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Promoting competition

  • 26-06-2009 9:33pm
    #1
    ardmacha
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭


    Ireland is a high cost country and this needs to change if we are to get the wheels on the wagon again. A cost efficient country is needed and one part of this is effective price competition. What ideas exist for promoting competition?

    Here is one to kick things off. How about a requirement for those dominant in a market to provide their prices to central government database. Say in the retail sector, Tesco and Dunnes would be required to provide their prices which anyone could look up and compare. Other smaller shops could be then be compared with the big boys or they could enter scheme voluntarily.

    Now Tesco might not be in favour of this. But no new information is needed, prices must currently be displayed, all that is new is a requirement to display them electronically. All goods have universal product codes or the like and these could be used to key the database. Then all you need is bar code reader on your mobile and you can check the price of the good in the central database as you shop. Prices would not be controlled, but the retailers could not rely on customers not noticing changes etc. It might cost retailers something, but all their systems are computerised anyway and advertising costs could be reduced as news of bargains would get out without the need for paid ads.


Comments

  • #2
    Fat_Fingers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,245 ✭✭✭Fat_Fingers


    There are tons of "price compare" web sites in UK ranging from solicitors, Estate agents to Insurance companies. Why nothing like that in Ireland? I think we allowed rip off culture to take over and be accepted as normal.


  • #3
    kevteljeur
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,287 ✭✭✭kevteljeur


    Fat_Fingers wrote: »
    There are tons of "price compare" web sites in UK ranging from solicitors, Estate agents to Insurance companies. Why nothing like that in Ireland? I think we allowed rip off culture to take over and be accepted as normal.

    I think it's fair to say that the problem has been that at some point it wasn't a rip-off; we were by and large willing to pay up, the more the better. We by and large accepted and expected it. Since prices escalated in line with wages to far beyond a sustainable level, we now have inertia. We have lifestyles that are far beyond our means. It's now built into our culture.

    It'll come back down, but at the end of the day, if most people are willing to pay top dollar for even the basics of life, and expect to live a high-end lifestyle, then the economy moves with it. It's been less of a fall for anyone who already lived on a tight budget.


    How many people here check pumps.ie for the cheapest petrol on a regular basis, or switch supermarkets for bargains or offers on a weekly basis?



    .


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