Shopping in Northern Ireland

muffler

antodeco wrote: »

Hey guys,
Is it worth it to travel just for booze? I dont need anything else, but wouldnt mind stockpiling up on alcohol?

Thanks

If you are travelling a good distance then you would have to spend at least €100 to make up for the cost of petrol. Thats just a guideline.

muffler

muincav wrote: »

Sainsburys in Armagh today were giving 88.2pence for the Euro and that has been the highest there so far (and I mean so far)

The tight arsed bastards in Asda, Strabane were only giving 82.70p for the Euro last night :mad:

okidoki987

Even petrol has fallen in price (not enough) but still fallen.
Would be a help to people if posters stated their journey times and distances covered and then others could figure a rough time to allow.
Somebody mentioned the guards are directing traffic this side of the border to help the congestion.

mailburner

muffler wrote: »

If you are travelling a good distance then you would have to spend at least €100 to make up for the cost of petrol. Thats just a guideline.

it took me 3hrs to get to eniskillen last monday morn leaving at 6.30am
as its was frosty
petrol cost me 30/40euro
distance from my place in galway was 120miles

kingshankly

okidoki987 wrote: »

Even petrol has fallen in price (not enough) but still fallen.
Would be a help to people if posters stated their journey times and distances covered and then others could figure a rough time to allow.
Somebody mentioned the guards are directing traffic this side of the border to help the congestion.

Dundalk to newry 14 miles took 13 minutes at 8am yesterday sorry couldn't resist gloating. Fair play to all you's travelling great distances great to see people taking a stand against rip off republic ( is not as bad as was ) but for gods sake drive carefully people

hellboy99

€1 = £0.87p

I'll be going up north again today

Tony

Great post, nothing patriotic about paying more money. If the govt reduced VAT they might actually take in more tax not less.

JohnCleary wrote: »

Look, it's as simple as this - People are going to shop wherever costs less.


I don't believe in this 'shop locally to save our economy' bullsh1t, i'll shop wherever is cheaper. If the Irish Government put their money where their mouth is and reduced VAT (like the UK) we would be encouraged to shop South, but to PUT IT UP, while the UK brings it down? You'd be mad to shop in the South at the moment

aidz

Do people not shop around in the south looking for the cheaper items any more??

the comparison prices people have been showing in this thread have been a bit off.

The sterling difference is now filtering down to the aisles.
Among some of the items i bought in the south last night (super valu)...

babys formula milk (c&g) ...€9.11
120 pack of pampers (size4) nappys...€16.49
stella 24 pack 330ml....€14.99
Guinness 24 cans 500ml....€25

Shopping done in door to door time of 40 minutes. Hassle free, travel free and more time for ourselves...

leex

Purchased 900euro worth of items in Enniskillen on Monday. Items ranged from baby food, nappies, spirits, beer, wine, clothes, shoes and electrical goods. All items priced down here before and after. I definitely saved 400euro.

aidz wrote: »

Do people not shop around in the south looking for the cheaper items any more??

the comparison prices people have been showing in this thread have been a bit off.

The sterling difference is now filtering down to the aisles.
Among some of the items i bought in the south last night (super valu)...

babys formula milk (c&g) ...€9.11
120 pack of pampers (size4) nappys...€16.49
stella 24 pack 330ml....€14.99
Guinness 24 cans 500ml....€25

Shopping done in door to door time of 40 minutes. Hassle free, travel free and more time for ourselves...

GalwayShark

leex wrote: »

Purchased 900euro worth of items in Enniskillen on Monday. Items ranged from baby food, nappies, spirits, beer, wine,
clothes, shoes and electrical goods. All items priced down here before and after. I definitely saved 400euro.

Hi Leex,

I have never been in the north before.
Enniskillen is the closest town to me.

Can you recommend the shopping centers / locations you visited?

Do they take Euros there?

Thanks,
Anthony.

leex

We arrived in Asda @ 10.30am as roads were slippy, had breakfast in there and did some shopping. Literally across a roundabout is the Erneside S.C. Has Argos, Next, M&S, Millets, chemists and a few other shops. It is well worth comparing argos.ie prices with argos.co.uk prices and reserving items online before you go up. An item costing me 25euro on argos.ie was less than 18euro in argos Enniskillen.

Most take euros but give sterling back in change. I used CC everywhere and got a rate of .836 which I was happy with.

GalwayShark wrote: »

Hi Leex,

I have never been in the north before.
Enniskillen is the closest town to me.

Can you recommend the shopping centers / locations you visited?

Do they take Euros there?

Thanks,
Anthony.

muckety

Asda in Enniskillen is open 24 hours (except Sunday/Monday) so if you can, get there early and you will avoid the traffic on the roads and in the aisles. You can use maestro (on your laser) which I found easy. Didn't see any shops doing pound for euro as I've heard heppening in Newry....

leex

Off licence is not open 24 hours though.

muckety wrote: »

Asda in Enniskillen is open 24 hours (except Sunday/Monday) so if you can, get there early and you will avoid the traffic on the roads and in the aisles. You can use maestro (on your laser) which I found easy. Didn't see any shops doing pound for euro as I've heard heppening in Newry....

gurramok

aidz wrote: »

Do people not shop around in the south looking for the cheaper items any more??

the comparison prices people have been showing in this thread have been a bit off.

