Prices for sufganiyot — the traditional jelly-filled donuts enjoyed during Hanukkah — are crashing across Israel this year, with retailers engaged in a fierce price war ahead of the holiday.
Leading the charge is Carrefour, which on Sunday dropped its promotional price to just 1 shekel per sufganiyah and 0.90 shekels for a mini version, limited to four units per purchase over 70 shekels. The offer is valid across all Carrefour branches, with no end date announced.
Until now, Carrefour had been selling sufganiyot for 1.90 shekels each, already a steep discount from the usual 5.90 shekels. The move has prompted rival supermarket chains to slash prices as well. Rami Levy is now offering 1.80-shekel sufganiyot online and in some stores (excluding its neighborhood branches), while Victory has matched Carrefour's 1.90-shekel price. At Machsaney HaShuk, customers can buy 12 sufganiyot for 19.90 shekels — about 1.66 each — down from a previous deal of six for 24 shekels.
Despite the sweeping discounts in grocery chains, boutique bakery chain Roladin is going in the opposite direction. Its gourmet sufganiyot now range from 7 to 20 shekels, with its most elaborate creations — including flavors like chocolate coffee noir, Irish cream praline and banana caramel — reaching the highest price ever for the chain. Last year, its top-tier sufganiyot maxed out at 18 shekels.
The cheapest option at Roladin this year is a plain sufganiyah without filling at 7 shekels. Classic jam and dulce de leche varieties remain at 8 shekels, unchanged from last year. But prices for Roladin’s specialty sufganiyot jump significantly — often double or more compared to the basic versions. Several premium selections include French meringue, praline cream and alcohol-infused fillings, pushing the brand into dessert luxury territory.
While mass-market retailers race to the bottom on price, boutique bakeries are banking on culinary creativity and Instagram-ready presentation to justify their steep markup.