An Increase in Delivery of Packages to Grandma and Grandad

“My husband Ayal Shababo and I opened our chocolate shop in Merkaz HaCarmel in Haifa 16 years ago, and ten years ago we expanded it and turned it into a shop selling gifts and design features for the home. On one side are quality chocolates of all kinds from Israel and around the world, and on the other is furniture that complements it, such as mirrors, side tables, cushions, rugs and other accessories. We have another store in downtown Haifa that sells gifts and design features, but it is still closed. Before the pandemic there were four girls working here, but during the first lockdown I had to let two of them go, and the other two I furloughed.

“At the beginning of the first lockdown we did not work, but then council inspectors came to visit and told us that we were defined as a vital business because we sold food products, so we were allowed to open in accordance with the Purple Badge guidelines. So we opened, but there were no customers, because everyone was in lockdown. It’s important to understand that we have very old customers, many of whom were afraid to leave the house, because there was very little understanding of the virus. But we kept in touch with our customers, announced on Facebook that we were open and that if anyone was afraid of coming to our store, we had a regular courier who would bring deliveries and gift packages to their door.

“In the few weeks that have passed since the end of the third lockdown, there has been a noticeable increase in sales and orders. People come out of lockdown and feel like they need a change of some kind—a new piece of furniture for their home or the chocolate they’ve been dreaming about. People are also not flying abroad or going on holiday, so they need to compensate themselves somehow. There are a lot of customers who send indulgent gift packages to grandma and granddad, for example, who they have not seen for a very long time. Looking back, the last year has only reinforced my belief in the importance of delivery services and digital advertising and marketing, because without them you will not be able to promote your business.”

The writer is the owner of Chokolata – Chocolate Boutique Stores.

125 HaNassi Blvd, Haifa. Tel: 052-3447104

PARIS (Reuters) – The US should act quickly to revive the nuclear deal, because once Iran’s presidential election period kicks off, it is unlikely much will happen until later this year, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Monday.

Speaking at the European Policy Center think tank, he repeated Tehran’s long-standing demand that Washington return first to compliance by lifting sanctions.

Former US president Donald Trump abandoned the deal, under which Iran accepted curbs to its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions.

Since then, Washington has reimposed sanctions, and Tehran has responded by violating some of the conditions of the deal.

US President Joe Biden aims to restore the deal, but Tehran and Washington each want the other side to comply first.

“The Europeans are used to compromise,” Zarif said. “Iran and the United States are not. The Americans are used to imposing, and we are used to resisting. So now is the time to decide will we both compromise and go back to the JCPOA, or will we go back to our own paths?”

Zarif said he had seen no change between the Biden administration and the Trump administration’s policy of maximum pressure to force Iran back to the negotiating table. He said he saw no reason to hold preliminary talks, because the US was making “extraneous” demands.

“It is advisable for the United States move fast, and moving fast requires them not be shy, but takes measures that they need to take,” Zarif said.