Israeli and Jewish food are trending. Compared to last year, internet searches for Israeli and Jewish food recipes have increased by an average of 45%, with couscous, ptitim, challah and Israeli salad being the most popular. In the New York area alone, Israeli recipes like tahini, shawarma, and shakshuka have all risen in searches by more than 100%.
According to reports by Persistence Market Research (PMR), and Kosher Network International (KNi), as of 2017, the kosher market has reached 12 million consumers, with a global market value of $ 24.148 billion, and remains the most popular product claim on food items — despite dramatic increases in organic and gluten-free labeled merchandise.
KNi estimates that by 2025 the total value of the kosher market will grow 11.5%, with a market value of $60 billion.
Kni VP Deborah Shapiro said in a statement that “the average basket of a kosher consumer is $75 on bi-weekly trips or $200 on single weekly trips and only 10% of these baskets come from the specialty kosher sections. The rest of the basket is filled with mainstream grocery items that have adapted kosher certifications. Having the right kosher items in your store can drive total store sales.”
KNi’s media holding, JOYofKosher.com, has seen an over-100% increase in traffic over the last year during peak holidays and 50% year-over-year (YOY) during off-peak seasons, averaging over 1.5 million page views per month with 60% of traffic coming through direct searches.
Video views have increased from a few hundred thousand to almost one million views per month. Interest is not only coming from the US and Israel, but a strong following is appearing in Canada and Australia as well. The majority of that new audience are “millennial parents” – young adults with children from the 25-35 year-old age range. They include African-American, Caucasian and Middle Eastern men and women between the ages of 25 and 64, showing that kosher is not a niche food category anymore.
“What’s surprising,” states Shapiro, “is that many manufacturers go through the expense of getting a kosher certification, then do nothing to tell the kosher consumer that their product is kosher. It’s a missed sales opportunity to a fast-growing consumer base that is more diverse now than ever.”