Shopping in Northern Ireland

Our man in Havana · 21-12-2008 10:59PM

Adamcp898 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me what rate the ATM's in the North are giving sterling at, heading shopping tomorrow and know that some of the clothes and entertainment shops are still only giving 80-90p for a euro, would I be better to run into the bank to buy some sterling because I don't feel like bashing the credit card.

They were giving 90p to the euro yesterday.

smashey · 21-12-2008 11:05PM

Adamcp898 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me what rate the ATM's in the North are giving sterling at, heading shopping tomorrow and know that some of the clothes and entertainment shops are still only giving 80-90p for a euro, would I be better to run into the bank to buy some sterling because I don't feel like bashing the credit card.

I took £100 from an ATM in Derry today and it cost me €108.75. Thats a rate of 92p per euro. (91.91954 to be pedantic).

mjnolan1 · 21-12-2008 11:32PM

I picked up a LG 37" 6000 model (LG376000) in Richersounds Belfast for under €600 today with the current rate of exchange. Powercity have it on their site for €950, reduced to €899, It's worth the overall 4 hour drive for a €300 saving....

burberry · 21-12-2008 11:41PM

your better off waiting for there sale which starts on fri;)

Our man in Havana · 21-12-2008 11:43PM

burberry wrote: »

your better off waiting for there sale which starts on fri;)

Indeed, things will only get worse for Mr. Lenihan.

Guvnor · 22-12-2008 12:23AM

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

I am sure this has been covered but I am new to this! I'm heading up to buy a TV in Currys in Newry, it is £600, does it make any difference how I pay, am I better of paying euro cash, sterling or CC? Anyone know if they do 1€ to 1£?

Thanks.

Their rate is always terrible. Much better to use a card or have sterling on you. Sainsbury in Sprucefield have a currency exchange and it is pretty close to market rates as in 2p out versus 5p out for the smaller foreign exchange shops along the border.

I personally never found Curry's to be overly cheap on TV's.

Our man in Havana · 22-12-2008 12:32AM

I have found Argos to be reasonable on TVs. Always use Sterling or cards in Argos as their rate for euro cash is laughable.

freebee23 · 22-12-2008 02:02AM

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

I am sure this has been covered but I am new to this! I'm heading up to buy a TV in Currys in Newry, it is £600, does it make any difference how I pay, am I better of paying euro cash, sterling or CC? Anyone know if they do 1€ to 1£?

Thanks.

Hi Stevie,

If you are going to buy a TV I would recommend buying from Richer Sounds in Belfast. Have a look at the Richer Sounds Forum on Boards, they have the latest models and will match any online price out there www.richersounds.com. I recently bought 2 Samsungs from them and saved an absolute fortune. They also do a 5 year warranty for 10% of the purchase price. Example that I got was the Samsung LE40686 for 749.99 with 5 year warranty extra 74.95.
The guys up there are spot on and wont steer you wrong. Also as to paying I would definitely go with the Credit Card option and pay in Sterling, that way your bank sets the conversion rate which is usually slightly behind the markets factoring in commission and fees.
Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Freebee23

Gulliver · 22-12-2008 10:30AM

Even bargain shop like Lidl are riding us sideways down here:
Silvercrest 7” Touch-Screen In-Dash DVD Car Radio
ROI: €249
NI: £149 - €158:eek:

If you could use it as a monitor for a carPC, I would have been all over it like a rash.

Stevie Dakota · 22-12-2008 10:45AM

Thanks guys, CC it is then. I tried Richer Sounds, and while I was impressed with the guys they didn't have the set I wanted. Currys have it around €250 cheaper than here, maybe more when their sale kicks in.

aidz · 22-12-2008 11:39AM

Bond-007 wrote: »

I was up there on Friday and Saturday having stayed in the Belfast area on the Friday night. I drove up via Cavan and Monaghan thus avoiding the M50/Newry/A1 traffic problems. Went to Sainsburys Forestside on Friday night for alcohol and non perishable shopping. It was not overly busy at 9pm and got around comfortably. Only complaint was that many shelves were not restocked.

