Deodorants and toiletries in general

reubenreuben

Been recently checking differences in tescos prices north and south.

One example, Dove mens body wash 400ml. £1.80 north. €6.50 south.

I could spend all day showing these price discrepancies.

How can the exact product have such a massive price difference. ? Its about 2.5 times the price in the south. It was always more expensive here (vat etc) but not by that much.

What's going on?

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058296510/deodorants-and-toiletries-in-general

Price gouging, pure and simple. And a government too weak to do anything about it.

Kimbot

Welcome to the new normal in ireland, greedflation is alive and well.

beardybrewer

I'm noticing the most egregious price gouging at Dunnes.

Cat food 100% increase

Sacla Green Pesto 100% increase

Dunnes bakery Sourdough Bread 100% increase.

We've all gotten poorer. Everyone else is marching in the streets to try to get more pay just to stay where we were.

Bummer1234

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120598616#Comment_120598616

Noticed yesterday cat food i get was 9.89 for go cat biscuits, That was around 6.99 last month i believe....Couldn't believe the price increase...

Came out with the food shop yesterday at 88 euro and there was feck all in it...No speciels like beer or drinks...Just dinner food...

I get a email from screwfix the odd time from the north and south( as i used the northern one before) and the price difference on some stuff is mad!

Like here is a example...

Boots in screwfix in the north (£34.99 in todays money is €40.25 on revolut)

Boots in screwfix in the south

Whats that about!

Bummer1234

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120598698#Comment_120598698

Also...It doesn't matter on the size of the boots.

https://www.screwfix.ie/c/safety-workwear/safety-boots/cat850524?brand=site&modelname=arenite&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=E23W15SAT_IE_S_D&utm_content=&utm_term=email_promo-block_summer-workwear-site-boots-ie&utm_block=placeholder01

OmegaGene

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120598616#Comment_120598616

No money shortage in this house with fancy pesto and posh sourdough bread

la de da

JoeCat

Rip off Ireland, as usual, but getting worse. 

Try to stay with cheaper supermarkets and unbranded.

cmac2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058296510/deodorants-and-toiletries-in-general

Egregious price difference, I posted something similar about deodorant on another thread, that was "only" a 66% difference between Ireland V UK.

Would be fascinating to hear their justification for such pricing differentials on these products. Apart from the blatant profiteering margin.

JackieChang

For big brand toiletries like that it's worth checking Mr. Price if there's one near you.

I think they import the stuff from Turkey or Dubai or something. Shower gels, creams , shampoo etc is often much cheaper than supermarkets or even Amazon.

reubenreuben

I thought at first maybe the price difference was partly because of Brexit but surely the UK prices would have increased at a high rate too.

Are we looking at shopping up north again?

I do know that items bought on amazon can be delivered to collection points up there. That might be worth thinking about if nothing changes here.

Mr321

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120598698#Comment_120598698

VAT is 20% on North.

23% here. All add ups for bulk buys etc when your in business.

Johnnio13

Dealz or Pep&Co proudly advertise birthday cards for £1/€1.50. £1 IS ABOUT €1.13. Thats a nice return.

Dial Hard

Pharmacies can also be surprisingly good value for toiletries. Right Guard deodorants are three for a fiver in my local Pure.

angel eyes 2012

Yes, couldn't believe prices of deodorants and toothpaste, in particular, in Dunnes and Tesco. Was determined not to pay €4 or €5 for each, so went to Boots to pick up any deals or their own brand versions. All own brand were sold out but they had deals on mens Deodorants.

I think a trip up north may be warranted to bulk buy the staples.

Atlantic Dawn

A few weeks back when I saw Lynx Africa for €9 in Tesco I nearly dropped dead...

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/en-IE/products/303206189

Glebee

I thought I was the only one that was shocked at increase in price of deodorant, etc. Always found Tescos teh cheapest over the years for these, always an offer on when not fussy about brand. Not any more. Also deodorant cans have gotten smaller too, same as the toothpaste.

