Would a consumer strike work

dbnavan

Having spent a month in America, as I have done a few times now, I again realise the major difference in prices, I bought groceries for christmas dinner for my inlaws and myself and my wife for the the equivulent of 1 and a half weeks average shopping here for just 2 of us.

Now I know america has more choices an a better economy etc etc, but what I would propose is that ireland has a consumer strike day once a month where people bought only the essentials, consumer goods and services in Ireland today are mad and we as a nation are allowing it to happen.

eg...Instead of buying a fast food for lunch, which cost me 9euro today!
bring a sandwhich to work, it will take something crazy like this to get Ireland back to a competive market.

Opinions

KTRIC

It would take 100% co-operation which cannot be achieved due to the pure ignorance of some Irish people.

I for one would be all for it, I'm sick of getting wallet-raped by shops here.

Kintarō Hattori

I would love something like that to happen, where the people boycott. We both know though that it will just never happen. As a nation we're too relaxed, too lazy and generally not motivated or passionate enough to pull organise and participate in something like this.

Most folk just don't care enough.

Kintarō Hattori

KTRIC wrote:

I'm sick of getting wallet-raped by shops here.

Fantastic!

whiskeyman

T'would never work.
We'd just buy double the next day...
To be honest, I know many people who bring their own lunch to work. With a crazy housing market, people really have to watch the pennies. I know the Celtic Tiger has spawned cubs that love luxurys, but you have to look at the embrace and explosion of low-cost shops like Aldi and Lidl.
There is a high market for both ends of the spectrum it seems.

abetarrush

Ha

I got so pissed off I got charged 92cent for a galaxy bar in SOME SHOP that I knicked a packet of Extra for my troubles!

Rb

whiskeyman wrote:

T'would never work.
We'd just buy double the next day...

Or the day before!
We're not allowed go to the pub or off-license what, two days a year?And what do we do the day before...we buy triple the amount we'd need

I'd love if something could be done about the obscene prices, but sadly I can't see a consumer strike working.

Ruu_Old

What part of the states were you in? Just out of curiousity as I pay a lot less on grocery shopping weekly than I ever did when in Ireland. Doubtful the strike would work in Ireland as mentioned already, people are too relaxed about it and couldn't be bothered making the effort to see the bigger picture.

InFront

I don't think a strike would work. A boycott of certain stores - maybe.

Devon

abetarrush wrote:

Ha

I got so pissed off I got charged 92cent for a galaxy bar in SOME SHOP that I knicked a packet of Extra for my troubles!

Never an excuse...

Rb

Ruu wrote:

What part of the states were you in? Just out of curiousity as I pay a lot less on grocery shopping weekly than I ever did when in Ireland. Doubtful the strike would work in Ireland as mentioned already, people are too relaxed about it and couldn't be bothered making the effort to see the bigger picture.

Aye, they are. The prices will continue to rise, then the Labour Court will be seeking even more increases to the minimum wage to meet the increases in costs of living, people will remain relaxed as long as their salary/wage keeps going up until labour becomes too expensive...

Rb

abetarrush wrote:

Ha

I got so pissed off I got charged 92cent for a galaxy bar in SOME SHOP that I knicked a packet of Extra for my troubles!

And you're proud of that?Jesus...

Black Swan

Rent is outrageous in OC of So Cal (even though housing prices dropped 18 percent during 2006), but market food prices are very reasonable, if you plan ahead and shop sale items. Fast food places typically have sale item days. Del Taco has taco Tuesday, where you can get 3 for $1.09 USD, but if you buy a soft drink on the same day, you get ripped. So what we do is to load up on the Tuesday tacos, and then shop soft drink sales when they occur, and then stock up (Coke was $2.50 USD a 12 pack two weeks ago for example). There is also happy hour at several restaurant/bars, where if you go between 3PM and 6PM, many food items are free, along with one discounted drink. But if you go this route, you better have a strenuous exercise programme, cause the food tends to be fattening!

brianthebard

dbnavan wrote:

Having spent a month in America, as I have done a few times now, I again realise the major difference in prices, I bought groceries for christmas dinner for my inlaws and myself and my wife for the the equivulent of 1 and a half weeks average shopping here for just 2 of us.

Now I know america has more choices an a better economy etc etc, but what I would propose is that ireland has a consumer strike day once a month where people bought only the essentials, consumer goods and services in Ireland today are mad and we as a nation are allowing it to happen.

eg...Instead of buying a fast food for lunch, which cost me 9euro today!
bring a sandwhich to work, it will take something crazy like this to get Ireland back to a competive market.

Opinions

Wtf? First off I've never heard of a consumer strike, did you make it up or is there a precedent? Secondly, I don't know if America has a better economy, more like a bigger one. Plus its a free market, not like here. Plus the price of alcohol and cigarettes are included in inflation here afaik which affects the price of goods.
But aside from all that, why don't you just make changes like making your own lunch a permanent aspect of your lifestyle, rather than a once a month thing.

The_Minister

dbnavan wrote:

Now I know america has more choices an a better economy etc etc, but what I would propose is that ireland has a consumer strike day once a month where people bought only the essentials, consumer goods and services in Ireland today are mad and we as a nation are allowing it to happen.

LOL. Buy nothing day is ignored complately except by a few anarchists and hippies, and thats only once a year. What makes you think that people would obey it if it was monthly?

Kipperhell

Things being cheaper in the states avoids a few key things.
1) A extremely low minimum wage
2) Produce that is allowed in the US would not be allowed to be sold in the EU due to health concerns
3) Economies of scale
4) Large control over fuel prices
5) No social welfare system

There are probably more too.

