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What items are consistently vastly overpriced in Ireland compared to UK

timetogo1

I have a couple of items that I buy now and again, that occasionally drop drastically in price in Ireland compared to their usual price. On checking the drop is usually only to the same price as their normal RRP in the UK.

Examples:

Douwe Egberts Coffee - Supervalu / Dunnes / Tesco normally have this for €13.99. The normal price in the UK (Asda) is about £6.75. Dunnes drop the price every month or two for about a week to €7 (it's €7 now). Still overpriced in my mind but the missus likes it. So I stock up whenever the price drops. And use the €5 off €25 or €10 off €50 to get another 20% off.

Results for “douwe” - Tesco Groceries

Haagen Daaz Ice Cream - Supervalu / Dunnes / Tesco normally have this for about €7. The normal price in the UK (Asda) is about £4. The shops here drop the price every so often to about €4.

I was wondering if there are any other items that have huge jumps like that. It seems like they have some type of collusion as the 3 chains are similar at the much higher prices while just north of the border, Tesco / Asda seem to have them at the much cheaper prices consistently. We go north every couple of months so I'm trying to identify items that make it really worthwhile. Best bang for buck type of stuff. I'm not bothered stocking up to save 1%. I'll stock up if it saves 30%

E.g. Dunnes dropped their price on Douwe Egberts yesterday. We were out of stock at home and I can't justify paying €14 for a jar of coffee so it was on the list for our next trip north. Don't need to now.

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Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122072605#Comment_122072605

England

Seeing a doctor is free and the current prescription charge is £9.90 per item or you can avail of a prescription prepayment certificate

There are 3 PPC options:

3-months - £32.05 a
12-months - £114.50
12 month hormone replacement therapy - £19.80

Things like contraception and medicines prescribed for hospital inpatients and all prescriptions for U18s is 100% free

So if I need to see a doctor for a basic antibiotic it's a grand total of £9.90 to sort myself out

Randycove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122671767#Comment_122671767

my old pharmacy used to rip up the prescription and give me the antibiotics for a few quid. They were too embarrassed to charge the prescription rate for them. It was a big shock the first time I paid for them in Ireland and a visit to the docs to sort out tonsillitis cost about €80

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122671798#Comment_122671798

Well obviously if the antibiotics cost less than £9.90 that does make sense

techman1

And Ireland's GDP per capita is at least twice that of the UK. You can't live in an expensive economy had have cheap stuff, that does not exist in any part of the world.

That's leprechaun economics though, irish gdp is grossly inflated by multinational activity , the cso rightly got reprimanded for the international financial press a few years ago. When you have massive global corporations moving their global revenues through ireland it is obvious there will be big distortions. Real irish productivity is about half the quoted gdp figures. Saying the UK is now equivalent to a third country economy is ridiculous. Anyone can see it is still a very rich country with many things that we simply don't have in this country.

Why are we more expensive, we have higher taxes on everything, higher minimum wage, higher energy costs and we are a small island off of a big island so transportation costs are higher. Probably brexit has pushed higher administration coats down the line regarding British produced goods

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122671199#Comment_122671199

Someone in Ireland who notices the price would not buy jocks in Marks and Spencers but would go to Dunnes, so there is not much incentive for them to bring prices down. Likewise a straightforward fleece or jacket would be half the price in Dunnes, and cheaper again in Primark.

JVince

TK Maxx

They use a straight 1.5 conversion rate as a paddy tax

In addition, most of the rubbish they sell is own brand or made to their price points by brands such as aquascutum.

A general overall rip-off with just a few exceptions

Mannesmann

Magazines. Nearly double the price.

flatty

Overall personal tax (what is removed from your salary) in Ireland is shockingly high.

cobham

Apart from the pound to euro exchange rate, there is added factor of different VAT rates such as some hygiene products being considered 'luxery' products in Ireland and taxed accordingly … or is that still the case?

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122688836#Comment_122688836

compared to?

