Topshop Euro prices... What a rip off!

zipzoc

Sorry if this has been covered before but I just have to say that anyone buying from Topshop in Ireland needs their head examined. I was in there today with my wife and scribbled down some euro prices. When I got home I compared them to prices on the UK website.

This jacket is £55 (or €66) in UK - €84 in Dublin!

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=4272344&langId=-1&categoryId=&searchTerm=biker%20jacket&pageSize=20

This (ahem..) bikini is £14 (or €16) in UK - €21 in Dublin!

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=4806907&langId=-1&categoryId=&searchTerm=bikini&pageSize=20

These pant are £28 (or €33) in UK - €44 in Dublin!

http://www.topman.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33056&storeId=12555&productId=4738771&langId=-1&categoryId=&searchTerm=slim%20chino&pageSize=20

Heading up north (there's a branch in Newry which is a little over an hour from Dublin) or buying online is definitely the way to go.

Rip off Ireland is here to stay!

the groutch

zipzoc wrote: »

Rip off Ireland is here to stay!

no, paying staff more than €7.30 (£6.08) a hour is here to stay

sandin

zipzoc wrote: »

Heading up north (there's a branch in Newry which is a little over an hour from Dublin) or buying online is definitely the way to go.

Rip off Ireland is here to stay!

Lets get this straight.

You're pissed off because the BRITISH multiple retailer is charging you a higher price in Dublin then in its UK stores.

As a "protest" you're going to go to Newry and buy the same items from the SAME BRITISH retailer???

What's the point in this? They still get your money and are laughing at you.

If you really want to punish them, you don't buy from them here, newry or online.

Skopzz

Isn't Topshop a big brand / designer store? Why are you buying up-market clothes? Why aren't you buying more affordable ones from Primark / Dunnes?

sandin

Skopzz wrote: »

Isn't Topshop a big brand / designer store? Why are you buying up-market clothes? Why aren't you buying more affordable ones from Primark / Dunnes?

Topshop a designer store????

I should think not - they compete with pennys, but at a slightly higher demographic, probably in bewteen Pennys & Next, but a long long long way off designer status.

phasers

I think a lot of people just try the clothes on in the shop and buy online in those stores, my Mam works in Topshop and constantly hears girls saying 'yeah, I'll get that online tonight'.

Corruptedmorals

It's the heels that annoy me- £65-€99 and have been for years and years.

Or the 20% student night. Pay the same as someone in the UK! Haha only for students though.

They're much emptier these days, and I've heard they're struggling to cover the rent in a few outlets. Serves them right if they have to pull out of Ireland, their main competitor River Island has brought down its prices by quite a bit and Forever21 has a very similar demographic and clothes range but undercuts substantially on everything. They are fools to keep their prices the same.

Skopzz

Yikes, Topshop appears to be an unmarket shop. People still seem to have an obscession buying expensive big brands in this country for some reason. The salaries probably will be cut further to change people's behavior. I buy my clothes in Primark because they offer value for money and an excellent compromize for quality. Just a suggestion.

Corruptedmorals

Skopzz wrote: »

Yikes, Topshop appears to be an unmarket shop. People still seem to have an obscession buying expensive big brands in this country for some reason. The salaries probably will be cut further to change people's behavior. I buy my clothes in Primark because they offer value for money and an excellent compromize for quality. Just a suggestion.

It's not upmarket, it's standard high street. French connection, bt2, Reiss, Karen millen and ted baker are upmarket. It is too expensive for what it is though.

aristocat

Philip Green is CEO of Arcadia which owns Topshop (Arcadia is owned by his wife who lives in Monaco). You might be interested in knowing his views of the Irish. The following is a quote attributed to Mr Green about the Guardian's Financial Editor Paul Murphy who is Irish: "He can't read English. Mind you, he is a ****ing Irishman". He later apologised to the Irish people as customers threatened to boycott his stores. Last time I was in Topshop it was quite empty, and it was a Saturday afternoon. Something is keeping the shoppers away. Prices are disgraceful.

Cherrycola

I returned a dress there last week that i bought online, reduced from £40 to £20, but the euro price was a whopping €71!!! :eek:
Im only raging i didnt go for an exchange, pretending i didnt have a receipt, and got €71 worth of clothes instead! Duh!