We could get cheaper goods but it would create a worse country IMHO.
When I lived in the states I could never figure out why all the food tasted so bland. The intensive farming over there was the cause. Ireland is slowly becoming more like the US but luckily the EU is also a restriction on how far that can go. I personally want a better society than cheaper goods. Don't foreget to live in america you have to pay huge amounts for your health insurance and have less holidays.Cheaper peas and can't afford to see your doctor or expensive peas and you stay in health, not a tough choice in my eyes.
There are a lot of people who just don't see the importance of what we have.
Higher prices is not the worst thing you could have.

kevmy

Kipperhell wrote:

Things being cheaper in the states avoids a few key things.
1) A extremely low minimum wage
2) Produce that is allowed in the US would not be allowed to be sold in the EU due to health concerns
3) Economies of scale
4) Large control over fuel prices
5) No social welfare system

There are probably more too.

We could get cheaper goods but it would create a worse country IMHO.
When I lived in the states I could never figure out why all the food tasted so bland. The intensive farming over there was the cause. Ireland is slowly becoming more like the US but luckily the EU is also a restriction on how far that can go. I personally want a better society than cheaper goods. Don't foreget to live in america you have to pay huge amounts for your health insurance and have less holidays.Cheaper peas and can't afford to see your doctor or expensive peas and you stay in health, not a tough choice in my eyes.
There are a lot of people who just don't see the importance of what we have.
Higher prices is not the worst thing you could have.

Well said thats what I was going to post. Everybody thinks America is a fantastic country to live in, and it is for the Celtic Tiger generation Irish with loadsa money but a large percentage of the American population is poor meaning prices have to be low.
Nobody here ever seems to put together the two facts that
a) we're now pretty rich and on a fairly equal level (no massive differences between class)
b) prices are high
It seems obvious to me but cost per earnings are probably the same here as it is in most Western countries

ScumLord

The American consumer is part of a massive buying power they can buy in bulk, we're an Island, of course things are going to be more expensive.

I agree with Kipperhell driving down the price of food is a bad thing. We produce great food in this country and low prices are killing off our own food industry. We pay less in the stores and it's the farmers who suffer and it's not like Irish food is even that much more expensive. It might be in citys where you can't go to a local butcher and buy meat from a local farmer that you know.

Small shops do rip us off but I think the big supermarkets are partly to blame for this as well. There is a problem with prices in Ireland but we should be willing to pay for good food.

What I don't understand is why electronics is so much more expensie than other countrys.

You could start a boycot day, do it every year and it will probably get bigger every year. It won't stop those hording the money though they'll just pass it onto the growers, they'll go out of business and we won't have any localy produced food anymore.

Crucifix

If you aren't willing to pay whatever amount for something then don't.

JungleBunny

Sure even Lidl and Aldi were forced to up their prices of certain products as it was against the competition???
I would have thought lowering prices increases competition... no?

I try to go shopping there as often as I can. The stuff is great quality and the fruit & veg in there usually is even fresher than in Tesco.

ScumLord

I would have thought lowering prices increases competition... no?

Not if they lower the price below cost to distroy the competition. Allowing them to set any price they like. All the big supermarkets have done this to get rid of local shops in the UK at least.

Where does Aldi/Lidl veg come from? If it comes from somewhere on the continent then it can't be as fresh as the stuff sold in local stalls.

NextSteps

You get what you pay for. Much of the very cheap food in the States is highly processed, unhealthy to the consumer and harmful the environment: McDonalds is the classic example, but there are also issues about additives, animal welfare and farming methods (such as the use of GM). Given the choice (and really, most people do have the choice; it's surprising how little of their budget some allocate to food and how much to much less important things), wouldn't you rather pay more for better food?

miju

has anyone else noticed Tesco slyly jacking up prices over the last while after their big "cutting prices PR campaign" i've actually switched backed to shopping in Dunnes after a long time shopping in Tesco and the same amount of groceries is actually costing me on average €20 less each week couldn't believe it

event

i dont think ireland is as dear outside the pale

do most of ye how are having to pay high prices live in dublin?

Kipperhell

event wrote:

i dont think ireland is as dear outside the pale

do most of ye how are having to pay high prices live in dublin?

Actually Dublin is often cheaper for food. Appliances,furniture and generally large things are cheaper outside Dublin. Produce like food is cheap when bought in local supermarkets. However Dublin is more expensive if you buy in high profile and convenience shops.
There is a lot more choice in Dublin which in a way means there is cheaper goods. Convenice shoppers often think everything is a rip off as they are paying extra for the convenice. False economy of time saved.

dbnavan

Kipperhell wrote:

Things being cheaper in the states avoids a few key things.
1) A extremely low minimum wage
2) Produce that is allowed in the US would not be allowed to be sold in the EU due to health concerns
3) Economies of scale
4) Large control over fuel prices
5) No social welfare system

Firstly most times i ate out i ate good food, ie : Meal for 6 people in TGI'S, starters, main, course and drink cost me 140$, had meal with my mom and wife in TGI's in Blanch in November cost me 93.50.Euro = 108$.

Social Welfare is available in all states, its just harder to get.
The minimum benefit is $104 a week. The maximum weekly benefit you can receive is $445 a week.(Source : http://www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/UI/about_benefits.shtml?redir=Y#Benefit_Eligibility)
We only have ourselves to blame for such a screwable system,

Minimum Wage in Oregon where I was is $7.80 = 6.03 euro, Hardly a extreame difference there.

I will give you 3+4 but can you explain 2. Because it baffles me, IMO the food their is much better