The sterling difference is now filtering down to the aisles.
Among some of the items i bought in the south last night (super valu)...

babys formula milk (c&g) ...€9.11
120 pack of pampers (size4) nappys...€16.49
stella 24 pack 330ml....€14.99
Guinness 24 cans 500ml....€25

Shopping done in door to door time of 40 minutes. Hassle free, travel free and more time for ourselves...

The last 2 are only a reaction in the last few days to the flight of the shoppers to up north and are specials.

Alot of the stuff up north is not on special and is still way cheaper.

sudo911

muffler wrote: »

The tight arsed bastards in Asda, Strabane were only giving 82.70p for the Euro last night :mad:

Asda in Cookstown were only offering 83p yesterday... stuck it on the VISA instead (same rate but credit )

mathie

Anyone know if there's late night shopping all week in the Quays Newry?
EDIT : Seems so ... http://www.thequays.co.uk/openinghours/index.asp

and if it's busy in the evenings?
Cheers
M

johnnyboy4711

hi all
which shops are doing this?
thanks
j

hellboy99

johnnyboy4711 wrote: »

hi all
which shops are doing this?
thanks
j

I know Toyztore at the Quays are.

muffler

johnnyboy4711 wrote: »

hi all
which shops are doing this?
thanks
j

This is only a gimmick with some shops. If you offer to pay in sterling you will get somewhere between 15% - 20% discount. Swings and roundabouts really but you are always better buying the sterling in advance.

kingofburt

Todays Derry Journal anounced that 20 shops in the city are offering euro = pound, see the link below. The shops are a mix of clothes stores, jewellers, home furnishings and restaurants.

http://www.derryjournal.com/inishowen/More-bad-news-for-Inishowen.4766571.jp

buzz55

Are there even more bargains/value to be had post Christmas, based on previous years?

Do most shops in the area have the usual 'January sales'?

I'm not going to get to Newry before Christmas, but might make a trip up after the 26th for a look. Would it be even more manic then I wonder? Parking/Traffic wise? Hopefully not.

Can anyone remember what it was like last year, did prices go down much?


I have quite a few birthdays coming up in the first few months of the year, and also a significant birthday myself so might go up to stock up on booze & presents.
Cheers.

ninebeanrows

The euro is now worth 87p

Getting nearer and nearer to equality, i would expect it to reach 95p by February.

mrgaa1

was floating around Belfast yesterday and the VAT rate reduction plus the sales made it that I saved around 45% on the sterling price - never mind the euro conversion. Fantastic bargains, friendly staff, parking was easy in the city centre. And the new westlink road was a breeze.

ollyk1

I'm driving up to Belfast tonight from Dublin. Leaving at 6.30 - 7.00 pm. Will I hit a lot of traffic at that time or should I leave it until later in the evening or perhaps try some other route?

Dman001

Does anyone know what shops precisely are offering the euro=pound deal? That article didnt mention them. Any big shops like Argos, Asda, HMV etc.?

willowfield

I'm very anxious to do some Christmas shopping up the North, but im not sure where. Basically I would be looking at electrical goods and high street clothes. Anyone any ideas? I live in Longford so maybe somewhere relatively convenient to there. I've been to Enniskillen but not too impressed and Belfast is supposed to be a nightmare at the minute. I'd be greatly obliged if someone got back to me with suggestyions.

shellyboo

willowfield wrote: »

I'm very anxious to do some Christmas shopping up the North, but im not sure where. Basically I would be looking at electrical goods and high street clothes. Anyone any ideas? I live in Longford so maybe somewhere relatively convenient to there. I've been to Enniskillen but not too impressed and Belfast is supposed to be a nightmare at the minute. I'd be greatly obliged if someone got back to me with suggestyions.

Derry... smallish, close enough to the border that you'll get some euro for pound deals, good variety of shops between the two shopping centres and the high street.

RadekPL

Just a silly question. How much would I have to spend on groceries, household, off license and clothes for the trip to the North to be financially justified ? I have to travel 250km to Newry one way, go through toll twice, have no kids, no pets just the two of us. I don't have a PhD in math but somehow I think that I would have to buy a van full of stuff to pay off for the petrol and the whole day lost. I guess if you don't have 3 kids, two dogs and a cat, you don't drink 3 bottles of wine and 10 pints of Heineken per week, you buy 2 pair of new shoes/year and same amount of new sweaters and trousers its just not worth it.

JohnOwonga

TheHairyFairy wrote: »

Enniskillen has :

Asda
Tesco
Currys
Lidl
Argos
Heatons
M&S (Opening Soon)

From Dublin come up M50 and leave it for Monaghan etc. Road is excellent most of the way to Enniskillen. For my own interest, how much savings in % are the Euro shoppers actually getting on an average shop, if there is such a thing?

>>>>>>>>>>>
Re:Going to Northern Ireland Travel Time Expenses?

What about all the driving time both ways you cannot buy frozen or chilled items plus the cost of petrol is all this realistic?
Surely Aldi in the Republic is NOT a complete rip off.


John

milly4ever

JohnOwonga wrote: »

>>>>>>>>>>>
Re:Going to Northern Ireland Travel Time Expenses?

What about all the driving time both ways you cannot buy frozen or chilled items plus the cost of petrol is all this realistic?
Surely Aldi in the Republic is NOT a complete rip off.


John

Well, cool boxes work well for me. and the south IS a rip-off.