People can argue about the cost of staff, overheads, rent, tax, etc etc, but when you see other UK brand stores with much more realistic sterling to euro pricing, who are obviously paying the same rents and staff wages etc, it makes you realise that the others are just out to screw us!

Fingers crossed Topshop dont start a euro website like Warehouse did, so they can charge us those stupid prices online too! :mad:

Cherrycola

sandin wrote: »

Lets get this straight.

You're pissed off because the BRITISH multiple retailer is charging you a higher price in Dublin then in its UK stores.

As a "protest" you're going to go to Newry and buy the same items from the SAME BRITISH retailer???

What's the point in this? They still get your money and are laughing at you.

If you really want to punish them, you don't buy from them here, newry or online.

The point is they get LESS of the OP's money, and he gets the item he wanted at a price he is willing to pay and thinks is value for money.

I couldnt give a rats backside if every cent i spend on clothing goes to the UK! If i can save the money that goes into my pocket every week by doing this, then so be it.
Every penny we give in VAT here is going straight to the EU, not towards keeping and encouraging jobs in Ireland, so why should we contribute?!
Until the big knobs realise that the general public cannot afford the cost of living that we could 5 years ago then nothing will change.
Its not the minimum wage thats causing high prices here, its just greed! And as long as they can get away with it, they will, so we need to hit them where it hurts, in their profit, and then they may reconsider their pricing policy!

charlemont

The prices are higher here because of the Paddy Tax..

ejmaztec

aristocat wrote: »

Philip Green is CEO of Arcadia which owns Topshop (Arcadia is owned by his wife who lives in Monaco). You might be interested in knowing his views of the Irish. The following is a quote attributed to Mr Green about the Guardian's Financial Editor Paul Murphy who is Irish: "He can't read English. Mind you, he is a ****ing Irishman". He later apologised to the Irish people as customers threatened to boycott his stores. Last time I was in Topshop it was quite empty, and it was a Saturday afternoon. Something is keeping the shoppers away. Prices are disgraceful.

You'd think that Philip Green would be a bit more "prejudice savvy", as he's no doubt been subjected to anti-semitism during his life.

borderlinemeath

Cherrycola wrote: »

The point is they get LESS of the OP's money, and he gets the item he wanted at a price he is willing to pay and thinks is value for money.

I couldnt give a rats backside if every cent i spend on clothing goes to the UK! If i can save the money that goes into my pocket every week by doing this, then so be it.

The money that you contribute in tax goes to fund the social welfare payments of the retail workers that have lost their jobs in the recession. You keep not "giving a rats backside" and you'll be paying higher tax to fund increased number of welfare payments.

Every penny we give in VAT here is going straight to the EU, not towards keeping and encouraging jobs in Ireland, so why should we contribute?!

Rather bitter generalisation there. Any facts to back up your "every penny" theory? Also "keeping and encouraging jobs in Ireland" well - you're doing the exact opposite by shopping online.

Until the big knobs realise that the general public cannot afford the cost of living that we could 5 years ago then nothing will change.

Plenty of UK stores have readjusted their margins and are taking a lot less in profit than others. Arcadia have a very high cost base in Ireland, down to over expansion, high wages and staff retention and huge transport costs for stock to stores. I'm not saying they are right to have such inflated exchange rates but there are high costs associated with how they operate.

Its not the minimum wage thats causing high prices here, its just greed! And as long as they can get away with it, they will, so we need to hit them where it hurts, in their profit, and then they may reconsider their pricing policy!

Wages are just one element of cost. I know when I worked for Arcadia a few years ago staff were taken in on either a rate above the minimum wage or if they had previous experience then they were given a wage usually similar or above their previous employers hourly rate. Double time was paid on Sundays and Bank Hols and there were a LOT of staff that had long service entitlements such as extra holidays, christmas entitlements etc that were agreed with the unions when Arcadia bought over the Burton Group and Sears so these cost a great deal in excess staffing costs.

Rates cost a huge amount to any business and depending on your business model can be astronomical. The topshop brand has it's flagship store on the most prestigious street in the country - The rates on the Grafton St/Stephens Green premises would be very excessive, I would guess it would be a good few hundred thousand per annum. Thats before they pay rent.

