shopping up north - my experience.

Zzippy · 03-12-2008 01:08PM

Baby4 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Were you being ironic? Cos its Northern Ireland...

thelordofcheese · 03-12-2008 01:12PM

Zzippy wrote: »

Were you being ironic? Cos its Northern Ireland...

It's England Pt 4, really.

Though i think the point you're pretending to miss is that it's not 'buying irish' seeing as the VAT will go into the english economy, not the irish one.

kelle · 03-12-2008 01:16PM

Nehaxak wrote: »

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

I'd love to know your reaction if your local shop closed down and you had to travel 30 miles to buy a litre of milk.

Anyway, tried doing the Newry thing once, wouldn't do it again. Ok, prices are cheaper but I ended up buying far more than I needed so I didn't really make any savings. I prefer to pay more and have just essentials, not clutter in my cupboards.

Slow Motion · 03-12-2008 01:23PM

I will be going up north next week to do my shopping. And to those who say we should spend down here I would just like to say NO! Mary the hut Hearny was the one who said "Shop around" when people complained about being ripped off. That is what I and many others are doing!

Just look at the LVA price freeze thread. To publicans and retailers, I would like to say I do not bleieve the bullshit you keep giving us about the higher cost of doing business in this country, while an element of that may be true it is the sickening and blatent profiteering you have been engaged in for years that is causing this sea change in my and others buying behavour and you have only yourselves to blame, we complained to you, you did nothing, we complained to our government, they did nothing, we complained to each other and decided WTF I've had enough.

Well done us!

ShooterSF · 03-12-2008 01:33PM

Finally a positive in not succeeding in getting a 32 county republic. We can escape the rip offs.

UsedtobePC · 03-12-2008 01:33PM

When it was the Southern Irish customer taking getting ripped off by the Southern Irish retailers nobody in the government batted an eyelid. "Shop around" said the Hearny woman (is that what she was doing getting her hair done in Florida??) cause she knew nothing could be done about it as one shop was as expensive as the one next door.

The retailers kept shush while steadily increasing prices as they had a captive audience. I personally always do my clothes shopping in Spain or the US but didn't have much of an option regarding groceries or presents. Now I do!

Now the poor retailers in the South are feeling the squeeze and crying foul play. Aww pouts!

I did my crimbo shopping in Lisburn 3 weeks ago. Sweet!

Nehaxak · 03-12-2008 01:37PM

kelle wrote: »

I'd love to know your reaction if your local shop closed down and you had to travel 30 miles to buy a litre of milk.

The market will still exist for someone else to open up a shop and sell for less selfish profit off the backs of Irish consumers. I am hoping a lot of these profiteering businesses are forced to reduce their prices or close down. Couldn't care less and I've no sympathy for them.

If Milk or other items were too expensive to source in Ireland, I as a business would just source them elsewhere in the EU. Open market, free trade, live with it and adjust or die off and let someone else do it instead.

There's a mens clothes shop on Camden St in Dublin, sells suits, shirts, jackets, shoes, jeans/trousers and the like. He's doing great deals at the moment and for the last 3 months for top end high quality clothes, example being 2 x André shirts for €69. Exact same shirts are selling elsewhere in Dublin for €80 each !
Had a chat with him yesterday when I was buying clothes for myself, he's still making a tidy profit for himself and his business yet he is NOT profiteering or being greedy. He's doing a roaring trade and far as I'm concerned he's getting my business from here on.

That's a good example of business adjusting and making less profit during these bad economic times yet still doing great business for himself.

I'm not going to pay over the odds for something to prop up a profiteering greedy business or just because they're "Irish". I will shop around and if need be I will take my business outside of the country if I have too.

Ross_Mahon · 03-12-2008 01:43PM

Went up yesterday at 7AM, there was only a few cars on the hill, got into the place no bother and found a parking space easily as the place was kinda empty, I was comparing the clothes prices to Dublin, Basically the same.

The games can be 5-10 euro cheaper, But most of the popular titles were sold out, I got into Sainsbury's a bit later on, The prices on Christmas shopping are much cheaper, Some great deals on the drink, I would suggest doing your grocery shopping first thing you get there.

There was a sign saying 'Fireworks Factory' on the way out of Newry, curiosity got the better of me, Its not what it seems!

A small garage with a few boxes of fireworks and random robbed stuff lying about.

kleefarr · 03-12-2008 01:44PM

MikeySligo wrote: »

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

LOL that ws funny.

vektarman · 03-12-2008 01:47PM

SheroN wrote: »

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

Tut tut, if I was a mod I'd say chill...

Biggins · 03-12-2008 01:48PM

MikeySligo wrote: »

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

Welcome to the EU!

SheroN · 03-12-2008 01:50PM

vektarman wrote: »

Tut tut, if I was a mod I'd say chill...

He's the one who said he was a male prostitue.

ToxicPaddy · 03-12-2008 02:02PM

I'm all for keeping the business in Ireland, but unfortunately I have to agree with some of the other peeps here. Things are just too bloody expensive here and as a result people are going elsewhere..

The retailers got greedy and this is the result.. even the publicans are trying to rectify it now with this price freeze, its too little too late though..

I'm not gonna be rushing North to do my weekly shop, that will be doen in my local supermarket, however my bro lives in Belfast and I do intend on doing some Xmas shopping up there when I visit him next weekend as I know I'll be saving a fairly decent amount by buying up there.

Its unfortunate, but as someone said in another thread, the recession might be something of a good thing in the long run if it makes people open their eyes and see just how much they are being fleeced in the South by retailers etc..

People have known the savings they can make by buying cars in the UK for years, now they realise that they can save on other stuff by buying there too.. Its not a pleasant thought to see all that money leaving the economy but people are watching what they spend and this is the result..

