first published in Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth
