Whos going Over the border for Christmas Shopping? to avoid being ripped off

RobitTV

Whos is going to Newry, Belfast, over the Border to go Shopping? To avoid being ripped off? because if you shop Anywhere in the Republic your Paying outreagous prices for the Same thing.

Nozebleed

might do...im smashed so i am..where's the best place to go?

RobitTV

Nozebleed wrote: »

might do...im smashed so i am..where's the best place to go?

The Buttercrane Shopping centre in Newry is Very Good Appearntly.
Link

Also they have a Dunnes stores up there, it would be intresting To see the price difference Pound vs Euro

Great Shops In that shopping centre, Northern ireland is Great for shopping, Same shops for the Cheapest prices ever Compared to here.

FREDNISMO

done so already, saved 25euro approx on one item alone 33 stg or 65euro down south going back next week to do the rest

the groutch

the only people who would save any significant money up north are alcoholics, and technophobes who don't know how to buy online

Ghandee

the groutch wrote: »

the only people who would save any significant money up north are alcoholics, and technophobes who don't know how to buy online

Oh yeah, I forgot.
The only people who would be purchasing large volumes of alcohol, for christmas parties etc, would be alcoholics, and dipso's.

(of all the ridiculous posts I've read on boards, this its right up there with the most stupid. Ever!)

munchkin_utd

the prices in the south are now way more competitive than last year, due to the shops in the south getting their act into gear and a weaker euro/ stronger sterling.

About the only thing thats really out of kilter is spirit prices, but even then, thanks to the below cost selling now being allowed in the republic, you can still pick up a deal if you keep your eyes open in Dunnes or Tesco.

And beer is as cheap in the south nowadays.
i.e. becks 15pack is 9 pounds in sainsburys in UK (5pound off) which is €10.50.
In Tesco in Wilton Cork I saw the same thing for 10Euro.
50c Cheaper in the south
And you arent spending a day trying to get PAID parking in newry nor the cost of petrol to get there any back.
(Tesco got stung with all the cross border shopping last year, so are importing now directly from the UK and reducing their prices across the board in the Republic.)

Not to mention that the exchange rate is gone back to a stronger sterling.
At its height 1euro was almost 1pound
Now its 1 euro is 85p.
That means that at a stroke everything in the north is 15% dearer than it was a year ago for people from the euro land!!

To be fair, the case for shopping up north is far less strong this year than only 12 months ago.


EDIT:
here is an informative post on bargain alerts on the differences.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=69164126&postcount=3665

..

JJJJNR

Going up to get my car serviced (timing belt) was charged 600 euros last time here, getting it for 300 euros up north, going to get santa out of the way up there also.

spyderski

Agree with Munchkin 100% - I spend a lot of time up North, and would have done a lot of our family shopping up there for the past few years. These days, however, the price difference is a LOT less. General food prices are the same.

Beer prices are at least the same, and depending on special offers sometimes cheaper in the South (note different bottle/can sizes too 440ML vs. 500ML Etc.) Wine & spirits are cheaper up North.

Stuff like Toiletries, over the counter medicines (paracetamol Etc.) are still way cheaper in the North.

Toilet roll, Kitchen roll etc cheaper in the South.

Overall, it's not worth your while unless you live very near the border or are going North anyway.

keithclancy

I pop over the border to Germany to get stuff done to my car, the labour rates a little bit lower than Holland but the Germans in general are much better at the work do exactly what their supposed to do.

I used to buy beer but it was a balls getting them back to germany for the Deposit refund

bryaner

I used to go up for my wine and beer, but now I get my beer here for a Euro a can and decent vino for around €5.

I make my own wine now and it works out at around €1.50 per bottle corked.
The Republic has become far cheaper for general groceries lately so I don't think
the north is a viable option any more, apart from santa items or car servicing as
some others have said.

91011

Just for everyonre to undersatnd their costs.

The official euro to sterling rate is 1.181 euro to £1 sterling

The rate you will get on credit / laser cards or buying cash from the bank will be 1.21 minimum.

So £10 = €12.10 Not 11.50 as some will make you believe.

Generally toys will not be cheaper, groceries will not be cheaper, spirits might be a euro cheaper if you're in the right shop with the right special offer.

Clothes from the UK multiples like debenhams, monsoon, dune and others who have NEVER changed their policy will be cheaper, as will boots own brand rubbish (1.60 exchange rate) But that's about it.

ALL pricing can be checked online from the various stores. - Use the internet, do the checks your self and don;t belive the rubbish many write about here. And use the REAL exchange rate of €1.21 / £1 (basically add 21% to sterling prices to see your cost in euro.