Warehousing and transport cost retail businesses a great deal. The stock for Arcadia comes from the UK distribution warehouses so the Irish consumer has to bear the brunt of this as well. Topshop prides itself as being on the cutting edge of fashion and would get deliveries every day with new stock arriving all the time. Even the smaller Arcadia brands get deliveries at least 3 times a week to keep up with customer demands.

Insurance and liability also cost far more here than in the UK as do commercial utilities but sure why let facts get in the way of a good rant?

sandin

Cherrycola wrote: »

The point is they get LESS of the OP's money, and he gets the item he wanted at a price he is willing to pay and thinks is value for money.

I couldnt give a rats backside if every cent i spend on clothing goes to the UK! If i can save the money that goes into my pocket every week by doing this, then so be it.
Every penny we give in VAT here is going straight to the EU, not towards keeping and encouraging jobs in Ireland, so why should we contribute?!
Until the big knobs realise that the general public cannot afford the cost of living that we could 5 years ago then nothing will change.

Minimum wage and the fact that we pay too little tax and had too much spare cash caused prices to rise.

As for VAT going to the EU - not one green cent of tax goes to the eu and not one green cent goes to the bank bailout either.

The cost of running Ireland Inc - teachers, social welfare, health, roads etc is about €48 billion (excluding interest payments), this year will will take in circa €36 billion in tax - The EU is then loaning us at very favourable rates a further 12 billion on the condition that we raise more taxes to pay for the day to day running of the country.

Buying from Irish retailers helps in many ways - vat, paye/prsi on wages & corporation tax on profits. Irish retailers rarely get mentioned in the rip-off forums, its always UK retailers.

Cherrycola

To be honest your posts are the same clap trap thats wheeled out everytime someone questions the overpricing in the republic, and it doesnt wash with me or a lot of other people either it seems. I can turn on Vincent Browne every night and hear politicians spout the same crap over and over again!

What matters to the ordinary Joe Soap is the money in their pocket at the end of every week, not poor Arcadia's high rent cost!

And who in their right mind would pay DOUBLE the cost for an item they can get delivered to their door from the UK for less?! No traffic, no parking costs, no petrol costs etc.

Joe Soap is not looking at the bigger picture, 'oh wait, i wont save myself 20quid by ordering online, i'll buy this item in Dundrum just in case the store closes down and all those staff lose their jobs.......':rolleyes:

Cop on and be realistic! In the same way those stores need to cop on. If they pull out of ireland and staff lose their jobs, thats down to their greed, and the greed of the landlords and government who refuse to do anything about the high rental costs etc.

So which would they prefer, having one person buy one item at double the UK price, or 12 people buy 12 items at the reasonable value for money price.
Its not rocket science. A simplistic view, perhaps, but you can be sure they have ways to cut their overheads, reduce prices and still make a profit, but as long as the stupid paddies are willing to pay through the nose, why the hell should they?!

borderlinemeath

Cherrycola wrote: »

To be honest your posts are the same clap trap thats wheeled out everytime someone questions the overpricing in the republic, and it doesnt wash with me or a lot of other people either it seems. I can turn on Vincent Browne every night and hear politicians spout the same crap over and over again!

It doesn't wash with you because you don't know the industry and the costs involved nor do you appear to care. I don't know your line of work but I'm sure you have ways to justify your salary.

What matters to the ordinary Joe Soap is the money in their pocket at the end of every week, not poor Arcadia's high rent cost!

What matters to most "ordinary joe soaps" is keeping food on the table and a roof over their head, not heading out and buying the latest look from topshop.
As I said, I used to work for Arcadia (not for Topshop) and the quality and fabrics used do not justify the prices, here, the UK or any other country they sell in. You pay for the brand name and not the quality, which for the most part is muck.

And who in their right mind would pay DOUBLE the cost for an item they can get delivered to their door from the UK for less?! No traffic, no parking costs, no petrol costs etc.

Nothing is DOUBLE the price, even if you take other factors into account. For the majority of women I know shopping is a relaxing, enjoyable experience, something to spend an afternoon passing the time doing. You make it sound like getting to work with traffic and parking and petrol.

