Shopping in Northern Ireland

Furp

Just remember for the last few years that the governess has been sending out the message to shop around and get the best prices, well guess what we found the best prices and they just happen to be in the North.

There used to be a website encouraging shopping around but I can't remember which one it is.

robo

I was going to Belfast on Friday around 11am and the traffic on the road into Newry, before the roundabout was fine. Now I am not sure how bad it was after you go under the bridge after the roundabout. However, you may have had issues getting parking in the car park.

I went to Sprucefield Sainsburys instead and had food in the restaurant - a good sized all day brunch was about 4.70 GBP. It was very nice indeed!

DonJose

Anybody who buys Christmas booze in the south is basically p!ssing their money away

Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry 1 Ltr

Asda North - £6.70 / €7.85
Tesco Republic - €16.95

So you can buy 2 bottles in the north for the price of 1 bottle in the republic and still have change left over, thats madness :eek:

DonJose

robo wrote: »

I went to Sprucefield Sainsburys instead and had food in the restaurant - a good sized all day brunch was about 4.70 GBP. It was very nice indeed!

When was the last time you had a nice meal in Tesco

PADDYPOKER

Asda and then Sainsburys for the major groceries.
For the non food items I'd go to Aldi & Lidl.
Booze and Wines anywhere should be fine and as pointed out before, remember the 3 for 2 specials in most places.
Paddy Power Bookies are giving odds on how much retail sales will fall
Dec 08 against Dec 07 and between 4% & 6% is favourite!
If the Bookies think that, wonder how long it will be before the shops down here have to start bringing their prices down to levels that make it worthwhile to stay shopping in ROI.
Don't forget the price of petrol has fallen back to around €1 a litre so the cost of driving up has also fallen.
98FM were doing a piece about it this evening and the female presenter mentioned something about a coach firm that was bringing people up for €1 return :eek:
Presume it's a shopping centre up North that is subsidising it but anybody know anything more about this?
Also noticed some shops are removing the GBP part of the price tags (M&S)
so that shoppers can't see the price differences.
The sooner the shops down here start noticing people are going in their droves up North the better.
Then we may start getting some value and not having to travel into the North for it.
If the ROI shops don't start doing it, it's going to be a very quiet Christmas for them.

okidoki987

Heard traffic last weekend was mental in/out of Newry.
Dread what it will be like from next weekend onwards.

andyeire

northdubgal wrote: »

But can they do that???

No they can't

Dman001

Are the likes of Zavvi or HMV any cheaper up North. I want to pick up a few Blu Ray Discs for cheap.

hellboy99

PADDYPOKER wrote: »

Also noticed some shops are removing the GBP part of the price tags (M&S)
so that shoppers can't see the price differences.

Dunnes have been at that too, they must think we're stupid.

PADDYPOKER wrote: »

If the ROI shops don't start doing it, it's going to be a very quiet Christmas for them.

It's already quiet for them and serves them right.

brettmirl

It wasn't quiet at the shopping centres I was at over the weekend. Blanchardstown was VERY busy on Saturday...

And on Sunday, there were queues waiting to get into the car parks at the Pavillions in Swords.

So while there might be a lot of people heading up North, the majority still seem to be shopping locally.

Davexirl

okidoki987 wrote: »

Heard traffic last weekend was mental in/out of Newry.
Dread what it will be like from next weekend onwards.

What time was this at??? I am planning leaving from Leixlip about 8 or 9 Saturday morning so would traffic be bad that hour of the morning???

DonJose

Davexirl wrote: »

What time was this at??? I am planning leaving from Leixlip about 8 or 9 Saturday morning so would traffic be bad that hour of the morning???

I'd give Newry a miss on the weekends this close to Xmas, drive an extra 30 minutes to either Armagh or Banbridge or further on to Lisburn, the shops won't be as packed.

DonJose

mick_irl wrote: »

So while there might be a lot of people heading up North, the majority still seem to be shopping locally.