We returned to Sainsburys on Saturday morning and obtained what meat and vegetables we needed and done a shop in M&S before heading for Argos in Sprucefield. It was a good move to buy the alcohol on Friday night as you could not get into the off licence on Saturday morning. After Argos, we went into Sainsburys to look for stuff we forgot. It was like the fall of Hanoi in there, forget about trying to buy booze. I would hate to see how Newry was.

We then headed home via Armagh and Cavan arriving home at 7pm. Good shopping was done and we are all set for Christmas.

Edit: What did amaze us was how busy Dunnes and Tesco in Monaghan was. With Armagh only 16 miles up the N12/A3 what the hell is going on? I guess the FF propaganda is working in Monaghan town.

think some of us in monaghan would still like to see our friends and neighbours still have retail jobs in the new year, hence why people are still shopping there

Our man in Havana · 22-12-2008 12:58PM

Commendable I am sure.

Sarah.Wu · 22-12-2008 02:42PM

just make sure the sales are start at boxing day?

thanks.

consultech · 22-12-2008 03:20PM

aidz wrote: »

think some of us in monaghan would still like to see our friends and neighbours still have retail jobs in the new year, hence why people are still shopping there

Not your responsibility. Not in the slightest.

That's like taking a 3 hour detour to work each morning cause you don't want to clog up the M50. It's not your responsibility to ensure the system works properly.

You're only responsibility is to act like a consumer.

witnessmenow · 22-12-2008 03:32PM

consultech wrote: »

Not your responsibility. Not in the slightest.

That's like taking a 3 hour detour to work each morning cause you don't want to clog up the M50. It's not your responsibility to ensure the system works properly.

You're only responsibility is to act like a consumer.

What a stupid post.

Is it the people who work there's fault that the system doesnt work? Is it the local shop owners fault? Yet they're the people who are going to get hit the hardest.

If people are delayed on the m50 will they no longer have enough money to keep a roof over there family's heads or feed them?

RiverWilde · 22-12-2008 03:59PM

consultech wrote: »

You're only responsibility is to act like a consumer.

What an awful sentiment. How the devil does a 'consumer' act? You make it sound like it is every citizens duty to 'consume.' What are we? Ants?!

Riv

consultech · 22-12-2008 04:03PM

witnessmenow wrote: »

What a stupid post.

Is it the people who work there's fault that the system doesnt work? Is it the local shop owners fault? Yet they're the people who are going to get hit the hardest.

If people are delayed on the m50 will they no longer have enough money to keep a roof over there family's heads or feed them?

The concept of analogous comparison is clearly lost on you...

My point is that assuming responsibility for, and attempting to help the plight of local retail workers by shopping locally and boycotting competitive market prices up north; is tantamount to bending over and having the Irish government/Southern Irish retail industry leaders take your back door off its hinges.

Morgans · 22-12-2008 04:23PM

I'd have to agree. The only thing that seems to have shaken up the multiples in the ROI is the competition from the north. For some reason, god knows why, there doesnt seem to be much competition against each other. Groceries act went and not one batted an eyelid. Goes to show that if there was genuine competition, people will choose the cheaper option. The large retailers in Dublin etc maybe were able to brush off the competition from Aldi and Lidl for some reason. (snobbish attitude towards them probably the key factor)

My guess is that there is a good few in the retail sector who work in the border counties who do their shopping in the north. To my mind, the would be foolish to pay over-inflated prices in the south.

Guvnor · 22-12-2008 05:25PM

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Thanks guys, CC it is then. I tried Richer Sounds, and while I was impressed with the guys they didn't have the set I wanted. Currys have it around €250 cheaper than here, maybe more when their sale kicks in.

Stevie - what is the exact model you seek as currys price match plus 10%. Should be possible to get an online price cheaper than the store.

You going LCD or Plasma? Personally I'd be going plasma as imo they offer better picture quality overall and a better price!

For the record Sainsbury in Sprucefield were today offering a rate of £0.976 for every €1 so getting very close now.