Joe Soap is not looking at the bigger picture, 'oh wait, i wont save myself 20quid by ordering online, i'll buy this item in Dundrum just in case the store closes down and all those staff lose their jobs.......':rolleyes:

The majority of people that shop in B&M stores do so because they enjoy shopping and also there is a growing movement towards trying to keep businesses afloat, a civic pride if you want to call it that. Anything that I purchase I will check locally and then further afield if necessary. Only then will I purchase online if I have exhausted all other opportunities.

Cop on and be realistic! In the same way those stores need to cop on. If they pull out of ireland and staff lose their jobs, thats down to their greed, and the greed of the landlords and government who refuse to do anything about the high rental costs etc.

I managed a store on Grafton St that has a very high turnover. Even with payroll costs at less than 8% of turnover with all other costs the store barely turned a profit. When I took it over it actually was in the red but I turned it around by the end of the season to make a very modest return. These type of stores are called loss leaders, stores that are in the most prominent, but expensive locations to promote the brand and have it at the forefront of consumers minds. They usually make little or no money for the companies but the councils and landlords profit. Unfortunately a lot of companies have a lot of stores now that aren't making any money at the moment so are in a lot of trouble. But sure why don't they just cop on and be realistic:rolleyes:.

So which would they prefer, having one person buy one item at double the UK price, or 12 people buy 12 items at the reasonable value for money price.
Its not rocket science. A simplistic view, perhaps, but you can be sure they have ways to cut their overheads, reduce prices and still make a profit, but as long as the stupid paddies are willing to pay through the nose, why the hell should they?!

Once again, it's never double, but sure why not inflate the price a bit to try and make a point:rolleyes:.

A simplistic view. Certainly. I would challenge you to run a business using your business model. You might be busy but after everyone else is paid and all costs are covered you certainly won't be making any money for yourself.

A bit less of the soapboxing about poor joe public and an insight into how tight it is to run a retail business might change your point of view.

sandin

Cherrycola wrote: »

And who in their right mind would pay DOUBLE the cost for an item they can get delivered to their door from the UK for less?! No traffic, no parking costs, no petrol costs etc.

Top Shop charge approx 19% excluding the difference in vat rates.
Too much imo and as said above, its overpriced in anycase.

Good decent local independent business will be cheaper than international multiples with huge head office & marketing costs and a load of shareholders.

Try you local independent hardware store / motor factors / electrical supplier - compare them with Homebase, Halfords, Maplins. The local independently owned indigenous IRISH retailer beats them every time.

I'm not afraid to say I'm a retailer. I'm independent, its family owned and we can beat Newry prices without a problem, we can beat Debenhams prices without a problem, we can beat Homebase prices without a problem and we can beat Argios prices without a problem. We don't have shareholders, we don't spend a fortune on fitouts, we don't operate from over priced shopping centres, we now employ almost 40 people and we are reasonably profitable in the middle of a recession.

We are an indigenous, Independent, IRISH retailer and like many of our indigenous independent Irish retailer contemporaries, we offer excellent value & excellent service that will never be found in a UK multiple retailer whether they are located in Dundrum or Durham.

So try looking at your IRISH Independent Retailers and see the real value they offer.

Cherrycola

If you can beat all the other stores you say you can, then you're not the problem, why would anyone shop elsewhere if you are cheapest?!

Just to make a point about double the price, i bought a book for my daughter for christmas, priced at 24.99 in Easons, the same book was delivered to my door, free super saver delivery by Amazon for 8.99gbp, so close enough to half the cost of the book here, give or take a few pence depending on exchange rate.

Borderlinmeath, my father has his own business, as does my brother, which we all worked in through the years, my OH has worked in retail from the ground up to the position on Operations Director in his own business, managing 22 stores around Ireland, so im well up on what it takes to make it in retail in Ireland, and what needs to be done to stay competitive or go under.

At the end of the day the public will decide where they shop, people need to clothe themselves as well as keep a roof over their head, so much as you might like to think that window shopping on a saturday afternoon is enough for most people, i think its safe to say that getting a bargain on an item you NEED is right up there at the top of the list. And unfortunately for irelands retailers, my clothing store of choice has to be Topshop, as they do a tall range, which Dunnes and Penneys dont! So rather than buy a cheap Oirish pair of jeans that are too short, i spend my cash online where i get a great fitting pair for £38, as opposed to the €61 they charge instore.