Our man in Havana

I am going to Lisburn/Belfast. I wouldn't spend a penny in Newry as it is purposely dearer than the rest of NI in order to con the Dubs that drive up the M1.

blue.jester

I dunno about the prices getting closer, I don't think the stores down here have copped on at all. Last week I did a "big" shop in Tesco's in Clarehall, buying the essentials and even then it was store brand stuff, and it came to 180 euro. The trolley was half full and had no meat or drink in it. The month before I was up in Sainsburys Newry and did a "big" shop, costing me 120 euro and the trolley was over flowing.

bryaner

blue.jester wrote: »

I dunno about the prices getting closer, I don't think the stores down here have copped on at all. Last week I did a "big" shop in Tesco's in Clarehall, buying the essentials and even then it was store brand stuff, and it came to 180 euro. The trolley was half full and had no meat or drink in it. The month before I was up in Sainsburys Newry and did a "big" shop, costing me 120 euro and the trolley was over flowing.

Should go to lidl, big shop + beer and wine €90-€110 and the trolley is busting at that..

samina

the likes of choccies dvds games etc are cheaper here or online but apart from that, i compare prices online before i go so i know what im getting up there and what ill get here. like most people its a tight christmas for us this year so i have to save where i can, ill be getting some toys, gifts, christmas decorations, clothes and shoes and food up in belfast.

davo10

With impending reductions in minimum/all wages accross the board to come into line with the North/rest of Europe, the cost of doing business here should drop and all businesses should become more competitive with fellow EU countries so goods should become cheaper which is what everyone wants, of course we will all be paid less so it will make no difference.

For years i have been listening to people complain about the high price of goods here compared to the North, yet most did not accept that we were paid more here than many other "low cost" countries, now as wages are reduced to improve competitiveness we will see how people in other countries live.

FREDNISMO

the groutch wrote: »

the only people who would save any significant money up north are alcoholics, and technophobes who don't know how to buy online

Most the people I know who do their shopping in the north are decent hardworking people trying to provide for their families as reasonably as possible, dont get where your coming from with your alco/tech theory.

DundalkDuffman

keithclancy wrote: »

I used to buy beer but it was a balls getting them back to germany for the Deposit refund

Otherwise it would be very pfand-y to get them there

keithclancy

DundalkDuffman wrote: »

Otherwise it would be very pfand-y to get them there

Yup, in Nederlands its Statiegeld

senordingdong

Haddockman wrote: »

I am going to Lisburn/Belfast. I wouldn't spend a penny in Newry as it is purposely dearer than the rest of NI in order to con the Dubs that drive up the M1.

Indeed.

It's remarkable how many people do not cop this.

rubadub

Gucky wrote: »

The only people who would be purchasing large volumes of alcohol, for christmas parties etc, would be alcoholics, and dipso's.

(of all the ridiculous posts I've read on boards, this its right up there with the most stupid. Ever!)

FREDNISMO wrote: »

Most the people I know who do their shopping in the north are decent hardworking people trying to provide for their families as reasonably as possible, dont get where your coming from with your alco/tech theory.

I seriously don't think the alco comment was meant to be offensive, just a way of saying people buying huge amounts of booze for whatever reason.

It is a good point, I buy most expensive stuff online and it is cheaper than a bricks n' mortar UK shop, and though I am a very heavy drinker I have yet to consider going up north, the savings are not worth my while. Drink is cheap enough.

blue.jester wrote: »

Tesco's in Clarehall, buying the essentials and even then it was store brand stuff, and it came to 180 euro. The trolley was half full and had no meat or drink in it. The month before I was up in Sainsburys Newry and did a "big" shop, costing me 120 euro and the trolley was over flowing.

I am not sure of the actual savings here as they were different amounts. I would want to save €100-150 to make it worth the hassle. The way I look at it is to question what if my neighbour popped in and said to me "I will pay you €100 to head up north on saturday and get my groceries -BUT you are not allowed buy anything for yourself" because in effect this is what is happening, I doubt I would give up my saturday and spend time & travel costs & stress to do it, I live right next to a tesco so the convenience outweighs the hassle for me.

If I had a wife and 5 kids it might be worthwhile, you just have to be honest with yourself about the actual savings. I mentioned before about a lad in work who is not fussy about beer and never pays over a €1 a bottle here, he went up north got cheap beer he never heard of before and found it in an offie here for ~€2 and convinced himself he saved a fortune...