Stevie Dakota · 22-12-2008 05:51PM

This is it..Samsung series 5 full HD, around €640 before the sales. Hoping it comes down in the sales. DID want €699 for a series 4 HD ready version. Closest match here would be a full HD 37" Philips here for €750.

http://www.currys.co.uk:80/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2057571716.1229964209@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccfkadefmhdkfgmcflgceggdhhmdgml.0&page=Product&fm=12&sm=0&tm=1&sku=793242&category_oid=

I'm going LCD as when I did a side by side of the various shops the LCD always looked sharper to me, and I could not tell any difference in the colour depth and black where I know plasma are meant to be superior.

Guvnor · 22-12-2008 06:46PM

http://www.cramptonandmoore.co.uk/33-52-screens-c49.html should have your model. To get the price match curry's need to be sure the tv on the site is exactly the same model number, any deviation and you are bunched. £587 ish here for a series 5.

I have an LCD 40in but no question next one is plasma - LCD HD are great tv's but side by side with a good plasma the shortcomings are evident, took a long time for me to reach this conclusion though tbh!:)

ninebeanrows · 23-12-2008 01:42AM

I love the Topman "Sale"

15% off everything.

On their tags....... 12 Sterling ...... 18 Euro

-15%

15.3*.94 = Eur14.38c

Still getting ripped off!

Absolutely shams.

alowe · 23-12-2008 09:09AM

Although I know no-one can see into the future .... but what does everything think the queues are going to be like after christmas???

The reason I ask, is that I'm planning on heading to Ikea next Monday, and I guess was hoping that it would be fine, that all the major jams would be finished, as people would have done their christmas shopping.

Is this just a naive thought!

alastair · 23-12-2008 10:22AM

alowe wrote: »

Although I know no-one can see into the future .... but what does everything think the queues are going to be like after christmas???

The reason I ask, is that I'm planning on heading to Ikea next Monday, and I guess was hoping that it would be fine, that all the major jams would be finished, as people would have done their christmas shopping.

Is this just a naive thought!

I'd say so.

The Ikea Jan sale is always jammers anyway - the exchange rate is only going to make that worse.

HashSlinging · 23-12-2008 11:05AM

Hey all. I am doing a Christmas eve dash across the border to get booze. Where would I be guaranteed no traffic for a pick up and turnaround. Was thinking one of the villages..

kingshankly · 23-12-2008 11:52AM

HashSlinging wrote: »

Hey all. I am doing a Christmas eve dash across the border to get booze. Where would I be guaranteed no traffic for a pick up and turnaround. Was thinking one of the villages..

Try mc geoghs on the back road from Dundalk to jonesborro it's only 10 min from Dundalk it's a petrol station with an off license has good prices and not too busy

tregan · 23-12-2008 12:13PM

my mum heard on the radio this morning that euro has reached parity! want to go north but haven't the energy, will go to the january sales as i've got all the pressies i need now! happy shopping, my hubby is in newry on a job and i want him to get some port as finished the two bottles we got when we went to sainsbury a few weeks ago! will mention that mcgeoghs and maybe he'll pop in! happy christmas everyone!

HashSlinging · 23-12-2008 12:16PM

kingshankly wrote: »

Try mc geoghs on the back road from Dundalk to jonesborro it's only 10 min from Dundalk it's a petrol station with an off license has good prices and not too busy

Cheers mate.

YNWA

Guru Maith Agut · 23-12-2008 12:28PM

tregan wrote: »

my mum heard on the radio this morning that euro has reached parity!

Don't know where they got that from:

Live rates at 2008.12.23 11:27:12 UTC

1.00 EUR = 0.945512 GBP

Euro United Kingdom Pounds
1 EUR = 0.945512 GBP 1 GBP = 1.05763 EUR

tantipie · 23-12-2008 12:32PM

one of the shops is offering £1 to thge €1,,i heard it too on ray d'arcy,,it;s in some paper today

Shopping in Northern Ireland

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