Shopping in Northern Ireland

tregan · 23-12-2008 12:44PM

she must have heard wrong, maybe they were predicting that it would reach parity soon? sorry for misquote!

Guvnor · 23-12-2008 12:51PM

If you leave early enough you are not so bad. If you leave later you are screwed. Honestly if you leave Dublin at 6.30 then you'd be in Newry by 8am and Ikea by 9am comfortably without too many others on the road. Start an hour or more later and you can forget it - IMO.

Our man in Havana · 23-12-2008 12:52PM

Some shops may be giving parity for euros but if you pay in sterling you get a discount. Buyer Beware.

gazzer · 23-12-2008 12:53PM

I might head back up to Enniskillen this Saturday. I wonder will there be many sales on? Wouldnt mind getting some clothes in River Island if they have good bargains. Anybody know if there is there a website where you can see when shops up north are having their sales?

Edit: Found one http://www.boxingdaysale.org.uk/

alastair · 23-12-2008 01:54PM

Was up in Banbridge yesterday without much advance planning (funeral in Dundalk - decided to take advantage).

Short tailback before the Newry roundabout - with some chancers trying to bunk the queue on the hard shoulder and cheesed off drivers blocking them in - heh heh. Slow enough going on the bypass, but not much traffic after the last roundabout. Outlet in Banbridge was quiet enough (as usual). Decided to pop into Tesco to do a bit of grocery shopping before heading back down - absolutely mental, but mostly locals doing the christmas shop. Remarkably good humoured staff and punters considering. Lots of big savings to be had. Brought a freezer box, so grabbed a few tubs of Ben & Jerrys and Haagen Dazs for £2.50 and £2.45 respectively. Filippo Berio olive oil at about half Dublin prices, same for Green & Black drinking chocolate. Probably a 1/3 saving overall on a trolley. Road was busy coming back down around 5.00.

Richard · 23-12-2008 05:28PM

Sarah.Wu wrote: »

just make sure the sales are start at boxing day?

thanks.

I think that many places will be open on Boxing Day (St Stephen's Day) but not everywhere. Maybe check the websites or phone ahead today.

DublinWriter · 23-12-2008 08:15PM

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..

Your best bet might be the Drink Link, just on your left as you come into Newry.

You'll miss most of the queues. I found them to be very reasonable on spirits, but they can't beat the bargains on wine & beer that the multiples offer.

Don't forget kids - cigarettes (are bad m'kay?) are now far cheaper up north.

Happy holidays!

dxhound2005 · 23-12-2008 09:39PM

If you want to avoid Newry you could go to Murphys of Carrickasticken about 5 miles from Dundalk on the road to Forkhill. Or the supermarket in Cullaville about 10 miles from Dundalk on the road to Castleblayney. I have no idea what their prices are like but you won't have any traffic jams.

sudo911 · 23-12-2008 09:59PM

Was looking to get an XBOX 360 Elite for the little fella before christmas, and the best I could find was Hamleys in Dundrum offering it with 3 games and a wireless controller for €299.

Game in Dundrum were offering the 3 games but no free wireless controller for the same €299.

Quick check on the GAME UK website and see that the XBOX 360 Elite with 3 games and extra wireless controller is going for €240!!!! F*ckers!

Will wait until we head north for the next monthly shop (unless of course there are any good samaritans going up from the Gorey / Wicklow / South Dublin area tomorrow that wants to pick me up a bargain??? :rolleyes:)

muincav · 24-12-2008 12:23AM

Heatons and Sports direct Armagh were giving Pound for Euro today and also had a lot of clearance stock of premier league jerseys (this seasons) for £20..and poor old Woolworths have a load of stuff in Armagh branch to get rid of tomorrow. I bought a lot of Soccer Match Attax cards at 20p a packet...:D

mcwhirter · 24-12-2008 09:37AM

Guru Maith Agut wrote: »

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

Almost though

gonker · 24-12-2008 11:58AM

I bought stuff on my debit card over the last weekend and the bank only gave me 91.5 on it:mad:

Our man in Havana · 24-12-2008 12:09PM

Got 93.5 on my maestro card at the weekend. ATM gave 96p for cash. Cash is king.

greenman09 · 24-12-2008 04:42PM

bank rate today is 91.9.

hoping to get up on sunday for a nice tv deal.

muincav · 24-12-2008 11:17PM

greenman09 wrote: »

bank rate today is 91.9.

hoping to get up on sunday for a nice tv deal.

