Shopping Northern Ireland

M

mystry4all

Registered User
Messages
216
Hello,

I live in Swords and want to go to Northern Ireland for shopping or regular basis like once a month or once in 6weeks. For all household things, Groceries. Basically all our needs which can be kept for long period. Not things like milk, bread.

So if we go from Swords to Northern Ireland from M1, then where should we go for the shopping. Which shopping centre comes on the way?

We don't want to drive more then 4 hours. So 2 hours way to Northern Ireland and 2 Hours back to Dublin. Total 4 hours. If it is possible.

Thanks in advance all.
 
If you shared your shopping between dunnes & tesco, you'd probably find the savings are quite small in NI even on alcohol as tesco have offers that are quite close to northern prices.

On clothes and non grocery shopping you will save on the prices charged by the likes of debenhams / argos / halfords etc. , but a quick look around locally you'll find indigenious irish retailers far cheaper than these UK multiples who overcharge dramatically.
 
mcaul said:
If you shared your shopping between dunnes & tesco, you'd probably find the savings are quite small in NI even on alcohol as tesco have offers that are quite close to northern prices.

On clothes and non grocery shopping you will save on the prices charged by the likes of debenhams / argos / halfords etc. , but a quick look around locally you'll find indigenious irish retailers far cheaper than these UK multiples who overcharge dramatically.
Click to expand...
Prices in the North are way cheaper than down here. I go up around once a month and the price difference makes it worthwhile.

I usually to to Banbridge, they have a large Tesco there and you can pop into The Outlet while you're there if you need clothes.
 
delgirl said:
Prices in the North are way cheaper than down here. I go up around once a month and the price difference makes it worthwhile
Click to expand...
I wonder if anyone has actually done the math on shopping in local Tesco/Dunnes/Supervalu, where most can probably get there, do the weekly shop and get back home within an hour. As opposed to someone from let's say Dublin(some say as far south as Wexford)going to Newry, in the lead up to Xmas. Stuck in horrendous tailbacks, fighting for car park space,probably having to have a meal while out, filling petrol tank, and losing several hours from their day. Would anyone like to point out if the saving is still there and if so is it only monetary?
 
Hi Seantheman,

May be you are right...but it will save you something because alot people goes to north for the shopping

Where is the nearest argos based in north Irerland from Swords? I am in need of some new furniture and appliances.

How far is banbridge from Swords, m1?
 
There are 2 Argos stores in Newry, but be aware that Argos in NI won't deliver south so you can only buy what they have in the store.

Swords to Banbridge is approx 75-80 miles each way, and you will get caught up in the Newry-bound traffic on the way.
 
Just to mention too - Newry is actually very handy for me but I'm not going back this side of Christmas. Crowds are unbelievable, traffic, stress, scrappy half empty shelves - it's not worth it for me.
 
seantheman said:
I wonder if anyone has actually done the math on shopping in local Tesco/Dunnes/Supervalu, where most can probably get there, do the weekly shop and get back home within an hour. As opposed to someone from let's say Dublin(some say as far south as Wexford)going to Newry, in the lead up to Xmas. Stuck in horrendous tailbacks, fighting for car park space,probably having to have a meal while out, filling petrol tank, and losing several hours from their day. Would anyone like to point out if the saving is still there and if so is it only monetary?
Click to expand...
I have relatives in the North and would be going to visit them once a month or every 6 weeks or so anyway, so for me the saving I make on shopping there is a bonus.

I've done the math on the individual items and there are vast savings to be made. Toiletries, such as Linx Showel Gel £1 are much cheaper than here where I have paid up to €2.80 in Tesco in the past. I can get 16 Ibuprofen tablets for 26p - Tesco's own brand which they sell up North and not down here. I bought a box of my son's faviourite cereal here in Supervalu for €3.84 and the same box in the North is £1.60. Cat food, toilet paper, washing powder, conditioner are all much cheaper.

The Sunday Independent had some info on prices as follows:-

Denny Rashers cost 47% more in the South than in the North.
Kerry Low Low Cheese costs 82% more in the South than in the North.
Jameson Whiskey costs 54% more in the South than in the North.

I don't shop in Newry as it's chaos and prefer Banbridge, which is not much further north.
 
1 litre bottles of Baileys for £9 in Asda in London yesterday, assume the same in NI. how much is a litre in the South ? €20-25 i think ! and i bought absolut vodka for £12.
 
Hi,

I am not going special for the christmas....for the regular shopping to NI....like once a month or 6weeks....Thanks all....It will save alot....that's why people do go over there....:)
 
mcaul said:
Allowing for extra travel time, cost of fuel etc,
Click to expand...