You can carry on this topic for as long as you want, and spout all the facts and figures you have at your disposal, but the sad fact (for you), is that people want bargains! People want cheaper items, and they actually dont care about supporting Irish, if it means spending more!
As soon as Irelands retailers are cheaper than anyone else, i and everyone else will support them no bother.
In fact i bought most of our Christmas gifts in Smyths, as they were the cheapest, even in comparison to Amazon.

I dont care where i buy from, as long as its the cheapest price. Wandering around taking in the 'enjoyable' athmosphere of an over crowded shopping centre, paying for parking and overpriced coffee, is not my idea of a relaxing day out.

Maybe its time for retailers to start asking the public what they want, and not assume we're all prepared to pay extra for atmosphere and better lighting in changing rooms! :rolleyes:
And to be honest, one huge benefit of shopping online is not having to deal with Irelands horrendous customer service/sales assistants either. Bonus!

sandin

Cherrycola wrote: »

Just to make a point about double the price, i bought a book for my daughter for christmas, priced at 24.99 in Easons, the same book was delivered to my door, free super saver delivery by Amazon for 8.99gbp, so close enough to half the cost of the book here, give or take a few pence depending on exchange rate.

ah now - comparing a special offer price on a website with a standard publishers price in a retail store is plain stupid.

That was I can say ASDA are twice the price of my local Gala store because they are currently selling 2lt of pepsi for €1 and asda are £1.79

borderlinemeath

Cherrycola wrote: »

If you can beat all the other stores you say you can, then you're not the problem, why would anyone shop elsewhere if you are cheapest?!

Just to make a point about double the price, i bought a book for my daughter for christmas, priced at 24.99 in Easons, the same book was delivered to my door, free super saver delivery by Amazon for 8.99gbp, so close enough to half the cost of the book here, give or take a few pence depending on exchange rate.

Comparing an online megaseller to a B&M Irish store is hardly a credible comparison. Amazon is always going to be cheaper, BUT in my experience the one thing that really pisses me of about Amazon is the postage. I've had to buy books from Amazon and the postage cost almost twice as much as the books! Same with a hair accessory I picked up to match a dress for a wedding because the colour was hard to locate. Cost me £14.95 but £24.00 when postage was included. I wouldn't have purchased it only I was stuck to find the right colour anywhere. Also what was the stg price for the book? Should be printed on the cover, I have found Easons to be fairly ok in most of their conversions.

Borderlinmeath, my father has his own business, as does my brother, which we all worked in through the years, my OH has worked in retail from the ground up to the position on Operations Director in his own business, managing 22 stores around Ireland, so im well up on what it takes to make it in retail in Ireland, and what needs to be done to stay competitive or go under.

Funny that cos you were convinced all our VAT was going to the EU a few posts back.

At the end of the day the public will decide where they shop, people need to clothe themselves as well as keep a roof over their head, so much as you might like to think that window shopping on a saturday afternoon is enough for most people, i think its safe to say that getting a bargain on an item you NEED is right up there at the top of the list. And unfortunately for irelands retailers, my clothing store of choice has to be Topshop, as they do a tall range, which Dunnes and Penneys dont! So rather than buy a cheap Oirish pair of jeans that are too short, i spend my cash online where i get a great fitting pair for £38, as opposed to the €61 they charge instore.

These days i tend to buy clothes when they are reduced or when I actually need them. As I worked in fashion retail for 12 years, my needs tend not to come around too often. I have to say, the one pair of Topshop jeans that I did buy a few years ago I gave them away as they used to stretch far too much after washing. I find Gap jeans to be far better quality for a high st brand. Esprit do a great jean as well, plenty of lengths and really good quality.

You can carry on this topic for as long as you want, and spout all the facts and figures you have at your disposal, but the sad fact (for you), is that people want bargains! People want cheaper items, and they actually dont care about supporting Irish, if it means spending more!
As soon as Irelands retailers are cheaper than anyone else, i and everyone else will support them no bother.
In fact i bought most of our Christmas gifts in Smyths, as they were the cheapest, even in comparison to Amazon.

I'm surprised at your attitude given the admission that your household depends on retail, so bashing retailers from behind your anonymous keyboard is a bit wierd.

I dont care where i buy from, as long as its the cheapest price. Wandering around taking in the 'enjoyable' athmosphere of an over crowded shopping centre, paying for parking and overpriced coffee, is not my idea of a relaxing day out.

