A record NIS 410.3 billion in the volume of purchases by Israeli consumers of credit cards in 2021, according to ICC in data relating to the entire credit card market. This figure reflects a growth of 19% in the volume of purchases compared to last year.
According to ICC data, most purchases were made in Israel – NIS 380.1 billion compared to NIS 30.2 billion abroad, including in physical stores and international trade sites. The volume of purchases abroad reflected an increase of about 65% compared to last year.
The data also reflect the strengthening of online: 60% of the volume of purchases in 2021 are defined as non-physical purchases, ie those made online, by telephone or by standing order. The volume of online purchases grew by 25% compared to the previous year (2020).
The most notable growth: aviation and tourism
Despite the increase in the volume of purchases in 2021, the average transaction level remained at a similar level to 2020 – NIS 222 compared to NIS 224 last year. A breakdown by purchases made in businesses in Israel compared to purchases from sites abroad shows that the average transaction abroad has grown by 16% compared to last year.
The most prominent industry in the increase in turnover is the aviation and tourism industry, which showed an increase of about 119% compared to 2020. This increase reflects the possibility of flying abroad with the removal of restrictions – which in the previous year was valid in small dimensions. For the period before the outbreak of the corona, the volume of purchases in the aviation and tourism industry in 2021 accounted for 40% of the volume of purchases in the industry in that year.
The accommodation industry also reflected a significant increase of about 117%, with the return to activity of hotels and accommodation in the country during the year, and in view of the fact that many spent their holidays in hotels in Israel – mainly in Eilat and the Dead Sea.
Other industries that recorded growth in turnover were the restaurants industry, with an increase of about 54% compared to last year; The fashion industry with an increase of about 32%; And the leisure and recreation industry, which declined significantly in 2020 and rose by about 47% this year.
As expected, there was also an increase in the energy (fuel) industry – about 27% compared to last year – with the return of many to move on the roads. The home furniture industry grew by 16%, and the electrical products industry recorded a modest increase of about 4%. ICC justifies this moderate increase in light of the massive supply of electrical products that was in 2020. Industries that remain the same in scope as in the previous year are food and insurance.
Strengthening online
A deepening in online shopping patterns reveals that 29% of the total volume of purchases in the restaurant industry were online orders. Another industry that has increased its online presence is the field of computers, where the volume of online purchases constituted about 69% of the total purchases in the industry.
In the electrical products industry, about 62% of purchases were online. In the fashion industry, the volume of online purchases accounted for about 20% of all purchases in the industry – a slight decrease from 2020, when it was a 22% share.