Most people extolling the virtues of shopping in Northern Ireland, do not put a value on their time. If I were to give up the guts of half of my weekend to spend anything between 2 and 4 hours in traffic so that I could spend time in shops, I would need to be saving at least €100 on the overall spend.
 
hi

am thinking of driving to newry on fri 27th.....any idea how long it would take to drive up from Maynooth?

have only driven to Belfast once earlier this year (not for shopping) so have no idea what traffic like this time of year.

thanks!
 
mcaul said:
..... but unless you are buying a large amount of spirits, the saving are relatively low. - Also I don't accept that cheese & rashers are priced too differently these days - maybe a few months back, but certainly not now.
Click to expand...
The difference in prices for rasher and cheese were quoted from last Sunday's Indo - not that I believe everything I read in the papers - but they did do their research and I believe that the price differences are current and correct.

I don't buy large amounts of spirits or much wine at all, but can save around 50% on all the other items I buy for exactly the same brand, size of pack etc.

I feel sorry for retailers in the south who are trying to compete with the low prices in the north, but shoppers will go where the items are cheapest and the Irish economy is losing out bigtime.
 
delgirl said:
The difference in prices for rasher and cheese were quoted from last Sunday's Indo - not that I believe everything I read in the papers - but they did do their research and I believe that the price differences are current and correct.

I don't by large amounts of spirits or much wine at all, but can save around 50% on all the other items I buy for exactly the same brand, size of pack etc.

I feel sorry for retailers in the south who are trying to compete with the low prices in the north, but shoppers will go where the items are cheapest and the Irish economy is losing out bigtime.
Click to expand...

Yes - I saw that research and it was unbelievably flawed. It was from January 2009

Example an item retailing £10 in a supermarket retailed at €15.40 in a symbol group store in the south.

Flaw #1 - no account is taken for currency difference (the NCA seem to think people are stupid and then the press use their statement to make hysterical headlines)
Flaw #2 - did not compare in an equal store (I'm sure tesco in Newbridge is cheaper than Spar in Newbridge)

As for feeling sorry for Irish retailers - try visiting a few (not Irish arm of UK retailers) real IRISH owned & IRISH operated stores - you'll be VERY surprised.

If the mod allowed me give examples, I could show you how every single product in my stores are within 5% (+&-) of any comparable UK store and 20% - 28% cheaper than Argos & Debenhams. (not difficult) Same goes for friends who have independent clothing outlets in Carlow & Kildare.
 
Newspapers aren't required to tell us that there are savings to be made - good savings.

Common sense should apply though - not everything is cheaper and some items are only marginally cheaper so the savings can be negligible when time/petrol etc is taken into account.

In general though, unless shoppers are very meticulous and don't value their time/stress levels at all, I simply cannot see how it would be worthwhile for someone from e.g. Cork or Kerry to head north for their shopping - many seem to though.
 
I recently bought a new double oven and hob - the oven was €850 free delievery - the cheapest I could find down here was €1299.00

The price differential on the hob was something similar - all through one phone call.

I agree with some of the posters - the time taken would be the biggest cost to me personally to get up there for grocery shopping.
 
Was thinking of going to Newry on Tuesday next, day out with friends. Any bargains would be a bonus. Traffic jams and queues are not for me. Anyone know if early in the week is as busy as week ends?
 
Ok, so i have started going up to newry for drink and dog food - and that's where i make huge savings. I went up last week to get drink for over the christmas and enough puppy food to last until she is an adult dog. I done the comparisions before i went and on drink and dog food alone i saved €117.00! That's not including the other bits i got like christmas presents, decorations etc... We leave at 630am, arrive at 8am as sainsbury's is opening (therefore the shelves are fully stocked) and do be home by 1pm. We do our shopping, load it into the van, have a bite to eat and a ramble around the shops before returning home. It's definatly worth while as far as i am concerned and also by leaving early, there is virtually no traffic on the way up or back!! Therefore you have your whole day near enough when you get home!
 
Emma1980 said:
Ok, so i have started going up to newry for drink and dog food - and that's where i make huge savings. I went up last week to get drink for over the christmas and enough puppy food to last until she is an adult dog. I done the comparisions before i went and on drink and dog food alone i saved €117.00! That's not including the other bits i got like christmas presents, decorations etc... We leave at 630am, arrive at 8am as sainsbury's is opening (therefore the shelves are fully stocked) and do be home by 1pm. We do our shopping, load it into the van, have a bite to eat and a ramble around the shops before returning home. It's definatly worth while as far as i am concerned and also by leaving early, there is virtually no traffic on the way up or back!! Therefore you have your whole day near enough when you get home!
Click to expand...

Would I be right in assuming this is during the week?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top