Maybe not for you, but for plenty of others it is. TBH you're sounding a bit like oscar the grouch!

Maybe its time for retailers to start asking the public what they want, and not assume we're all prepared to pay extra for atmosphere and better lighting in changing rooms! :rolleyes:
And to be honest, one huge benefit of shopping online is not having to deal with Irelands horrendous customer service/sales assistants either. Bonus!

Hmmm, maybe given your attitude that you've shown above, maybe they don't want to deal with you!! I can just imagine you going into Topshop and trying on every pair of jeans, with the assistant trying to make a sale and you turning around and telling them that you're going to buy them online because they're too dear. How motivating for them.

Whatever about the horrific service that some store assistants give, customers tend to treat sales staff like shiite. Complaining to them about prices is about as effective as telling the bus driver, they have no control over prices, in most cases nor do the store managers, margins tend to be created in head office by overpaid buying teams. Have you written to Topshop complaining about their pricing structure or have you just complained on here?

Cherrycola

See, nitpicking and attempting to throw out borderline personal insults is never the way to win a debate, just because you are feeling frustrated that you are failing to change someones opinion.

Just to note, nowhere did i say my household depends on retail, because we dont.

And personally i think Topshop jeans are grand, i have one pair for years now that are still holding strong, but then, they dont have to stretch too much when i wear them, the joys of being tall and slim. i used to buy GAP, but i havent come across the brand in Ireland in recent years, you're hardly buying them online from abroad are you?? :eek: Do send me on the link to that website, cheers.

Also i think you'll find that most sales assistants are too busy talking about their weekend and the new fake tan they bought to bother even making conversation with a customer, or come over and ask do you need help!!! never mind getting as far as hearing the customer say they will go and buy online as the instore price is too dear. And like you say, they dont set the price, why would i bother complaining to them.

And for your information, i have indeed written to certain UK stores, Topshop included, querying why there is such a difference in pricing between the UK and ROI, but i dont see why such a topic would be a problem on here either?! Given that the forum title is Rip Off Ireland, the Topic title is Topshop Euro Prices, what a rip off, and it is a consumer issue?
If you think my 'complaining' on here is such a problem, perhaps take it up with the forum Mod, rather than attempting a backseat moderation yourself, we all know how that is frowned upon on Boards.

Look, im not about to change my opinion, i believe, as MANY people in the country do, that we are being ripped off. And its the reality that 'supporting Irish' is not top of my agenda when i shop for anything, be it clothes, food, appliances etc, its all about getting the cheapest price available. And you can be guaranteed that is the mindset of most of the rest of the country too. Ive never met one person who has said they have opted to buy an item locally even though its more expensive , but because they wanted to buy irish! :rolleyes:

So you can carry on nitpicking my posts to death, and slowly getting more frustrated and less articulate as you do, but i really think you are wasting your time.

And a quick tip for future shopping on Amazon, wait until you have a few items to buy, and when the total comes to £25 +, then choose Super Saver Delivery, free delivery to your door. Fantastic service.
And they do great returns too, free, with a no quibble replacement or refund policy.
Happy Shopping!!

borderlinemeath

Cherrycola wrote: »

See, nitpicking and attempting to throw out borderline personal insults is never the way to win a debate, just because you are feeling frustrated that you are failing to change someones opinion.

Just to note, nowhere did i say my household depends on retail, because we dont.

my OH has worked in retail from the ground up to the position on Operations Director in his own business, managing 22 stores around Ireland,

Ok, significant contribution work better for you?? You mentioned previously that you had a little girl so I took it that you were a family unit. Apologies if this is not the case.

And personally i think Topshop jeans are grand, i have one pair for years now that are still holding strong, but then, they dont have to stretch too much when i wear them, the joys of being tall and slim. i used to buy GAP, but i havent come across the brand in Ireland in recent years, you're hardly buying them online from abroad are you?? :eek: Do send me on the link to that website, cheers.

Gap have been operating stores for a number of years now in Ireland (5 years I believe). They have a large outlet in Arnotts, a standalone store in Dundrum Shopping Centre (A centre you mentioned yourself in a few posts back) and one in Cork as well. I got a fabulous pair of jeans in the Dundrum store reduced to €25 last year along with a good few t-shirts. Far superior quality to most high st equivelents.

