shopping up north - my experience.

stevoman

well i went up to newry shopping yesterday and this is just my experience for people going up there and a few pointers for people who are thinking of going.

firstly prepare to have a long wait to get to sainsburys for parking. it wasnt busy yesterday and we had to que for a half hour to get to the car park. then had about another 20 minutes driving around looking for a space. we got lucky and got one and headed inside. once there with your trolly picture the panick that comes witha hurricance and thats what its like. the drink is cheap in fairness, litre bottles of vodka and bacardi etc for £14. baby food is also cheap but the pandamonium is just cazy. people are pulling items from boxes before theye even get to the shelves. In my opinion the only saving to be made are in the supermarkets so if its food shopping your going for go to another town that has a supermarket and off license and shop there where it quiter.

so then we made our way to the clothes and game shops which are also mobbed! any game is sold out and the prices on the internet are actually the same price as in the shops. clothes shops are also mobbed and i done a lot of my clothes shopping over the internet this year and found it a lot more handier and just as cheap.

it is also very confusing as you pay in euro and get sterling back in change and after a whle you do not know if you are coming or going.

in my honest opinion if its food and drink you are after go further north, find a quiter town and shop there. if its clothes and console games etc you are after, use the internet such as cdwow, play.com and ebay and get the same if not better deals there.

personally i wouldnt recommmend the north for anyting other than drink and groceries.

thats just my opinion though! hope it helps!

Quazzie

In my car and where I live it'd cost me €30 in petrol alone to get to the north and back so unless I was filling a van I couldn't justify it

cmcsoft

Thanks for the heads up. I've talked to loads of people who are thinking about travelling long distances to go shopping in the North. Overall I don't think it makes much since if you're down far south to travel up. Obviously if you're closer to the border it's an option but not if it's a 3 hour drive. I shop a bit on the internet, there's some good deals and anything else I can get within an hour of me reasonably cheap. I think most retailers are waking up to the fact that people aren't going to throw money away anymore

andrewh5

Go another 15 minutes up the A1 to Sainsburys at Sprucefield, Lisburn. Much bigger, loads of car spaces, more selection and no manic crowds

There is also a designer outlet park at Banbridge just off the A1 that you pass on the way to Lisburn. Also well worth a look.

Radharc na Sleibhte

cmcsoft wrote: »

Overall I don't think it makes much since if you're down far south to travel up. Obviously if you're closer to the border it's an option but not if it's a 3 hour drive.

My nana in law drives a 46 mile round trip to save 2c when putting petrol in her Micra!!!
God love her what? Poor deluded old bat.
Takes her about three days to get there and back too!

stovelid

OMG. What if everything is sold in the North. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO CHRISTMAS???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SheroN

I couldn't be ****ed driving up the north to queue like a monkey in crowded shopping centres for hours to save money. Not to mention the waste of a day in doing so.

Baby4

This post has been deleted.

Radharc na Sleibhte

There's a few serious honeyz working up in Asda in Enniskillen.
Well worth the 120 mile round trip through Irelands worst roads.

connundrum

The scene in Sainsbury's car park at the weekend was comical - you had people walking to their cars with their full trolleys, and a line of men behind them looking to take the trolley when they'd finished unloading it.

It was like a scene from Dawn of the Dead, with all these zombies going round looking for the precious trolley!

If I go up again before Christmas I think I'll be heading to Lisburn or Belfast.

PurplePrincess

I also went North yesterday for shopping but had a slightly different experience.

left Dublin at 0615, was parking in Asda at Kennedy way just after 8am. the place was empty (its open h24). Plenty of stock, loads of beer/wine/spirits. Good few special offers.

few miles up the Falls road is the Park Centre. Woolworths/Superdrug/Dunnes stores the main tenants. Loads of toys on special in Woolies and great deals on toiletries in Superdrug. Dunnes just cheaper than here with stg diff.

Continued on to Belfast, sales/special offers on in loads of shops. Gap/Boots/Debenhams/Clarks to name a few. Lovely Christmas market in front of city hall, great atmosphere. Parking no problem in Castlecourt centre @1.70 an hour


Stopped in Sainsburys Sprucefield (lisburn) on way home, similiar special offers to Asda but not as much stock left in alcohol section, however they were offloading pallets of stuff that had just been delivered. You get a petrol discount voucher with your shopping if you need to refuel before you head home.

Also an argos/currys/next home here. If you're wanting stuff from argos, reserve it online and they have an automated in store system, just go to the kiosk, input the res number put in credit card and away you go. Saves queueing.

Basically give Newry a miss!!!!