I cant say I'm surprised..

Tox

Nehaxak · 03-12-2008 02:22PM

SheroN wrote: »

He's the one who said he was a male prostitue.

I wouldn't post on AH if I didn't have a thick skin and there was no offense taken anyway so it's all cool

giggsy664 · 03-12-2008 02:45PM

stovelid wrote: »

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

We won't be able to fix your caps lock button

stovelid · 03-12-2008 03:15PM

giggsy664 wrote: »

We won't be able to fix your caps lock button

I don't want it fixed. It's entirely topical for these hysterical times.

sdanseo · 03-12-2008 03:40PM

Nehaxak wrote: »

The market will still exist for someone else to open up a shop and sell for less selfish profit off the backs of Irish consumers. I am hoping a lot of these profiteering businesses are forced to reduce their prices or close down. Couldn't care less and I've no sympathy for them.

If Milk or other items were too expensive to source in Ireland, I as a business would just source them elsewhere in the EU. Open market, free trade, live with it and adjust or die off and let someone else do it instead.

There's a mens clothes shop on Camden St in Dublin, sells suits, shirts, jackets, shoes, jeans/trousers and the like. He's doing great deals at the moment and for the last 3 months for top end high quality clothes, example being 2 x André shirts for €69. Exact same shirts are selling elsewhere in Dublin for €80 each !
Had a chat with him yesterday when I was buying clothes for myself, he's still making a tidy profit for himself and his business yet he is NOT profiteering or being greedy. He's doing a roaring trade and far as I'm concerned he's getting my business from here on.

That's a good example of business adjusting and making less profit during these bad economic times yet still doing great business for himself.

I'm not going to pay over the odds for something to prop up a profiteering greedy business or just because they're "Irish". I will shop around and if need be I will take my business outside of the country if I have too.

Away to bargain alerts with you and share that snippet, good man.

sdanseo · 03-12-2008 03:42PM

stovelid wrote: »

I don't want it fixed. It's entirely topical for these hysterical times.

Christmas isn't under threat, just the pressies. No need to have a heart attack.

On topic: Up north ftw, was in asda recently in Eniskillen and picked up some scary bargains. If shops down here aren't goign to get off their arses and compete then let them lose the business.

pow wow · 03-12-2008 03:43PM

It's nice to be surrounded by people from down home every weekend at Ikea and Sainsburys....it's like I never left

shellyboo · 03-12-2008 04:11PM

Baby4 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Hate to break it to you, but most of the products on the shelves in Irish supermarkets come from the UK. You're not buying Irish unless the supermarket finds it cheaper to stock Irish.

At best you're keeping the staff in a job while spending more money on buying the exact same product from the exact same supplier that you'd get in the north. You just have to decide whether or not you're that selfless.

stevoman · 03-12-2008 04:17PM

its the same gangsters anyways that have been ripping us off for the last few years that are saying to be patriotic now. in my opinion as i have already said though, the internet is by far cheaper except for groceries!

dade · 03-12-2008 04:36PM

MikeySligo wrote: »

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

my bad fixed it now

dade · 03-12-2008 04:37PM

connundrum wrote: »

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!

normally stock up on my blades when i travel to the US

simu · 03-12-2008 04:39PM

The idea of all that travelling and hanging out in shopping centres sounds like hell.

People seem to go into a food-buying frenzy every Christmas - it's not a nuclear winter that's coming up ffs!

markpb · 03-12-2008 04:51PM

ToxicPaddy wrote: »

The retailers got greedy and this is the result.. even the publicans are trying to rectify it now with this price freeze, its too little too late though..

The retailers? The publicans....

You'd swear no-one else in Ireland expected huge pay rises, changed jobs to get even bigger pay rises, got on the property ladder when they couldn't afford it and jetted off on holidays twice a year. It's good to know the greed wasn't contagious.

Radharc na Sleibhte · 03-12-2008 04:54PM

dade wrote: »

my bad fixed it now

er, I didn't really care that much tbh, I was just being a smart-ass.

Gumbo · 03-12-2008 05:39PM

its all about timing, left ,my house in finglas yesterday at 8.05am and was sitting in a parking spot outside sainsburys at 9.20am. there were loads of free spaces at time, although it filled up very quickly.

stocked up in sainsburys, loaded it into the car then went back in and around the other shops!

pack of 6 bulmers pint bottles were £8
12 smirnoff ice £8
gillette fusion power blades x4 £9.99

Wertz · 03-12-2008 05:50PM

Went up to Newry myself yesterday afternoon...it's only a 20 min drive for me and whilst I took a back road in to avoid potential queues, there weren't any. Got parked up at argos on merchants quay without having to even look for a space...went into Argos, got my 19" LCD (£147 STG + £10 gift card = €164.50; southern Argos price = €220), back on the road...took me longer to get back up the hill out of Newry than it did to get the rest of the way home.
Heading down to Lisburn and Craigavon tomorrow with friends for the big grocery shop.
Bt like the OP most xmas stuff has already been bought online (mostly UK).

UrbanSea · 03-12-2008 06:03PM

slow motion how can you say your fed up of the bull **** blah blah that irish retailers are giving you about the cost of business and all. you clearly dont know the figures of irish retailers in the profit margins or turn overs that they have,or else you wouldnt be sayin this. its the suppliers that dictate the prices,and it doesnt help that there is what a 6 and a half per cent or something VAT down the south? although it may be more expensive id much rather shop down here rather than the north as my father has an electrical shop and i have seen the figures the likes of WHIRLPOOL or PHILLIPS give him and their crazy,nothin the shop owners can do about it

xOxSinéadxOx · 03-12-2008 06:15PM

it's definitely good for the groceries and drink, definitely stock up a lot on drink cos it's so much cheaper

shopping up north - my experience.

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