If only they knew the savings up north

DubDani

I am living in newry, and I can only give one recommendation...

Try to not go into Newry after 8 am on Saturday. Last Saturday the Tailback at 8.30 am already went back to the roundabout off the motorway. From there it would probably another 45 minutes (at least) to get to the Quays (Sainsbury).

Just go further to Banbridge or Lisburn. You will probably reach it quicker then Sainsbury in Newry, it is bigger, has better choice and is far less busy, and a much more relaxed shopping experience.

muincav

PADDYPOKER wrote: »

Asda and then Sainsburys for the major groceries.
For the non food items I'd go to Aldi & Lidl.
Booze and Wines anywhere should be fine and as pointed out before, remember the 3 for 2 specials in most places.
Paddy Power Bookies are giving odds on how much retail sales will fall
Dec 08 against Dec 07 and between 4% & 6% is favourite!
If the Bookies think that, wonder how long it will be before the shops down here have to start bringing their prices down to levels that make it worthwhile to stay shopping in ROI.
Don't forget the price of petrol has fallen back to around €1 a litre so the cost of driving up has also fallen.
98FM were doing a piece about it this evening and the female presenter mentioned something about a coach firm that was bringing people up for €1 return :eek:
Presume it's a shopping centre up North that is subsidising it but anybody know anything more about this?
Also noticed some shops are removing the GBP part of the price tags (M&S)
so that shoppers can't see the price differences.
The sooner the shops down here start noticing people are going in their droves up North the better.
Then we may start getting some value and not having to travel into the North for it.
If the ROI shops don't start doing it, it's going to be a very quiet Christmas for them.

There is and has been for quite some time a Free Bus from Monaghan to Rushmere shopping centre in Craigavon...
The local(cavan/monaghan) radio station Dj is telling people to shop local but yet their station is running adds for this bus and for shopping in Enniskillen, Armagh and Newry!!!!!!
Happy shopping all

Our man in Havana

I wonder how long it will take the govt to ban adverts for cross border shopping on radio and TV?

kleefarr

Right, if it's going to be ASDA then it looks like it'll be Kilkeel. According to the ASDA website, it's the closest, but looks like a hell of a drive. Is there a car ferry across Carlingford Lough?

smashey

kleefarr wrote: »

Right, if it's going to be ASDA then it looks like it'll be Kilkeel. According to the ASDA website, it's the closest, but looks like a hell of a drive. Is there a car ferry across Carlingford Lough?

Curiosity got me there and I looked at the AA's route planner. Kilkenny to Kilkeel is 156 miles while Kilkenny to Enniskillen is 150 miles. You would have better roads as far as Newry but with traffic, Enniskillen might not be a bad bet.

brettmirl

Looked it up for you on the AA Route planner. No mention of a ferry, but you are looking at approx 3hr 20mins each way.


EDIT - Smashey...we are so TWINS!

robo

Bond-007 wrote: »

I wonder how long it will take the govt to ban adverts for cross border shopping on radio and TV?

Well I think that RTE got a wrap on the knuckles cos I was listening to Liveline the other day and heard Joe Duffy tell listeners that with the traffic jams going into Newry, he wouldn't advise people to go up there...sure wasn't it him who publicised a few months ago the bus that brought people up for free!!! RTE being state run...they shouldn't bite the hand that feeds them :rolleyes:

etcetc

kleefarr wrote: »

Right, if it's going to be ASDA then it looks like it'll be Kilkeel. According to the ASDA website, it's the closest, but looks like a hell of a drive. Is there a car ferry across Carlingford Lough?

dont go to kilkeel

tiny asda, small village town limited shopping

tedious drive also be quicker going to asda belfast

kleefarr

mick_irl wrote: »

Looked it up for you on the AA Route planner. No mention of a ferry, but you are looking at approx 3hr 20mins each way.

Yeah.

