shopping up north - my experience.

stevoman · 03-12-2008 11:29AM #1

well i went up to newry shopping yesterday and this is just my experience for people going up there and a few pointers for people who are thinking of going.

firstly prepare to have a long wait to get to sainsburys for parking. it wasnt busy yesterday and we had to que for a half hour to get to the car park. then had about another 20 minutes driving around looking for a space. we got lucky and got one and headed inside. once there with your trolly picture the panick that comes witha hurricance and thats what its like. the drink is cheap in fairness, litre bottles of vodka and bacardi etc for £14. baby food is also cheap but the pandamonium is just cazy. people are pulling items from boxes before theye even get to the shelves. In my opinion the only saving to be made are in the supermarkets so if its food shopping your going for go to another town that has a supermarket and off license and shop there where it quiter.

so then we made our way to the clothes and game shops which are also mobbed! any game is sold out and the prices on the internet are actually the same price as in the shops. clothes shops are also mobbed and i done a lot of my clothes shopping over the internet this year and found it a lot more handier and just as cheap.

it is also very confusing as you pay in euro and get sterling back in change and after a whle you do not know if you are coming or going.

in my honest opinion if its food and drink you are after go further north, find a quiter town and shop there. if its clothes and console games etc you are after, use the internet such as cdwow, play.com and ebay and get the same if not better deals there.

personally i wouldnt recommmend the north for anyting other than drink and groceries.

thats just my opinion though! hope it helps!

Quazzie · 03-12-2008 11:32AM

In my car and where I live it'd cost me €30 in petrol alone to get to the north and back so unless I was filling a van I couldn't justify it

cmcsoft · 03-12-2008 11:33AM

Thanks for the heads up. I've talked to loads of people who are thinking about travelling long distances to go shopping in the North. Overall I don't think it makes much since if you're down far south to travel up. Obviously if you're closer to the border it's an option but not if it's a 3 hour drive. I shop a bit on the internet, there's some good deals and anything else I can get within an hour of me reasonably cheap. I think most retailers are waking up to the fact that people aren't going to throw money away anymore

andrewh5 · 03-12-2008 11:35AM

Go another 15 minutes up the A1 to Sainsburys at Sprucefield, Lisburn. Much bigger, loads of car spaces, more selection and no manic crowds

There is also a designer outlet park at Banbridge just off the A1 that you pass on the way to Lisburn. Also well worth a look.

Radharc na Sleibhte · 03-12-2008 11:39AM

cmcsoft wrote: »

Overall I don't think it makes much since if you're down far south to travel up. Obviously if you're closer to the border it's an option but not if it's a 3 hour drive.

My nana in law drives a 46 mile round trip to save 2c when putting petrol in her Micra!!!
God love her what? Poor deluded old bat.
Takes her about three days to get there and back too!

stovelid · 03-12-2008 11:41AM

OMG. What if everything is sold in the North. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO CHRISTMAS???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SheroN · 03-12-2008 11:43AM

I couldn't be ****ed driving up the north to queue like a monkey in crowded shopping centres for hours to save money. Not to mention the waste of a day in doing so.

Baby4 · 03-12-2008 11:46AM

This post has been deleted.

Radharc na Sleibhte · 03-12-2008 11:47AM

There's a few serious honeyz working up in Asda in Enniskillen.
Well worth the 120 mile round trip through Irelands worst roads.

connundrum · 03-12-2008 11:51AM

The scene in Sainsbury's car park at the weekend was comical - you had people walking to their cars with their full trolleys, and a line of men behind them looking to take the trolley when they'd finished unloading it.

It was like a scene from Dawn of the Dead, with all these zombies going round looking for the precious trolley!

If I go up again before Christmas I think I'll be heading to Lisburn or Belfast.

PurplePrincess · 03-12-2008 11:53AM

I also went North yesterday for shopping but had a slightly different experience.

left Dublin at 0615, was parking in Asda at Kennedy way just after 8am. the place was empty (its open h24). Plenty of stock, loads of beer/wine/spirits. Good few special offers.

few miles up the Falls road is the Park Centre. Woolworths/Superdrug/Dunnes stores the main tenants. Loads of toys on special in Woolies and great deals on toiletries in Superdrug. Dunnes just cheaper than here with stg diff.

Continued on to Belfast, sales/special offers on in loads of shops. Gap/Boots/Debenhams/Clarks to name a few. Lovely Christmas market in front of city hall, great atmosphere. Parking no problem in Castlecourt centre @1.70 an hour

Stopped in Sainsburys Sprucefield (lisburn) on way home, similiar special offers to Asda but not as much stock left in alcohol section, however they were offloading pallets of stuff that had just been delivered. You get a petrol discount voucher with your shopping if you need to refuel before you head home.

Also an argos/currys/next home here. If you're wanting stuff from argos, reserve it online and they have an automated in store system, just go to the kiosk, input the res number put in credit card and away you go. Saves queueing.

Basically give Newry a miss!!!!

Mint Sauce · 03-12-2008 11:53AM

went shopping in derry yeasterday, done most of the xmas shopping, just the gifts, and even though didn't spend much, even after the bus fare, still saved money compared to the south

will probably head back up in january, priced a few electrical items that i have been looking at, and a lot cheeper there compared to stores down here in the same chain store

ntlbell · 03-12-2008 11:55AM

Q2002 wrote: »

In my car and where I live it'd cost me €30 in petrol alone to get to the north and back so unless I was filling a van I couldn't justify it

sure you would save 30e on a few bottles of spirts after that it's all pure savings.

Nehaxak · 03-12-2008 11:56AM

Stevoman, nice heads up/info, cheers for that.