Mint Sauce

went shopping in derry yeasterday, done most of the xmas shopping, just the gifts, and even though didn't spend much, even after the bus fare, still saved money compared to the south

will probably head back up in january, priced a few electrical items that i have been looking at, and a lot cheeper there compared to stores down here in the same chain store

ntlbell

Q2002 wrote: »

In my car and where I live it'd cost me €30 in petrol alone to get to the north and back so unless I was filling a van I couldn't justify it

sure you would save 30e on a few bottles of spirts after that it's all pure savings.

Nehaxak

Stevoman, nice heads up/info, cheers for that.

My partners mother and a load of her friends from work went off to Germany for some Christmas market yesterday morning, they booked their flights couple months back so got them next to nothing with Ryanair, probably cheaper than what it would cost in petrol to get up the North and back to Dublin.

Not saying everyone go to Germany instead but there are other choices available outside of Ireland if it's more than just food shopping you want.

stovelid

MikeySligo wrote: »

There's a few serious honeyz working up in Asda in Enniskillen.

That's Eniskillen, Harlem?

bigpinkelephant

I'm gonna head up one of the days next week. I've been to Newry before and loved it but it was months ago and even then it was packed.
I don't think I could stick the Xmas crowds, reckon I'll head to Lisburn instead.

Kiera

andrewh5 wrote: »

Go another 15 minutes up the A1 to Sainsburys at Sprucefield, Lisburn. Much bigger, loads of car spaces, more selection and no manic crowds

There is also a designer outlet park at Banbridge just off the A1 that you pass on the way to Lisburn. Also well worth a look.

I was in these two places on Monday and they were dead. It was great. Got all my clothes and drink in an hour.

dade

was up there on Monday

used only 1/4 tank of gas with 4 ppl in the car so not bad.
did the usual beer buying. 8 cans of cider £9 which is about €12 same 8 cans is almost €19 in tesco.

Kellogg's Frosties €1 a box, so about €1.25 a box.

McCain's micro chips. packet of 4 was bout £2 while the same is about €5 in tesco

microwave dinners where £1 each,

tins of sweets are half price

2 * 2l of coke for £2

Games where sweet. Gears of war 2 for xBox was £40 so that's about €48. Wireless network card for xBox was £60 which is about €75 that cost about €100 here.

Stocked up on the shampoo and shower gel. Shaving Gel and stuff like that too huge savings to be made. the trip is really worth it if you're getting more than just beer.

left swords about 7.30 rolled into Salisbury's for about 8.30 and the car park was only about half full. we did all the shopping there then went to the games shops etc,. came back to Salisbury's about 2 PM and it was bloody bedlam in there.

Kiera

You eat a lot of crap, Dade :P

Radharc na Sleibhte

Jaysus dade, between dollar signs, euro signs, sterling signs you've me all confussed.

ntlbell

Kiera wrote: »

I was in these two places on Monday and they were dead. It was great. Got all my clothes and drink in an hour.

where do you come off for this sainsburys?

PurpleBerry

Sounds like fun!

And thanks for posting, it's good to be forewarned.

Kiera

ntlbell wrote: »

where do you come off for this sainsburys?

About 10mins from Bambridge. So if you come out of the outlet you continue on for about 10 mins up the A1 and you're there.

gcgirl

Baby4 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

We are buying IRISH Northern IRISH

connundrum

dade wrote: »

Stocked up on the shampoo and shower gel. Shaving Gel and stuff like that too huge savings to be made. the trip is really worth it if you're getting more than just beer.

Meant to actually say - in Boots in Newry they had a Gillete Mach 3 Turbo Stealth Power Zinger Whopper set, incl. Razor, 4 blades, small shaving gel, small after shave balm - for £13. Batteries not included though

I thought that was decent considering you'd pay that just for the blades in some places down here!

ntlbell

Kiera wrote: »

About 10mins from Bambridge. So if you come out of the outlet you continue on for about 10 mins up the A1 and you're there.

ta.

we've been shopping in newry for months never had a problem with traffic or parking but it sounds like a nightmare recently

Nehaxak

Thing that's really impressing me the most is the amount of people from the Republic who are actually doing this, as such voting with their feet and giving the two fingers to rip off Ireland.

I couldn't care less either what business/jobs/profit/whatever is lost in the Republic because of this, not the customers fault. Lower your prices and stop ripping off consumers or they will eventually get pissed off enough to go do their shopping elsewhere, even so much as to travel outside of the country for it.

Chuffed to see this happening I am

SheroN

Nehaxak wrote: »

Thing that's really impressing me the most is the amount of people from the Republic who are actually doing this, as such voting with their feet and giving the two fingers to rip off Ireland.