But it's another 20mins to get to Lisburn anyway.

brettmirl

It's not as bad as it sounds! Like I said before, I did it a couple of weeks back. The key is to hit the road as early as possible. I can't emphasise that enough...I was up there just after 8am.

Plenty of coffee/sweets and good music on the car journey up....and then the sound of cheap booze bottles clinking in the boot on the way home!

kleefarr

etcetc wrote: »

dont go to kilkeel

tiny asda, small village town limited shopping

tedious drive also be quicker going to asda belfast

But as long as they do booze, that's what we're really after. It's another 30 mins to Belfast according to online directions and also extra in fuel.

Maybe this isn't such a good idea.

brettmirl

Head to Lisburn. Big Sainsburys and M&S there, plus a few other shops. You can buy booze from 8am, which is when the store opens. The range of food is much better than whats on offer down here, variety and price wise.

See here for the beer/spirits offers of the week - http://www.supermarketspecialoffers.com/BeerandDrinkOffers.aspx

kleefarr

mick_irl wrote: »

See here for the beer/spirits offers of the week - http://www.supermarketspecialoffers.com/BeerandDrinkOffers.aspx

Will have a good look at that tomorrow with wife. Just after a quick check though.. Sainsbury Absolute Vodka £14, ASDA £11. Makes the trip to ASDA look worthwhile if the other prices are similar differences. Feck, decisions decisions.

brettmirl

Tis all swings and roundabouts really. You'll find somethings cheaper in Asda and others in Sainsburys.

Brady

Hey Guys im from Newry! so this maybe of assistance:

Im currently living in Dublin 6W near spawell, on a good day it takes me 1 & 1/2 hours to get into Newry from there.

Shopping is much much cheaper up north, espicially for Drink

however in newry you have 2 main shopping centres Buttercrane & The Quays which have everything from clothes to cameras, even buying clothes you will notice how much cheaper it is from Dublin Prices.

ive been living in dublin for nearly 2 years, i never buy my drink down here, and rarley shop for clothes either. Dundrum shopping centre is a Joke in comparasion to whats on offer up north.

DonJose

kleefarr wrote: »

Will have a good look at that tomorrow with wife. Just after a quick check though.. Sainsbury Absolute Vodka £14, ASDA £11. Makes the trip to ASDA look worthwhile if the other prices are similar differences. Feck, decisions decisions.

I keep on repeating this...
Asda - 2 x 70cl Absolut Vodka for £18

Also...
Asda - 2 x 70cl Famous Grouse Whisky for £18
Asda - 2 x 70cl Beefeater Gin for £18
Asda - 2 x 70cl Tia Maria for £18

Enjoy

Dooish

ASTRACLUB wrote: »

Straben (Newly opened) is morte than the double size of Enniskellen

Asda is not cheaper than Sainsbury (possible matching rates with one or other item variation),

Asda are creating 140 new jobs at their new store on the Derrychara Road in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.

The move will bring the workforce in the new £20million store in Enniskillen to 320 and the store is scheduled to open for business later this month.

The workforce of 320 will be complete when the staff transferring from the closing Erneside store are included and the 41,000sq ft outlet will include cutting edge technology designed to reduce environmental emissions.


Strabane's

The 37,000sqft store will also include a customer cafeteria as well as a wet fish counter, while a new recycling centre will be incorporated within the 415-space car park.

also


Asda is cheapest chain for decade

Asda chief executive Andy Bond and his colleagues will be celebrating this weekend after being crowned Britain's cheapest supermarket for an amazing tenth year running.
The Leeds-based retailer provided the cheapest shopping list for 32 weeks of the 50 weeks covered by The Grocer 33's 2006/2007 survey. By comparison, Tesco enjoyed 10 weeks as cheapest retailer.
Asda registered an average basket price of 45.23 [pounds sterling], compared with arch-rival's Tesco's average of 45.98 [pounds sterling].