Geuze

One thing I've noticed over the years is that, over time, the price differences between NI and RoI on most food has narrowed.

BUT, on things like toiletries and OTC medicine, NI can be way cheaper.

Bummer1234

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120599766#Comment_120599766

Absolutly crazy prices indeed.

Just checked Dunnes online to Asda online

Dunnes - €9

Asda - £3.35 (€3.85 approx)

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120600022#Comment_120600022

I do an alcohol run North every few months but have started to fill up on deodorant and toiletries as part of the shop. Last time I saved over the price of the fuel for the journey on those alone.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120598616#Comment_120598616

You're using the cat food, pesto and sourdough bread wrong if you're using them as a deodorant.

MBSnr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120598698#Comment_120598698

My understanding is that safety boots, first aid equipment etc, are VAT free in the UK but attract 23% VAT in Ireland.

The price diff between safety 'shoes' (not boots) should be less as VAT applies to them in the UK as well.

MBSnr

However as for other items.... ripped off.

I buy Boots multivitamins - last Dec they were about 2.60 Euro and the same price as the UK ones. Sure prices have gone up but it's back to the bad old days... They are now 4 Euro while in the UK they are still 2.50 GBP...

bazz26

Tesco have some L'oreal Men Expert deodorants on special offer at the moment with your club card. Reduced prices are more in line with the old regular price and nicer fragrances than Lynx too imo:

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/en-IE/products/295581136

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/en-IE/products/308104798

Genghis

Up north recently. My wife cleared Tesco out of Mitchum deodarant. £2 per 200ml can, same offer in Sainsburys.

In Dunnes the next day and they are €4.25 here. Not as high as other brands but basically twice the price all the same.

(NB £2 was clubcard price, so we did have to ask the person behind us if we could borrow their card, ROI clubcards no longer work in NI).

Agree with other comments - for branded food items its not worth going North, often items are less expensive here. But for items on special, toiletries and certain alcohol offers it can be worthwhile.

spurious

I find buying from boots online (with free delivery over a certain amount) can work out better than the supermarkets.

john boye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120599766#Comment_120599766

It's still €9 but it's €4.50 with a clubcard. Which proves that €9 is just plain old gouging if they can afford to sell it for half price.

andyred

Was in Dunnes just yeterday and couldnt believe the deodrant was 9 euro. Absolutley insane. Some of them had even shrunk in size from 250ml to 200ml.

I heard a report the other day that Aldi were making 72% higher profits in Ireland than the UK....how is this acceptable. Its pure greed.

Strumms

https://chemistwarehouse.ie/

if there is one near you, make the effort.

I made significant savings on aftershave’s, deodorant, wipes.

corsav6

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120600056#Comment_120600056

We sell some safety gear at work and it's 0% VAT. I know some places that do charge VAT on safety gear but they shouldn't.

MBSnr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120600732#Comment_120600732

For the ones in the thread ^^^ - 23% VAT.

£34.99 is actually just over €40, so the base price before VAT is roughly the same.

Last pair of safety shoes I purchased were PortWest. I bought them online in NI and they shipped them down here. Still cheaper than buying in Ireland... Ironically they had a delay as they came via Ireland.....

Bummer1234

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120600719#Comment_120600719

Warehouse chemist in fairness is good, I noticed in it one day panadol actifast at 1.99 (10 pack) but in tesco i see it at 3.20.

Enrico Palazzo

Those Tesco clubcard deals or rather the nominal prices of those items are quickly becoming absurd indeed. Fair enough to offer a discount in exchange for the data on your shopping habits, but Tesco appears to have reversed the idea - with the clubcard you often pay an avg market price, but without it it's a daylight robbery.

thomas 123

Even with the increase in prices in aldi and lidl I have no idea how anybody in this day in age would even darken the door of Tesco and Dunnes.