I couldn't care less either what business/jobs/profit/whatever is lost in the Republic because of this, not the customers fault. Lower your prices and stop ripping off consumers or they will eventually get pissed off enough to go do their shopping elsewhere, even so much as to travel outside of the country for it.

Chuffed to see this happening I am

What do you do for work may I ask?

Nehaxak

SheroN wrote: »

What do you do for work may I ask?

I'm a male prostitute, business has never been better, I can even do a Belfast accent now.

SheroN

Nehaxak wrote: »

I'm a male prostitute, business has never been better, I can even do a Belfast accent now.

I would thought economic and social crusader. Anyway, best of luck taking it up the ass.

Nehaxak

SheroN wrote: »

I would thought economic and social crusader. Anyway, best of luck taking it up the ass.

I haven't tried anal yet, I'm only doing kisses at the moment. €10 per kiss and I'll giggle and act all shy for an extra €5.

Anyhow... I'm just glad to see many people giving the two fingers to rip off Ireland and it really has impressed me.

Zzippy

Baby4 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Were you being ironic? Cos its Northern Ireland...

thelordofcheese

Zzippy wrote: »

Were you being ironic? Cos its Northern Ireland...

It's England Pt 4, really.

Though i think the point you're pretending to miss is that it's not 'buying irish' seeing as the VAT will go into the english economy, not the irish one.

kelle

Nehaxak wrote: »

I couldn't care less either what business/jobs/profit/whatever is lost in the Republic because of this, not the customers fault. Lower your prices and stop ripping off consumers or they will eventually get pissed off enough to go do their shopping elsewhere, even so much as to travel outside of the country for it.

Chuffed to see this happening I am

I'd love to know your reaction if your local shop closed down and you had to travel 30 miles to buy a litre of milk.

Anyway, tried doing the Newry thing once, wouldn't do it again. Ok, prices are cheaper but I ended up buying far more than I needed so I didn't really make any savings. I prefer to pay more and have just essentials, not clutter in my cupboards.

Slow Motion

I will be going up north next week to do my shopping. And to those who say we should spend down here I would just like to say NO! Mary the hut Hearny was the one who said "Shop around" when people complained about being ripped off. That is what I and many others are doing!

Just look at the LVA price freeze thread. To publicans and retailers, I would like to say I do not bleieve the bullshit you keep giving us about the higher cost of doing business in this country, while an element of that may be true it is the sickening and blatent profiteering you have been engaged in for years that is causing this sea change in my and others buying behavour and you have only yourselves to blame, we complained to you, you did nothing, we complained to our government, they did nothing, we complained to each other and decided WTF I've had enough.

Well done us!

ShooterSF

Finally a positive in not succeeding in getting a 32 county republic. We can escape the rip offs.

UsedtobePC

When it was the Southern Irish customer taking getting ripped off by the Southern Irish retailers nobody in the government batted an eyelid. "Shop around" said the Hearny woman (is that what she was doing getting her hair done in Florida??) cause she knew nothing could be done about it as one shop was as expensive as the one next door.

The retailers kept shush while steadily increasing prices as they had a captive audience. I personally always do my clothes shopping in Spain or the US but didn't have much of an option regarding groceries or presents. Now I do!

Now the poor retailers in the South are feeling the squeeze and crying foul play. Aww pouts!

I did my crimbo shopping in Lisburn 3 weeks ago. Sweet!

Nehaxak

kelle wrote: »

I'd love to know your reaction if your local shop closed down and you had to travel 30 miles to buy a litre of milk.

The market will still exist for someone else to open up a shop and sell for less selfish profit off the backs of Irish consumers. I am hoping a lot of these profiteering businesses are forced to reduce their prices or close down. Couldn't care less and I've no sympathy for them.

If Milk or other items were too expensive to source in Ireland, I as a business would just source them elsewhere in the EU. Open market, free trade, live with it and adjust or die off and let someone else do it instead.

There's a mens clothes shop on Camden St in Dublin, sells suits, shirts, jackets, shoes, jeans/trousers and the like. He's doing great deals at the moment and for the last 3 months for top end high quality clothes, example being 2 x André shirts for €69. Exact same shirts are selling elsewhere in Dublin for €80 each !
Had a chat with him yesterday when I was buying clothes for myself, he's still making a tidy profit for himself and his business yet he is NOT profiteering or being greedy. He's doing a roaring trade and far as I'm concerned he's getting my business from here on.

That's a good example of business adjusting and making less profit during these bad economic times yet still doing great business for himself.

I'm not going to pay over the odds for something to prop up a profiteering greedy business or just because they're "Irish". I will shop around and if need be I will take my business outside of the country if I have too.