Also i think you'll find that most sales assistants are too busy talking about their weekend and the new fake tan they bought to bother even making conversation with a customer, or come over and ask do you need help!!! never mind getting as far as hearing the customer say they will go and buy online as the instore price is too dear. And like you say, they dont set the price, why would i bother complaining to them.

This is a quote from the previous page of this thread - maybe you don't do it but it seems a lot of shoppers do.

I think a lot of people just try the clothes on in the shop and buy online in those stores, my Mam works in Topshop and constantly hears girls saying 'yeah, I'll get that online tonight'.

And for your information, i have indeed written to certain UK stores, Topshop included, querying why there is such a difference in pricing between the UK and ROI, but i dont see why such a topic would be a problem on here either?! Given that the forum title is Rip Off Ireland, the Topic title is Topshop Euro Prices, what a rip off, and it is a consumer issue?
If you think my 'complaining' on here is such a problem, perhaps take it up with the forum Mod, rather than attempting a backseat moderation yourself, we all know how that is frowned upon on Boards.

Good for you for writing to the companies that you feel are overcharging. Maybe if more people did then prices would come down.

You're idea of what constitutes back sead modding is laughable

Look, im not about to change my opinion, i believe, as MANY people in the country do, that we are being ripped off. And its the reality that 'supporting Irish' is not top of my agenda when i shop for anything, be it clothes, food, appliances etc, its all about getting the cheapest price available. And you can be guaranteed that is the mindset of most of the rest of the country too. Ive never met one person who has said they have opted to buy an item locally even though its more expensive , but because they wanted to buy irish! :rolleyes:

Your agenda certainly, but to speak for "the mindset of most of the country" is frankly ridiculous. Have you got any statistics to back up your statement???

So you can carry on nitpicking my posts to death, and slowly getting more frustrated and less articulate as you do, but i really think you are wasting your time.

This is a discussion board, and if you make statements regarding where you assume VAT goes or what "the mindset of most of the country" is then I will certainly argue the point if you don't supply back up for your assumptions.

And a quick tip for future shopping on Amazon, wait until you have a few items to buy, and when the total comes to £25 +, then choose Super Saver Delivery, free delivery to your door. Fantastic service.
And they do great returns too, free, with a no quibble replacement or refund policy.
Happy Shopping!!

When I needed certain books for my college course (which were unavailable locally) I purchased them second hand which was fine by me but didn't come to €25. I wasn't going to hold off to find more when I needed the books to commence my research.
As I've said before I will shop online BUT will always try to find what I need locally first. I have never purchased clothes online as I prefer to try them on and check for size and fit and also feel the quality of the fabric. I put quality above price every time and will continue to do so. Having worked for Arcadia for 7 years and another higher quality brand for 5 years previous to that I see the huge differences in quality in fabrics, stitching, linings etc and know the quality garments last better time and time again. I have purchased cheap items in the likes of Penneys and Tescos but tbh, the stuff falls apart. Knitwear goes bally, buttons fall off, fabric shrinks more than it should, stuff with elastane/lycra equivelent goes shapeless. I find it a waste of money, good for a short while but it doesn't last.

Cherrycola

Too Long, Couldnt Be Arsed Reading....:rolleyes:

But, i think a quick perusal of the Bargain Alerts forum of this here forum will you plenty of insight into the mindset of a LARGE proportion of the country.

May i suggest that your next post be 'Last Word' as it seems thats all you are interested in, and the constant multi quoting must be giving you paw ache at this stage, i know its certainly giving me brain ache. To keep making the same point over and over again, without adding anything further to your argument is getting stale. Im aware of where you worked for 7 years, im aware of how bad the quality is in those shops, and im aware that you put national pride ahead of a good bargain, i on the other hand dont.

Dont forget now.......Last Word....:p

borderlinemeath

Cherrycola wrote: »

Too Long, Couldnt Be Arsed Reading....:rolleyes:

That's a bit childish don't you think? Firstly you accuse me of nit picking and borderline insulting you and now you won't even engage in a debate where I have put forward answers to your post.

But, i think a quick perusal of the Bargain Alerts forum of this here forum will you plenty of insight into the mindset of a LARGE proportion of the country.

