The great North/South shopping divide!

bettedavis

given all the recent media coverage about we southerners venturing north to shop i was wondering what the general consensus was on doing so. Certain people are saying we should be keeping business in 'de towin' rather than giving it to newry. Personally i think we are so lucky to be so close to newry given the amount of people further south that have to and do make the effort to travel for 'days out' to newry. i was in tesco last night for just a few things in a basket, 50 euro . i could have filled a trolley for that in sainsburys. tesco was empty, i had a choice of tills to visit. it would be nice to keep the money in the town but you can't change the fact that it is considerably dearer for some things.

DundalkDuffman

bettedavis wrote: »

it would be nice to keep the money in the town but you can't change the fact that it is considerably dearer for some things.

It would be nice, I spent years purposely buying foods as local as possible, McCanns bread, Monaghan milk,Knockbridge eggs etc but lately its too much of a difference. I notice that the VAT rate has dropped in the North now as well making it even more attractive. I do feel for the retailers in the town though.

jimmmy

Food + drink is definitely cheaper in Newry / Co Down compared to south of the border, I was there recently. Its time the Irish govt woke up, paid themselves less + got their act together. Vat should be brought in to line with UK, not increased

Talula

Giving out about people going to Newry is a bit lame. I was told at work yesterday that shopping in Newry is unpatriotic! As usual I think of the clever response hours later, so here it is. If shopping in Newry is unpatriotic then so are any foreign holidays including shopping trips to New York. I haven't left the country since Sept '07 (sad I know!). Newry is the poor mans New York! Any money spent on imported products or abroad is a leakage from the economy (there's your economics lessons for today). I pop down every 6-8 weeks for my booze. You need to be savvy down there aswel not everything is cheaper.
In terms of quality you can't beat Irish produce! I love my Carrolls No.1 and still get all my meat in McArdles butchers(have to be the best in the country). Duffman don't stop drinking the Monaghan milk to hell with the cost - it is world class milk. If people still want to save money by shopping in Newry go to Dunnes there - they stock loads of Irish produce.

Irjudge1

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's unpatriotic but I do think we should be tryin to keep as much money as possible South of the Border. The tax you pay today is payin for all your public services and the way things are goin our dole money.

aquascrotum

I went into Dundalk town centre last Friday and couldnt get over how dead things were. It's a far cry from less than 10yrs ago when NI was emptying into Dundalk on a daily basis to stock up on cheap goods (pre Euro and Ripoff-Ireland).

Swings and roundabouts I spose.

Mylow

Talula wrote: »

Still get all my meat in McArdles butchers(have to be the best in the country). Duffman don't stop drinking the Monaghan milk to hell with the cost - it is world class milk. If people still want to save money by shopping in Newry go to Dunnes there - they stock loads of Irish produce.

Where is McArdles?

I use Tuites Butcher in Drogheda, find them very good as well. Tried Hoeys in Bryanstown, dont like meat being priced per piece rather then per Kg. Butchers buy the meat in calibrated weights, so can just buy smaller portion and say price has dropped but in reality it may have actually gone up if you use Kg price. I always ask them to weigh portions so I know the actual Kg price.

I have to agree on the Milk its is top class. If you look on label of milk you will see a supplier/diary/manufacturer traceability number, IE1083EC, might be worth checking own brand labels of milk to see if it is produced by Monaghan Co-Op, another way to save a few cents.

I must admit I do most of my shopping cross border. Its funny to see difference in stores like Supervalu. I know the franchisee's have to buy a huge percentage of there product through Musgraves??? (RG Data???) so they are stuck between the devil and deep blue sea.

I avoid Newry and go to Armagh or Craigavon.

RiverWilde

Irjudge1 wrote: »

The tax you pay today is payin for all your public services and the way things are goin our dole money.

Or Mary Harneys head?

Biggins

Let me see, do I pay 160 Euro in total for a double buggy from England or pay 350/400+ south of the border?

Aaa, sod that. I'm taking (and I did) the cheaper option: http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=200277844891