Govt ‘will have to stem flow of shoppers across border’

There is an element of truth in all 6 "devils advocate" points, particularly no. 3, although in general people will indeed save money by going north.

Its a bit much to say that "price psychology" and "mania" points 4 & 5 apply only "to the numerically challenged and idiots". Is everyone who bought a house at inflated prices in the past 5 years an idiot? Ditto, everyone who found the original adoption of the Euro a bit perplexing?

Point 6 is definitely true, albeit less so since the fall in Sterling this year. Petrol & diesel is the most obvious example, but there are many products in Asda in Enniskillen that are cheaper in the South. Own-brand smoked salmon is one. I have also recently found many such examples in Lidl in Enniskillen. (eg smoked salmon £3 in Enniskillen, €3.29 in Cavan)

I would add another one to that list

7. People like going North because its a novelty to shop in new places where they haven't shopped before. At worst, its a bit of a day out.
 
csirl said:
Playing devils advocate about shopping up north:

1. People are not going there due to the VAT rate - not worth the trip for the majority of people for a small saving in VAT.

2. For a lot of people living in the border areas, shopping centres in the north are the nearer than those in e.g. Dublin.

3. A lot of the price differences are down to the recent collapse of sterling. There tends to be a time lag with prices, particularly consumer items, as many suppliers only review their prices annually. Due to the currency collapse, the price of all imported consumer goods being sold in UK should rise by approx. 1/3 within the next year thus eliminating much of the price difference between here and the north. This is because it will cost the UK retailers 1/3 more to obtain these goods from overseas manufacturers.

4. Prices in sterling appear to be cheaper because of the denominations used in the currency i.e. £9 sounds cheaper than €10, but isnt actually. Gives people the false impression that they are spending less. Its the opposite to the perception that people go here during the euro changeover - prices seemed more expensive, though weren't necessarily so.

5. There's an element of mania here. Once it becomes fashionable to shop up the north for bargains, a large proportion of the population will do it regardless of whether or not they are actually getting better value for money.

6. It's easy to pick a price on a particular item purchased in the north and say the north is cheaper because item A cost e.g. 30% less. There are also many things here that you could pick out as being cheaper than in the UK. I have some english friends, and when they visit here, they always draw attention to certain items which are cheaper than the UK. I suppose people only notice the bargains and forget about everything else.

Whereas I do agree that there are many cheaper items in the north due to the poorer economy and reduced operating costs, but the points above should be taken into account and I'd guess that when they are, you'd find that maybe the north isnt the bargain it seems.
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Agree with what you are saying regarding not everything being a bargain. However baby products in particuler stand out as being significantly cheaper. An example
My little baby daughter for some reason pukes every kind of powdered formula and will only drink Aptimil from a carton, she drinks approx 7 of these a day.
In the south, these cost in all the supermarkets between €1.18 and €1.42 a carton, therefore at the cheapest price, it costs €8.26 a day to feed her
when we go to the north, the cost varies from £0.56 to £0.65 a carton. Therefore at the dearest price we've seen, the cost is £4.55 a day which is approx €5.50 a day.
Therefore if we stock up for 2 months we save a minimum of approx €330 alone by going up

Having said that, the last time we were up there we stopped in Banbridge and ended up buying a painting, so bang went the savings but the living room wall looks a lot better!!!!

However, what I really find interesting, is that for months, all 4 of the major supermarkets in the south were charging exactly the same price for this milk (ie €1.29 a carton) and only since more and more people started going North has there been any variety between them on price
 
Its quite strange when you are up there shopping...I was there on Saturday (not Newry, Portadown) and was tempted to buy loads of Toilet Duck, simply because of the price, 55p!
 
FLANDERS` said:
Its quite strange when you are up there shopping...I was there on Saturday (not Newry, Portadown) and was tempted to buy loads of Toilet Duck, simply because of the price, 55p!
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Im going up there tomorrow (actually going as far as belfast as I hear the further North you go the better the bargain).

Yes its a novelty (certainly for me, I havent been in Belfast since I was 12), but I think one of the things that people are missing here is the fact that , irrespective of costs involved in getting up and getting goods back, people at least feel that they are getting their value for money for their goods. At the end of the day, irrespective of whether or not that is the case, its the most important factor to consider when discussing those trekking north.