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122688836#Comment_122688836

Not compared to Northern Ireland/UK. Nor indeed many other countries.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122671767#Comment_122671767

Except that you're in a Ticketmaster like rush at 9am when the surgery phone lines open trying to get an appointment for 2-3 months out in the UK, compared to here. Be careful what you wish for.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122439402#Comment_122439402

You didn't save anything on the deposit. It's a deposit. You get it back.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122688691#Comment_122688691

I find tk maxx a load of rubbish also. You’re much better off going to a mainstream retailer when they have a sale or reductions and buying something you might actually want rather than their overpriced tat. You might be lucky with the odd red stickerEd item but that’s it really

road_high

was in Fermanagh recently and did some shopping. It’s ok but not a huge differential. You have to be choosy and have your eyes wide open as many items could be the same or dearer tbh. It’s mainly to get a few things you mightn’t get down south

road_high

One thing i do stock up on are Wellman vitamins- £6.50 each and 3for2. They’re like €14.99 or something here in Boots on 3for2 so that’s a fairly massive difference

scudzilla

Pedigree Markies and Jumbones

In UK Markies are £1.39 a box, €4.49 here

Jumbones over there usually about £1 (normally 3 for 3), €2.85 each here

duffman13

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122691430#Comment_122691430

The problem here is your choice of retailer

€8.55 and 3for2 here, Boots lives on the 3for2 but is very poor value on a lot of products unless own brand

https://www.hollandandbarrett.ie/shop/product/vitabiotics-wellman-tablets-60023750

road_high

Ah right I think I did buy them in Holland Barrett now you mention them before- notes for future that’s much more like it.

Boots can be pricey but I really only buy stuff on offers there too. Some of their standard prices are pretty ridiculous

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122691402#Comment_122691402

1hr we spent at a walk in clinic near Alton Towers a few weeks ago. That was checking in, waiting for a doctor, seeing the doctor and getting a prescription filled. Sure it would be faster using private healthcare but not by a whole lot

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122691430#Comment_122691430

you should get vitamins through food & diet. But Tesco IE sell it for e14.50 v. Tesco UK e7.50

con___manx1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120842690#Comment_120842690

Sudocream was invented by an Irish man. Made in dublin for years but some Israeli company bought it and its made abroad now.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122691870#Comment_122691870

NHS GP users have very different experiences;
https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/may/23/millions-of-patients-a-month-wait-longer-than-a-fortnight-to-see-gp-in-england

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122691870#Comment_122691870

Try getting a GP appointment in NI as a registered patient and you'll feel differently.

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122691402#Comment_122691402

Not if like me (and it seems most of the country) you refuse to take part in the scheme.

It'll be a factor for deciding if and when I do my first ever booze run to the North.

Dublinandy3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122694896#Comment_122694896

Some soft drinks and alcohol do have the return logo on in the north. I live near the border and shop there every week.

Latest example I had was sprite cans. 12 for 4.15 gbp in Tesco and I returned all 12 cans and got 1.80 back.

It's not consistent in brand or category, but always a nice find when spotted.

That situation I would recommend taking part in the scheme :)

road_high

Yes I noticed same in M&S- return logo in the north on Apple juice. I assume it’s just simpler packaging and logistics vs having two separate labels now

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122694913#Comment_122694913

Good info but I think you misunderstood me.

I'm not partaking in the return scheme.I throw all my cans and bottles in the bin as I did before this scheme came in.

I'm not interested in letting rubbish build up in my house or car boot and bringing it to supermarket to deal with it.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122694913#Comment_122694913

Didn"t know Sprite still existed.

Dublinandy3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122695712#Comment_122695712

Yeah, it's the fifth best-selling carbonated soft drink in the world.

Rocket_GD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122694896#Comment_122694896

When you say "most of the country" what you really mean is you falsely think that most are not taking part in the scheme.

The number of returns would disagree with you.

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2024/0801/1463006-deposit-return-scheme-figures/