Really?? 4.5 million people in Ireland and most of them read boards and post on boards?? I don't think so. Boards is an online forum that the majority of users fall into certain age group percentages. Not necessarily an overview of the entire country opinion. You really really need to stop generalising if you want to get your point across with any relevance.

May i suggest that your next post be 'Last Word' as it seems thats all you are interested in, and the constant multi quoting must be giving you paw ache at this stage, i know its certainly giving me brain ache. To keep making the same point over and over again, without adding anything further to your argument is getting stale. Im aware of where you worked for 7 years, im aware of how bad the quality is in those shops, and im aware that you put national pride ahead of a good bargain, i on the other hand dont.

Dont forget now.......Last Word....:p

Wow. You cannot come up with anything better to say than I annoy you by multiposting. By all means report it if you find it that annoying.. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Cherrycola

Last word.....

aristocat

Originally posted by Cherrycola
"People want cheaper items, and they actually dont care about supporting Irish, if it means spending more!"

This is an extremely presumptuous statement. I am a housewife with two children. I am always VERY aware of what I am buying, its origin, price, quality and to a lesser extent its eco-friendliness (I feel this is a minefield of science, counter argument and business interests that I am not capable of truly understanding). When I shop I am constantly making decisions based on the economic fallout of this decision. I don't always buy the Irish choice, but if I can possibly do so, I will. My contemporaries are of exactly the same mindset and you are doing us a grave injustice to label us as unthinking,self-serving monomaniacs. Yes, times are hard and tough decisions have to be made. But those decisions are made while all the time caring very much about "supporting Irish".

Cherrycola

Unfollow Thread....

richiek67

well, could have told u so. If you have over 100 to 200 euro 's worth to buy in clothing then yr better off to go up north. You save at least a third if not more on items.
Quick to get there too generally

Rich

zipzoc wrote: »

Sorry if this has been covered before but I just have to say that anyone buying from Topshop in Ireland needs their head examined. I was in there today with my wife and scribbled down some euro prices. When I got home I compared them to prices on the UK website.

This jacket is £55 (or €66) in UK - €84 in Dublin!

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=4272344&langId=-1&categoryId=&searchTerm=biker%20jacket&pageSize=20

This (ahem..) bikini is £14 (or €16) in UK - €21 in Dublin!

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=4806907&langId=-1&categoryId=&searchTerm=bikini&pageSize=20

These pant are £28 (or €33) in UK - €44 in Dublin!

http://www.topman.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33056&storeId=12555&productId=4738771&langId=-1&categoryId=&searchTerm=slim%20chino&pageSize=20

Heading up north (there's a branch in Newry which is a little over an hour from Dublin) or buying online is definitely the way to go.

Rip off Ireland is here to stay!

keithclancy

I live on the Continent and its the same.

Whats this thread about ? Rip off Shops compared to Internet ?

qz

I'm just going to throw my hands up here.

For my sins, I used to work in Topman / Topshop for a considerable length of time.

Yes the price disparity is shocking, and baseless.

But, for fcuks sake whatever you do, please DO NOT complain to the staff about it. How can I as an employee working 8 hours a week earning shít money be in any sort of position to be able to alter the prices of a global store? I got so fed up with people that I ended up saying blankly "what do you want me to do about it?". There's only so many times you can apologise and take shít for something that (a) you never caused, (b) you understand is wrong and (c) can do nothing about.

Write to head office if you're aggrieved. Don't even say it to the floor staff, chances are they're far more aware of it and affected by it than you ever will be.

Rant over.

PrincessLola

aristocat wrote: »

Philip Green is CEO of Arcadia which owns Topshop (Arcadia is owned by his wife who lives in Monaco). You might be interested in knowing his views of the Irish. The following is a quote attributed to Mr Green about the Guardian's Financial Editor Paul Murphy who is Irish: "He can't read English. Mind you, he is a ****ing Irishman". He later apologised to the Irish people as customers threatened to boycott his stores. Last time I was in Topshop it was quite empty, and it was a Saturday afternoon. Something is keeping the shoppers away. Prices are disgraceful.

I used to really like topshop (even if it is pricey) but finding this out is just, wow, I don't know what to say.

anyway, their hipster line of religious iconagraphy as cheap fashion jewlery is super tacky.