Not only is there a perception down south that our government has lost the plot (regarding V.A.T. etc) but theres also an ongoing press campaign Highlighting the wasted money in public finances and the lavish "company expenses" put on the taxpayers Bill because "they were entitled to do it"!. This only further encourages people to give the two fingers to those in power who are now trying to force us to foot their bills (again public perception not necessarily my sentiments!).

I am going up there to buy in bulk because I need to budget and feel that nobody else is going to look after me. I dont think its any differant to a majority of people going up North.

I have 0% confidence in this government and feel like I am "batting down the hatches" for when they do finally ruin the country, by saving every penny I can while the goings . . Going . . . Gone
 
Point 1 I'm not so sure. It all adds up.
Points 2 and 3 I agree.

csirl said:
4. Prices in sterling appear to be cheaper because of the denominations used in the currency i.e. £9 sounds cheaper than €10, but isnt actually. Gives people the false impression that they are spending less. Its the opposite to the perception that people go here during the euro changeover - prices seemed more expensive, though weren't necessarily so.
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When shops in Newry are giving € for £ it's hard to argue this point.

Point 5 I agree 100%, it's fashionable. And people being fickle it'll be interesting to see how long it will continue. That said it's interesting to see the likes of Superquinn responding. I wonder if they'd be reducing prices if consumers weren't going North?:rolleyes:

Point 6 I think that the majority of items are cheaper in the North. Granted a few will be cheaper in the South. But if someone is doing a "big shop" then it's probably worth their while.

Given the 6 hour queues to get into Newry on Saturday I wonder why shoppers don't go to Enniskillen or Belfast?
 
cole said:
Given the 6 hour queues to get into Newry on Saturday I wonder why shoppers don't go to Enniskillen or Belfast?
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The queues in Enniskillen are pretty bad as well, although nothing like Newry. The Asda store has had to impose its own queueing system as well, letting in groups of 50, every time 50 people leave.
 
NorthDrum said:
Im going up there tomorrow (actually going as far as belfast as I hear the further North you go the better the bargain).

Yes its a novelty (certainly for me, I havent been in Belfast since I was 12), but I think one of the things that people are missing here is the fact that , irrespective of costs involved in getting up and getting goods back, people at least feel that they are getting their value for money for their goods. At the end of the day, irrespective of whether or not that is the case, its the most important factor to consider when discussing those trekking north.

Not only is there a perception down south that our government has lost the plot (regarding V.A.T. etc) but theres also an ongoing press campaign Highlighting the wasted money in public finances and the lavish "company expenses" put on the taxpayers Bill because "they were entitled to do it"!. This only further encourages people to give the two fingers to those in power who are now trying to force us to foot their bills (again public perception not necessarily my sentiments!).

I am going up there to buy in bulk because I need to budget and feel that nobody else is going to look after me. I dont think its any differant to a majority of people going up North.

I have 0% confidence in this government and feel like I am "batting down the hatches" for when they do finally ruin the country, by saving every penny I can while the goings . . Going . . . Gone
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Just a heads up from experience: I would recommend avoiding the M1 completely, if travelling from Dublin or surrounding areas. I came back to Dublin via the N2 (Armagh, CastleBlaney, Carrickmacross, Slane, Dublin) to avoid the craziness I got stuck in going up. If you are not going into Newry itself, use the N2 as you cannot get around Newry from the M1 side without getting caught in the "Into-Newry" jam (unless you know some backroad)
 
FLANDERS` said:
Just a heads up from experience: I would recommend avoiding the M1 completely, if travelling from Dublin or surrounding areas. I came back to Dublin via the N2 (Armagh, CastleBlaney, Carrickmacross, Slane, Dublin) to avoid the craziness I got stuck in going up. If you are not going into Newry itself, use the N2 as you cannot get around Newry from the M1 side without getting caught in the "Into-Newry" jam (unless you know some backroad)
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Seriously! I have to catch a flight from Belfast City Airport at 5.20 Thursday, leaving Dublin city centre at 1.0c. Normally a breeze thru' the tunnel and up the M1. I was planning the M1 to about the turn off to Ardee and then inland through backroads to Bessbrook, MarketHill etc. Is the N2 better? Where do the into-Newry jams start? Anybody know a better route?
 