Dunnes seems to be the lesser of the two offenders but tesco is gone on an awful gouge-rampage. The selection of meats in my local tesco is dire also - the aldi next door has much much more. Even my local supervalu who I have been critical of in the past is working out much better value than Tesco.

CrazyEric

Any time I am in the North I pick up all my toiletries, I have a cupboard full of Shower gels ( his and hers) Shampoo and Conditioners. All female hygiene products, toothpaste and toothbrushes. A good example is pain medication...Paracetamol, 39P for 16 in Asda. Ibuprofen 45P for 16.

I also try and time my trip for when there are booze deals such as

https://groceries.asda.com/promotion/3-for-22/ls92731

so 36 cans of Magners 440ml is £22. That is about £1.40 per litre. It is made in Ireland and the best Tesco have is €3.88 per litre.

Rip Off Republic is alive and well. Didn't take Lidl and Aldi too long to get in on the act.

StonedRaider

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120601914#Comment_120601914

Been doing the same since 2007. Up to Sainsbury's and Asda once every 3-4 months to bulk buy. Good to have family 20mins away from the border. Remember some years back when a lot of northern businesses were offering £1=€1 deal

If you know how to work the system, Dunnes is the cheapest by far for groceries 😉. Never paid for anything there full price since they started their money off vouchers some 5years ago

Quackster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120602143#Comment_120602143

It's been going since September 2014 so nearly nine years now!

Seve OB

Anti histamine tabs in boots uk cheapest at £0.03 per tab. Cheapest on boots.ie ……..€0.40

They are different brands, don’t have the exact same available on both sides of the border so that’s probably their excuse but the underlying med is more or less the same in them all

12 times the price….. that’s scandalous

bromley52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120600146#Comment_120600146

It's very easy to sign up for a UK Tesco card and you get the number immediately. Manually add the number to whatever wallet you are using and you are good to go.

Genghis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120603022#Comment_120603022

Thanks bromley52. The teaco staff member said we couldn't sign up, so we didn't even try. Will do that next time.

beaniefan

Another tip I use for when planning shopping trip up north, trolley.co.uk is UK price comparison site, handy for checking price of items in asda, tesco, sainsburys etc

andrew1977

I use Superdrug online for my stuff , stock up when the special offers on deodorant/ shower gels etc are on offer, they are very good value , listed as Uk prices and I collect it at my local store . The staff pick the product off the shelf in store , the online price in Sterling GBP is cheaper than buying it in store .

reubenreuben

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120606335#Comment_120606335

Can you do this in the south?

andrew1977

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120606377#Comment_120606377

Yes, onto superdrug website, the prices are charged in GBP, i use my revolut card to pay (slightly better rate of exchange to Euro ) , collect in store (in south )normally within a couple of hours max.

Great value to be had when you shop when the special offers are on.

The gas thing is that the staff pick the stock off the shelf in the local store once you opt for instore collection, yet your getting the cheaper website price.

reubenreuben

Just checked and they also deliver for free for orders over £25

zell12

BAers know of Superdrug for yonks. They used to have cheapest toilet paper delivered for free if you spent £10, now £15 (sign up to H&B card free)

OmegaGene

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120607664#Comment_120607664

I could be missing something totally obvious but what is a H&b card ?

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120607674#Comment_120607674

https://www.superdrug.com/beautycard

Chris_5339762

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120606377#Comment_120606377

...and will customs sieze the tablets when it arrives in the south? They are notorious for that crap.

sibersha

Home Bargains and B&M etc in Newry are great for paracetamol, toiletries, antihistamines etc.

First and Last off license in Jonesboro just off the motorway is great spot for alcohol deals.

If the North is within a reasonable driving range then there serious savings to be made if you make the trip and fill the boot.

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120599683#Comment_120599683

Boots and Chemist Direct are fairly good

Tesco club card price was €4.50 for Dove deodorant originally €9, I'm sure it was never €9