My partners mother and a load of her friends from work went off to Germany for some Christmas market yesterday morning, they booked their flights couple months back so got them next to nothing with Ryanair, probably cheaper than what it would cost in petrol to get up the North and back to Dublin.

Not saying everyone go to Germany instead but there are other choices available outside of Ireland if it's more than just food shopping you want.

stovelid · 03-12-2008 11:58AM

MikeySligo wrote: »

There's a few serious honeyz working up in Asda in Enniskillen.

That's Eniskillen, Harlem?

bigpinkelephant · 03-12-2008 11:58AM

I'm gonna head up one of the days next week. I've been to Newry before and loved it but it was months ago and even then it was packed.
I don't think I could stick the Xmas crowds, reckon I'll head to Lisburn instead.

Kiera · 03-12-2008 12:03PM

andrewh5 wrote: »

Go another 15 minutes up the A1 to Sainsburys at Sprucefield, Lisburn. Much bigger, loads of car spaces, more selection and no manic crowds

There is also a designer outlet park at Banbridge just off the A1 that you pass on the way to Lisburn. Also well worth a look.

I was in these two places on Monday and they were dead. It was great. Got all my clothes and drink in an hour.

dade · 03-12-2008 12:04PM

was up there on Monday

used only 1/4 tank of gas with 4 ppl in the car so not bad.
did the usual beer buying. 8 cans of cider £9 which is about €12 same 8 cans is almost €19 in tesco.

Kellogg's Frosties €1 a box, so about €1.25 a box.

McCain's micro chips. packet of 4 was bout £2 while the same is about €5 in tesco

microwave dinners where £1 each,

tins of sweets are half price

2 * 2l of coke for £2

Games where sweet. Gears of war 2 for xBox was £40 so that's about €48. Wireless network card for xBox was £60 which is about €75 that cost about €100 here.

Stocked up on the shampoo and shower gel. Shaving Gel and stuff like that too huge savings to be made. the trip is really worth it if you're getting more than just beer.

left swords about 7.30 rolled into Salisbury's for about 8.30 and the car park was only about half full. we did all the shopping there then went to the games shops etc,. came back to Salisbury's about 2 PM and it was bloody bedlam in there.

Kiera · 03-12-2008 12:05PM

You eat a lot of crap, Dade :P

Radharc na Sleibhte · 03-12-2008 12:06PM

Jaysus dade, between dollar signs, euro signs, sterling signs you've me all confussed.

ntlbell · 03-12-2008 12:06PM

Kiera wrote: »

I was in these two places on Monday and they were dead. It was great. Got all my clothes and drink in an hour.

where do you come off for this sainsburys?

PurpleBerry · 03-12-2008 12:09PM

Sounds like fun!

And thanks for posting, it's good to be forewarned.

Kiera · 03-12-2008 12:09PM

ntlbell wrote: »

where do you come off for this sainsburys?

About 10mins from Bambridge. So if you come out of the outlet you continue on for about 10 mins up the A1 and you're there.

connundrum · 03-12-2008 12:10PM

dade wrote: »

Stocked up on the shampoo and shower gel. Shaving Gel and stuff like that too huge savings to be made. the trip is really worth it if you're getting more than just beer.

Meant to actually say - in Boots in Newry they had a Gillete Mach 3 Turbo Stealth Power Zinger Whopper set, incl. Razor, 4 blades, small shaving gel, small after shave balm - for £13. Batteries not included though

I thought that was decent considering you'd pay that just for the blades in some places down here!

gcgirl · 03-12-2008 12:10PM

Baby4 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

We are buying IRISH Northern IRISH

ntlbell · 03-12-2008 12:16PM

Kiera wrote: »

About 10mins from Bambridge. So if you come out of the outlet you continue on for about 10 mins up the A1 and you're there.

ta.

we've been shopping in newry for months never had a problem with traffic or parking but it sounds like a nightmare recently

Nehaxak · 03-12-2008 12:28PM

Thing that's really impressing me the most is the amount of people from the Republic who are actually doing this, as such voting with their feet and giving the two fingers to rip off Ireland.

I couldn't care less either what business/jobs/profit/whatever is lost in the Republic because of this, not the customers fault. Lower your prices and stop ripping off consumers or they will eventually get pissed off enough to go do their shopping elsewhere, even so much as to travel outside of the country for it.

Chuffed to see this happening I am

SheroN · 03-12-2008 12:32PM

Nehaxak wrote: »

Thing that's really impressing me the most is the amount of people from the Republic who are actually doing this, as such voting with their feet and giving the two fingers to rip off Ireland.

I couldn't care less either what business/jobs/profit/whatever is lost in the Republic because of this, not the customers fault. Lower your prices and stop ripping off consumers or they will eventually get pissed off enough to go do their shopping elsewhere, even so much as to travel outside of the country for it.

Chuffed to see this happening I am

What do you do for work may I ask?

Nehaxak · 03-12-2008 12:38PM

SheroN wrote: »

What do you do for work may I ask?

I'm a male prostitute, business has never been better, I can even do a Belfast accent now.

SheroN · 03-12-2008 12:48PM

Nehaxak wrote: »

I'm a male prostitute, business has never been better, I can even do a Belfast accent now.

I would thought economic and social crusader. Anyway, best of luck taking it up the ass.

Nehaxak · 03-12-2008 01:06PM

SheroN wrote: »

I would thought economic and social crusader. Anyway, best of luck taking it up the ass.

I haven't tried anal yet, I'm only doing kisses at the moment. €10 per kiss and I'll giggle and act all shy for an extra €5.

Anyhow... I'm just glad to see many people giving the two fingers to rip off Ireland and it really has impressed me.

shopping up north - my experience.

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