Google's ShoppingIL Event Spotlights Israeli Businesses Born from Crisis
Google's ShoppingIL event runs November 4-5, 2026, highlighting some 3,000 local businesses. Many participating ventures were born from wartime crises, reserve duty, and high-tech layoffs, emphasizing economic resilience.
Google's annual ShoppingIL e-commerce event kicked off on November 4 and runs through November 5, 2026, featuring approximately 3,000 local businesses nationwide. Launched 13 years ago in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Industry's Blue and White Headquarters, the initiative aims to bolster local commerce and economic resilience during challenging times.
Ventures Forged in Reserve Duty and Crisis
Many participating businesses were born directly out of recent hardships, including layoffs, reserve duty, high-tech burnout, and displacement from the northern border. Maor Edri, a former product manager at an ed-tech startup, was laid off in September 2023 just weeks before the outbreak of the war and subsequent reserve mobilization. Channeling his background as a beach volleyball player, Edri developed PortaBall, a specialized ball holder utilized by Israel's national team, Olympic athletes, and clubs worldwide. The online store is offering a 25% discount during the event.
Similarly, Yael Kaufman founded Numa after years in corporate marketing left her seeking a more creative path. Following October 7, she baked dozens of cakes for soldiers at the front, a gesture that inspired her to combine pastry arts with clay sculpting. Numa now produces handcrafted ceramic baking dishes designed to transition straight from the oven to the table, with online discounts of up to 20%.
Adapting Under Fire in the North and South
Itamar Bar-El established the Calendula Field in September 2023 in the northern confrontation zone, growing calendula flowers to manufacture natural skincare products. Following the outbreak of the war, Bar-El and his family were evacuated to Rosh Pina. The agricultural venture has since relocated a new plot to Farm Rom on Mount Kamon, functioning concurrently as a rehabilitation space where mental health participants are involved across the entire production chain. The site offers a 15% discount through tonight.
In Ashdod, Daniel Ben Shoa, who manages fibromyalgia, launched Positive Dandy, a locally produced jewelry brand featuring optimistic messages. After temporarily shutting down at the start of the conflict, a request from a Be'eri kibbutz massacre survivor for a bracelet inspired her to resume production. Ben Shoa later spearheaded an initiative providing custom bracelets at cost to evacuated children from Be'eri, and the site is currently offering discounts of up to 30%.
Meitav Bar-Nitzan of Moshav Yonatan in the Golan Heights founded Basalt Shoes after one of her twin daughters underwent complex foot surgeries. She designed custom, comfortable footwear that eventually evolved into a brand of handmade vegan shoes and sandals. With security threats continuing across the north, the business relies heavily on its online storefront, featuring a 15% site-wide discount.
Nostalgia and Creative Home Design
Tel Aviv couple Kfir and Gili established Boydem out of a passion for collecting, transforming flea market finds into humorous home decor and lighting fixtures utilizing 3D printing and manual restoration. Their flagship product is a nostalgic 1970s and 1980s milk bag pitcher repurposed into a stylish table lamp, available with a 15% discount. Additionally, Danny HaBabal, a serialized detective story venture designed to draw children away from screens through monthly mail-delivered mystery packages and codes, is offering a 50-shekel discount on six-month seasonal subscriptions.