Think you may get a better bargain on a TV than you think as the rate is
1 EUR = 0.950409 GBP:D

thetyreman · 26-12-2008 10:02PM

Hi havn read all this tread,going to IKEA tomorrow and was wondering whats the best way to pay this wheather is it by credit card or cash,with regard the currency rate the way it is.Anyone know what rate they give you when paying by cash...................

thanks in advance

ASTRACLUB · 27-12-2008 01:13AM

was there today, 70P charge for every card transaction!
I prefer CC only, enjoy

Zynks · 27-12-2008 03:20AM

thetyreman wrote: »

Hi havn read all this tread,going to IKEA tomorrow

There is one our pseudo-government could do to increase our level of "patriotism": why don't they let Ikea in Dublin open sooner. From what I gather, the building is finished and ready to roll.

Three out of my last five shopping trips up North were initially to go to Ikea, though they all ended in a serious shopping session for groceries, electronics, etc.

The excuse of the widening of the M50 being necessary before they open is pure rubbish!

Iago · 27-12-2008 01:04PM

Zynks wrote: »

The excuse of the widening of the M50 being necessary before they open is pure rubbish!

No it's not really. I live right beside the IKEA and unless they open up a dedicated slip road to the M50 from the store it'll be a nightmare for anyone who actually wants to go there. As they can't open a slip road without the M50 work in the area being completed they have to wait for that to happen, as I understand it the opening is set for February.

Currently the only way to get to IKEA is to come down what barely passes as a road, just about enough room for a car on either side with no lighting or road markings to be seen. It would be dangerous for them to open until the road situation is sorted.

sue97 · 27-12-2008 01:32PM

Is there any point opening IKEA in the South if they are going to do the usual exchange rate issue we have with everything else. I need wardrobes and I ain't going to pay 30% extra to buy from IKEA in Dublin.

Anyone know what their pricing policy is going to be. Should be interesting to find out

meanmachine3 · 27-12-2008 01:39PM

i'm thinking of heading up north soon and was wondering how enniskillen compares to the likes of newry and the outlet. the latter (newry and the outlet) are the only places i've been to in the north. i know enniskillen has been mentioned here lots of time but there are about 118 pages of stuff here to troll through. i'd be interested in buying a camcorder and bascially do a bit of shopping i know theres an asda in e/killen as well and was wondering if is it in the heart of the town or would i have to do my shopping there then drive a few miles to the town?

dsane1 · 27-12-2008 03:28PM

meanmachine3 wrote: »

i'm thinking of heading up north soon and was wondering how enniskillen compares to the likes of newry and the outlet. the latter (newry and the outlet) are the only places i've been to in the north. i know enniskillen has been mentioned here lots of time but there are about 118 pages of stuff here to troll through. i'd be interested in buying a camcorder and bascially do a bit of shopping i know theres an asda in e/killen as well and was wondering if is it in the heart of the town or would i have to do my shopping there then drive a few miles to the town?

Hi asda is right beside erneside shopping centre, Marks and sparks there superdrug ,argos and a few others.Leave the car at asda.When you walk through the erneside there is a bridge over the river to the town,its only a few mins away ,dont drive very little parking there .Walk up any of the side streets and it brings you onto the main street .Hope this helps .

thetyreman · 27-12-2008 09:53PM

Thaks for replys,was there 2day,and the story is if you pay with Euro cash they are giveing 85cent to the pound.Charge 70pence for a credit card transaction and the guy on the till reckoned that the rate Mastercard charge would be better than there 85cent per pound.Surely will be better with the card so.(hope so i spent 657sterling)

kleefarr · 27-12-2008 10:02PM

When I was in Sprucefield about three weeks ago, they were giving .897 to €1 in Sainsbury. It's great up there.

JHMEG · 27-12-2008 10:17PM

Sainsburys in Newry were giving 97.8p a couple of days before Xmas, Currys are giving 85p.

Rate is currently 96.1p. Credit cards are giving around 95p.

Wertz · 27-12-2008 10:19PM

This day last week they were giving £0.962 to €1 in Sainsbury's Sprucefield...I don't know, it was like the company was eager to buy euros...perhaps they know something we don't...

Mint Sauce · 27-12-2008 10:24PM

eniskillian last week, doing the last of the xmas shopping, was using the credit card, checked the usage on line a few days ago, was getting between £0.91 and £0.94 to the euro, if it stays like that, will be heading north for the sales as well

sudo911 · 28-12-2008 12:05AM

Guys,

out of interest, what was traffic like lately going through Newry?

J_Dublin15 · 28-12-2008 01:07AM

Orange UK are selling mobiles from 9.50 sterling on Pay As You Go in the UK, with 50% off on a lot of models, a friend in Manchester has got the Orange stores to price match on the online deals which are a huge discount.

If they/'re doing the same in Belfast, then there are some bargains to be had when you consider the low exchange rate and the fact unlock codes can be picked up pretty damn easy.

http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/show/handsets/pay_as_you_go/all/all/all/all/0/4499

murraymints · 28-12-2008 01:24AM

Was in Enniskillen today and found it very pleasant and less hectic than Belfast or Newry. OH got some furnishings in a lovely shop called Fultons near ASDA.

Shopping in Northern Ireland

Comments