Aldi, Lidl, Prices & Consumer Boycott Day

price of a 4 pack

Another Person, I find even the price of a can of lager in Tesco's an outrage. Consider that last saturday I paid Eur 10.72 for 24 cans of St Omer beer ( 5% vol. ) in Carrefour, Calais. Hic! The price of alcohol is unacceptable in Ireland. Is the gap completely explained by taxes?
 
Re: price of a 4 pack

Joxerdaly, I can think of three factors that explain the differences in retail price of beer in Ireland vs. France.

First is indirect tax. Duty and VAT. If you worked in France you would be hit hard for PRSI, much, much higher than here. But your lower net pay would be compensated by lower indirect taxes.

Our duty is about 37p/47c per pint (568ml). I suspect French beer duty is very low (sub 5c per 500ml). Our VAT rate is highest in Europe at 21%. French is lower, though not by much.

Next is the retailer's margin. I have no proof of this, but I'd bet that Irish retailers take more margin.

Then there is the raw cost of the product before tax. Again, I have no hard evidence, but I strongly believe that the pre-tax cost is much higher here. Two reasons:

1) Economies of scale. Smaller market, lower output, higher average costs.

2) Lack of competition. One dominant player (Guinness), second big player (Heineken), far too little competition. Cosy cartel. €2.05 for 50cl of Guinness or Bud is crazy, you don't have to go to the Arctic to make the stuff, just mix malted barley with hops and yeast.

Contango10
 
Price of a 4 pack

Contango10 all your points are taken on board but there is something missing. St Omer sell each can for 45cents. Lets assume its only a break even price ( I doubt it ) - make it 40 c for the production cost ( conservative ) and 5 c for the french government. Assume production costs in Ireland are 50% higher, add another 47c for duty and 21% for the VAT and you reach EUR1.30c. Its still a long way to Eur2.05c. Some group along the line is creaming it.
 
Re: Price of a 4 pack

Although not directly to do with a consumer's boycott, I will continue.

I don't get your sums. 45c French retail price for 50cl of 5% lager, is that correct?

Strip out the 5c assumed duty (actually probably less) and 20.6% French VAT gives pre-tax cost of 32c.

50% extra cost here = 49c. Plus 47c duty = 96c approx. Plus our 21% VAT = 1.16.

It is possible to get lager in Ireland for 1.40-1.50, but the big brands do cost up to 2.05. So, yes, somebody is creaming it, probably Guinness.

Contango10
 
boycott inspiration on AAM

Rainyday, oops I didn't get to you sooner. I was hoping for boycott inspiration on AAM! I could probably do simple things like not buy my usual bottle of wine at tesco, switch off the electricity (my own home of course) for say an hour, not rent the Friday night Video. I guess it wouldnt make sense if i made the same purchases the following day so i guess i'd do without.

Guest

PS sorry to butt in Contago and Joxer, but you gave me the wine idea.
 
Re: boycott inspiration on AAM

Thanks Guest - I could see how a 'service' boycott (restaurants, pubs, video hire, hairdressers) could possibly work.
 
BOYCOTT DAY 24TH NOVEMBER

Boycott day is aleady organised for 24th November.
 
Re: 24 NOVEMBER

So it will have as little an effect as possible - Just like having Car Free day on All Ireland Sunday...
 
Boycott

A cup of tea for €1.70. A tea bag cost what these days. Was this in a 5*deluxe hotel? As a percentage it sounds like a bigger rip off than the wine discussed.

S
 
boycott

I had to laugh when I read Newsweek:

"The food strikes didn't make an impression. Neither did the cappuchino boycotts. It wasn't until Rosa Berlusconi told her son, Silvo, that pasta prices hd treabled since the euro's launch that the Italian prime minister took action." :)
 
Re: boycott

Who's organised Boycott day? Is there any information about it?
 
The Paddies

If any of you really believe that the Paddies are capable of getting up off their This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language and boycotting your sadly mistaken. This isn't Greece. There is a very high threshold for outrage. You'd have to shoot a few consumers up in Kilmainham to make it work.

Otherwise most paddies will let the other fellow do the protesting. Things haven't changed in middle class ireland since WB wrote the fumble in the greasy till line. And the latest double standard was the relection of a party proven to have been corrupt. God help anybody who tries to get the Paddies out on the streets in large numbers, or worse, passing their pubs. They'd much prefer to pay the new tolls...and pass Guinness instead.
 
5-7 live has called

Frances on 5-7 live has called for consumers to 'SCREAM' about the price of beef (seemingly the middle man is getting 3 times what the farmer is getting).

Reading Padraic Pearse's reply she hasn't a hope in hell!

Daisy
 
Boycott

As a nation I find we have become very very greedy

Kay
 
'buy nothing day Nov 24'

Herewego, who is behind the 'buy nothing day Nov 24' poster(s) I've seen around Dublin?


Simon
 
i've opted out

I now boycott everything

i made a new years resolution last january to boycott
pubs and niteclubs and restaurants and takeaways.
Car wash prices have been creeping up too.
i am now a dab hand wth a bucket and sponge.
vodafones ad campaign annoyed me into topping up less
often.


i find that i can save €500 per week, every week.

it sure adds up.

i have become a tight git.
 
November 24........count me in !!!

As i spend very little anyway, i will
try to recruite others for this boycott day.

i am going to boycott christmas.

in my opinion, supermarkets can be good value, if you are a canny shopper, i consider tesco to be the best.
Lidl is the cheapest but the quality is terrible.

Dunnes own brand products are marginally cheaper
and substantially inferior.
 
Re: November 24........count me in !!!

Lidl is the cheapest but the quality is terrible.

As far as supermarkets go...

I thought the quality of most of their stuff was OK (well - no worse than most other supermarkets and a damn sight cheaper!). Anyway, they're not that handy for me so I've only ventured there a few times.

In my experience Aldi is grand and I tend to pick things up there in preference to any of the other supermarkets. Failing them I try Dunnes or Roches. I absolutely detest Tesco and try to avoid it at all costs (pun intended!).
 
Re: November 24........count me in !!!

We shop in Lidl once a week or fortnight. Quality is excellent on almost all products, and poor on a small minority, but you will occasionally find rubbish in all shops. Aldi is good as well, but IMHO tends to focus a little more on novelties (sweets, cakes, sauces, seasonings, pre-prepared foods etc) than on essentials.

Neither will ever replace Dunnes, Tesco or the local shops but all competition is to be welcomed.
 
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