Ross_Mahon

Went up yesterday at 7AM, there was only a few cars on the hill, got into the place no bother and found a parking space easily as the place was kinda empty, I was comparing the clothes prices to Dublin, Basically the same.

The games can be 5-10 euro cheaper, But most of the popular titles were sold out, I got into Sainsbury's a bit later on, The prices on Christmas shopping are much cheaper, Some great deals on the drink, I would suggest doing your grocery shopping first thing you get there.

There was a sign saying 'Fireworks Factory' on the way out of Newry, curiosity got the better of me, Its not what it seems! A small garage with a few boxes of fireworks and random robbed stuff lying about.

kleefarr

MikeySligo wrote: »

Jaysus dade, between dollar signs, euro signs, sterling signs you've me all confussed.

LOL that ws funny.

vektarman

SheroN wrote: »

I would thought economic and social crusader. Anyway, best of luck taking it up the ass.

Tut tut, if I was a mod I'd say chill...

Biggins

MikeySligo wrote: »

Jaysus dade, between dollar signs, euro signs, sterling signs you've me all confussed.

Welcome to the EU!

SheroN

vektarman wrote: »

Tut tut, if I was a mod I'd say chill...

He's the one who said he was a male prostitue.

ToxicPaddy

I'm all for keeping the business in Ireland, but unfortunately I have to agree with some of the other peeps here. Things are just too bloody expensive here and as a result people are going elsewhere..

The retailers got greedy and this is the result.. even the publicans are trying to rectify it now with this price freeze, its too little too late though..

I'm not gonna be rushing North to do my weekly shop, that will be doen in my local supermarket, however my bro lives in Belfast and I do intend on doing some Xmas shopping up there when I visit him next weekend as I know I'll be saving a fairly decent amount by buying up there.

Its unfortunate, but as someone said in another thread, the recession might be something of a good thing in the long run if it makes people open their eyes and see just how much they are being fleeced in the South by retailers etc..

People have known the savings they can make by buying cars in the UK for years, now they realise that they can save on other stuff by buying there too.. Its not a pleasant thought to see all that money leaving the economy but people are watching what they spend and this is the result..

I cant say I'm surprised..

Tox

Nehaxak

SheroN wrote: »

He's the one who said he was a male prostitue.

I wouldn't post on AH if I didn't have a thick skin and there was no offense taken anyway so it's all cool

giggsy664

stovelid wrote: »

OMG. What if everything is sold in the North. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO CHRISTMAS???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We won't be able to fix your caps lock button

stovelid

giggsy664 wrote: »

We won't be able to fix your caps lock button

I don't want it fixed. It's entirely topical for these hysterical times.

sdanseo

Nehaxak wrote: »

The market will still exist for someone else to open up a shop and sell for less selfish profit off the backs of Irish consumers. I am hoping a lot of these profiteering businesses are forced to reduce their prices or close down. Couldn't care less and I've no sympathy for them.

If Milk or other items were too expensive to source in Ireland, I as a business would just source them elsewhere in the EU. Open market, free trade, live with it and adjust or die off and let someone else do it instead.

There's a mens clothes shop on Camden St in Dublin, sells suits, shirts, jackets, shoes, jeans/trousers and the like. He's doing great deals at the moment and for the last 3 months for top end high quality clothes, example being 2 x André shirts for €69. Exact same shirts are selling elsewhere in Dublin for €80 each !
Had a chat with him yesterday when I was buying clothes for myself, he's still making a tidy profit for himself and his business yet he is NOT profiteering or being greedy. He's doing a roaring trade and far as I'm concerned he's getting my business from here on.

That's a good example of business adjusting and making less profit during these bad economic times yet still doing great business for himself.

I'm not going to pay over the odds for something to prop up a profiteering greedy business or just because they're "Irish". I will shop around and if need be I will take my business outside of the country if I have too.

Away to bargain alerts with you and share that snippet, good man.

sdanseo

stovelid wrote: »

I don't want it fixed. It's entirely topical for these hysterical times.

Christmas isn't under threat, just the pressies. No need to have a heart attack.

On topic: Up north ftw, was in asda recently in Eniskillen and picked up some scary bargains. If shops down here aren't goign to get off their arses and compete then let them lose the business.

pow wow

It's nice to be surrounded by people from down home every weekend at Ikea and Sainsburys....it's like I never left

shellyboo

Baby4 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Hate to break it to you, but most of the products on the shelves in Irish supermarkets come from the UK. You're not buying Irish unless the supermarket finds it cheaper to stock Irish.

At best you're keeping the staff in a job while spending more money on buying the exact same product from the exact same supplier that you'd get in the north. You just have to decide whether or not you're that selfless.