Iceland Sterling Prices Rip Off?

Ernest

Posters to another thread (now closed) were reporting that the newly re-opened Iceland store in Ballyfermot are setting prices based on Sterling prices plus a 75% uplift to Euro prices! If this is so it is truly appalling. That did not stop RTE television news this lunchtime making the return of Iceland as their top story, with no mention of price rip-offs - just stuff about "job creation".
Up to now, the worst Sterling-Euro rip off I have seen was UK chain Homebase where gardening products, at least, were uplifted by 50% above Sterling prices to arrive at Euro prices at a time when the Euro-Sterling conversion was about 1.15 Euros to one pound.
Give Iceland the Cold Shoulder I would say if they are going in that direction!

Kintarō Hattori

I've been shopping in the one on the Navan Road for a while now. Yes I've seen the difference in price between Sterling and Euro and............. it doesn't bother me. For the few items that I buy there it is still excellent value so it doesn't bother me.

Higher minimum wage, transport costs.... blah blah de blah. Were they charging absolutely rediculous prices yes I'd complain. Where else though can I get 10 ice creams for €1? Their toilet roll at €1.50 for 4 rolls of 3 ply paper is soft and delicate.... not to mention good value for money. Their fruit and veg is tastey and well priced and so on and so forth.

Sponge Bob

Their stuff is disgusting , always was. Iceland in the UK were the lowest of the low along with Kwiksave and when you saw both in a town you did not stop for a drink.

They will keep Lidl and Aldi on their toes though.

maringo

Iceland Finglas is a ripoff except for their milk which is e1 for 2 litres. The euro prices are sky high and equate in no way to the sterling prices marked on the stuff...

manna452121

They have plans to open four shops in Limerick in the New year,with 200 jobs.

Dymo

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Higher minimum wage, transport costs.... blah blah de blah. Were they charging absolutely rediculous prices yes I'd complain. Where else though can I get 10 ice creams for €1? Their toilet roll at €1.50 for 4 rolls of 3 ply paper is soft and delicate.... not to mention good value for money. Their fruit and veg is tastey and well priced and so on and so forth.

I was in "Iceland" in Spain a couple of months ago and I have to say that the exchange rate that they were using was pretty close the the current exchange rate. Or more tellingly the UK expats weren't moaning about the conversion so maybe their is something in the higher cost of doing business in Ireland.

dudara

We do not discuss Exchange Rate differences in Consumer Issues. Moved to Rip Off Ireland

dudara

ejmaztec

Dymo wrote: »

I was in "Iceland" in Spain a couple of months ago and I have to say that the exchange rate that they were using was pretty close the the current exchange rate. Or more tellingly the UK expats weren't moaning about the conversion so maybe their is something in the higher cost of doing business in Ireland.

This is the old story of foreign retailers jumping on the highly profitable Irish band-wagon, whose native stalwarts had the prices excessively high before the foreigners showed up.

aman

Dymo wrote: »

I was in "Iceland" in Spain a couple of months ago and I have to say that the exchange rate that they were using was pretty close the the current exchange rate. Or more tellingly the UK expats weren't moaning about the conversion so maybe their is something in the higher cost of doing business in Ireland.

The minimum wage in Ireland is €8.65. I believe in Spain it is €3.60. Perhaps that has something to do with it!

davo10

I'd hazard a guess and say that property, rates, insurance, electricity, transportation etc are cheaper there as well.

Terrontress

davo10 wrote: »

I'd hazard a guess and say that property, rates, insurance, electricity, transportation etc are cheaper there as well.

Well, obviously property prices in Ireland are coming down, hence the likes of Iceland coming in here in a bigger way.

In the North, a lot of the Iceland stores closed to be replaced by M&S Food. Then the M&S Food weren't doing business so they shut.

davo10

Terrontress wrote: »

Well, obviously property prices in Ireland are coming down, hence the likes of Iceland coming in here in a bigger way.

In the North, a lot of the Iceland stores closed to be replaced by M&S Food. Then the M&S Food weren't doing business so they shut.

I lived and worked in the North for a while, I do not know much about Iceland (shopping is not my forte) but my wife loved M&S, she says it was a bit more expensive but the quality of the foods was great.

Pacing Mule

Ernest wrote: »

Posters to another thread (now closed) were reporting that the newly re-opened Iceland store in Ballyfermot are setting prices based on Sterling prices plus a 75% uplift to Euro prices! If this is so it is truly appalling. That did not stop RTE television news this lunchtime making the return of Iceland as their top story, with no mention of price rip-offs - just stuff about "job creation".
Up to now, the worst Sterling-Euro rip off I have seen was UK chain Homebase where gardening products, at least, were uplifted by 50% above Sterling prices to arrive at Euro prices at a time when the Euro-Sterling conversion was about 1.15 Euros to one pound.
Give Iceland the Cold Shoulder I would say if they are going in that direction!

I saw what you did there :pac:

Anyway on topic - apart from the massive difference in running costs here, extra transport costs to here there is the not so small matter of the VAT rate. In the UK the majority of foods are zero rated whereas here other than the most basic of basic foodstuffs most foods are at 21% VAT. That's a big difference to the conversions.