The Shuk Herzl chain, owned by Dudu Ezra Holdings and Marketing, has completed the acquisition of the Stop Market supermarket chain, founded by Yossi Mashiach, at a valuation of NIS 680 million. The deal was completed after the receipt yesterday of approval from the Competition Authority for the merger. Bank Hapoalim has provided finance of NIS 500 million for the acquisition.
Following the acquisition, the Dudu Ezra group will own a chain of 23 supermarkets around Israel, alongside its activity in fresh produce, logistics, and distribution. The group estimates that its business will have annual sales of NIS 1.5 billion after the acquisition, and that expansion of its activity and the opening of new branches could raise sales to NIS 2 billion by the end of 2027.
Stop Market was founded 26 years ago. It currently operates eleven branches and employs about 900 people. It specializes in large supermarkets, with an average area of some 2,500 square meters, characterized by a product mix that includes premium brands, and open seven days a week.
Shuk Herzl currently operates twelve branches, and specializes in fresh produce. Besides the supermarkets, the group operates 100 fresh produce sections at other retailers in a franchise and consignment model. It also operates a logistics center at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan near Haifa.
Under the plan presented by Dudu Ezra Holdings, the two chains will continue to operate under their separate brands, but will combine part of their procurement, trading and logistics operations. The move will boost the group’s bargaining power vis-à-vis food suppliers and lead to savings in operating and head office costs. One area in which cooperation will be important is fresh produce, in which there is already cooperation between the companies.
Shuk Herzl also intends to open ten new branches over the coming year, mainly in northern Israel. The chain’s CEO Moshiel Elkayam said that the merger partly rested on existing cooperation between the chains, whereby Shuk Herzl operates some of the fresh produce sections at Stop Market branches. He said that the group was examining the possibility of merging the customer clubs of the two chains. The Shuk Herzl club currently numbers over 200,000 members, and the goal is to reach a joint customer club of 500,000 members.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 12, 2026.
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