Shelflife

"I am not sure of the actual savings here as they were different amounts. I would want to save €100-150 to make it worth the hassle. The way I look at it is to question what if my neighbour popped in and said to me "I will pay you €100 to head up north on saturday and get my groceries -BUT you are not allowed buy anything for yourself" because in effect this is what is happening, I doubt I would give up my saturday and spend time & travel costs & stress to do it, I live right next to a tesco so the convenience outweighs the hassle for me."

that is a very interesting analogy, not many people would think of it in those terms.

i could never understand why people would give up a day to trvel hours to do grocery shopping in the north. when you add up the costs it rarely made sense.

when you put it in the above terms , how much would you want to give up your saturday to do your neighbours shopping.

Bettyb00

OK OK
Ireland is in the sh**ts at the moment and you want to go and spend all your money in the north.
So how much do you think your are going to save once you have taken the time to travel and sit in traffic and the cost of petrol parking and lunches.
The euro is not strong against the pound, you will probably find yourself spending about 400 on food anything that has a sell by date of next year loads of alcohol frozen food.
Xmas Presents - so if anything goes wrong u'll need to take another trip up to get it sorted with receipts again car petrol lunches
Look retailers aren't doing this on purpose to rip you off the cost of living up the north is much cheaper and wages are lower.
But considering all the time, money and effort put into going up north.
you could all that time money and effort, if you just would shop down the road, and keep Irish people in business and jobs.
Nollaig shona dhuit

Bettyb00

Here here shelflife

samina

Bettyb00 wrote: »

OK OK
Ireland is in the sh**ts at the moment and you want to go and spend all your money in the north.
So how much do you think your are going to save once you have taken the time to travel and sit in traffic and the cost of petrol parking and lunches.
The euro is not strong against the pound, you will probably find yourself spending about 400 on food anything that has a sell by date of next year loads of alcohol frozen food.
Xmas Presents - so if anything goes wrong u'll need to take another trip up to get it sorted with receipts again car petrol lunches
Look retailers aren't doing this on purpose to rip you off the cost of living up the north is much cheaper and wages are lower.
But considering all the time, money and effort put into going up north.
you could all that time money and effort, if you just would shop down the road, and keep Irish people in business and jobs.
Nollaig shona dhuit

petrol would be about 30 quid not much compared to the savings if you shop right less if you are car pooling and spliting petrol. if not ive never spent more than 1 pound on a bottle of coke or fanta ill save lots on washing powder, shampoo, soap, parcetemols, christmas decorations in the pound shop where things are a pound and not 2 euro and thats my petrol paid for before i even start on my food, gifts, toys etc.

retailers may not be doing it purposely to rip us off but i have very little money and want to give my family the best christmas i can manage. if this means shopping up north its what im prepared to do.

Bettyb00

ok fair enough, car poll, where does the shopping go?

samina

two people in front shopping in the boot and back of the car

Bettyb00

Ok Fine; off you go to the north and do your Christmas Shopping with your bottle of coke, I am sorry that I just think we are ruining people livelyhoods over a couple of euros that's all....

samina

eh ok then, but if it was just a couple of euros i wouldnt be going

besides ive said what i can get reasonable down here i will get it, retailers show me value for money i give them my money!

davo10

I cannot understand why at a time when all businesses are trying to compete with other countries, the Government has decided to increase VAT. the UK is increasing VAT in January and this would have narrowed the gap in prices.

jahalpin

davo10 wrote: »

I cannot understand why at a time when all businesses are trying to compete with other countries, the Government has decided to increase VAT. the UK is increasing VAT in January and this would have narrowed the gap in prices.

Exports won't be affected by the change in V.A.T. as B2B export sales to V.A.T. registered businesses are exempt from V.A.T. and consumers will be charged the V.A.T. in their local country

The price differences between ROI and NI aren't that great at the moment due to the poor exchange rate and the general reduction in prices in the Republic.

I think that the number of people travelling to the North to shop has gone down a lot this year. I was in Newry on Saturday and there were very few ROI cars around the place.

loyatemu

davo10 wrote: »

I cannot understand why at a time when all businesses are trying to compete with other countries, the Government has decided to increase VAT. the UK is increasing VAT in January and this would have narrowed the gap in prices.

they're not doing it until 2013 and as it won't be FF in government then it is little more than a proposal. The VAT difference will narrow in January.

91011

samina wrote: »

eh ok then, but if it was just a couple of euros i wouldnt be going

besides ive said what i can get reasonable down here i will get it, retailers show me value for money i give them my money!

do your research properly - you'll be very surprised. (even my local gala has coke at 2 x 2l for €3)

don't forget to use the real exchange rate and multiply all sterling prices by 1.21 to get to the euro price.

i believe tv3 have done a comparison programme on prices and its being aired on wednesday evening. - and they're saying that the results are surprising.

whippet

I was in belfast for a family do over the weekend and did a bit of shopping ... there are not many bargains to be had in reality .. pricing is more or less on a par with here .. apart from booze and some groceries.