Duke of Marmalade said:
Seriously! I have to catch a flight from Belfast City Airport at 5.20 Thursday, leaving Dublin city centre at 1.0c. Normally a breeze thru' the tunnel and up the M1. I was planning the M1 to about the turn off to Ardee and then inland through backroads to Bessbrook, MarketHill etc. Is the N2 better? Where do the into-Newry jams start? Anybody know a better route?
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I kid you not, although on a Thursday you should be fine. I joined the tailback to Newry last Sat at 9am about 3 or 4 miles outside Newry and only got to the roundabout outside the town at 10.30am. Now that was not bad as there was at least double the amount of cars behind me.

I would think you will have no bother getting to the Ardee turnoff, its really only the weekend that the madness begins...
 
Duke of Marmalade said:
Seriously! I have to catch a flight from Belfast City Airport at 5.20 Thursday, leaving Dublin city centre at 1.0c. Normally a breeze thru' the tunnel and up the M1. I was planning the M1 to about the turn off to Ardee and then inland through backroads to Bessbrook, MarketHill etc. Is the N2 better? Where do the into-Newry jams start? Anybody know a better route?
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One alternative would be the N2 as far as Ballygawley and the main road to Belfast (mostly motorway) from there.
 
Thanks guys (gals?), I think I'll go Tunnel and M1 to Ardee turn off then Ardee to Ballygawley by N2 and then Belfast. Better than the side roads.

Thursday is late shopping, too risky to head for Newry.
 
Duke of Marmalade said:
Thanks guys (gals?), I think I'll go Tunnel and M1 to Ardee turn off then Ardee to Ballygawley by N2 and then Belfast. Better than the side roads.
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Depending on where you're starting from, the N2 as far as Ardee is a good road and easy enough to manage (esp Ashbourne bypass). The only thing is you have to go through Slane and Ardee but neither are much of a headache afaik.
 
Duke of Marmalade said:
Seriously! I have to catch a flight from Belfast City Airport at 5.20 Thursday, leaving Dublin city centre at 1.0c. Normally a breeze thru' the tunnel and up the M1. I was planning the M1 to about the turn off to Ardee and then inland through backroads to Bessbrook, MarketHill etc. Is the N2 better? Where do the into-Newry jams start? Anybody know a better route?
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The main traffic jam starts shortly after you cross the border into Northern Ireland. You would probably be safe enough staying on the M1 until Dundalk, if you know your way around the back roads from there.
 
Sat Nav says Dublin - Belfast 2 hrs - we know that is a laugh
Sat Nav says via Ardee/Ballygawley is 3 hrs, an extra hour, not great
Sat Nav says via Newtownhamilton/Markethill 2 hrs 30 mins, that looks best, you get off M1 at Dundalk
 
The roads around Newtownhamilton are best avoided, in my experience. Its easy to see why people say that the terrain there made South Armagh ungovernable for the British.
 
FLANDERS` said:
I kid you not, although on a Thursday you should be fine. I joined the tailback to Newry last Sat at 9am about 3 or 4 miles outside Newry and only got to the roundabout outside the town at 10.30am. Now that was not bad as there was at least double the amount of cars behind me.

I would think you will have no bother getting to the Ardee turnoff, its really only the weekend that the madness begins...
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Thanks for advice Flanders. Only just saw it there!

Would you believe I went up on the M1 but it was clear all the way up! (went tues at 10.30am!)
 
michaelm said:
Points 2 & 3 notwithstanding, most people are shopping North because they can save money doing so.
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I assume this mania will subside after Christmas. Many of the people posting on the 'Shopping in Northern Ireland' thread on www.boards.ie (>1400 posts and climbing) are reporting on the quantities bought of, and savings made for, booze. I doubt they'll repeat those volumes of purchases after Christmas. I further doubt that the same volume of people will continue to make the journeys for a weekly household shop.

My 2 cents worth is that people's calculated savings include pricing their leisure time at zero. While I would be tempted to give up half, or more, of a weekend day to get the savings, I value my leisure time too much to spend 4 hours behind the driving wheel and potentially the same again in shops.

Sometime between now and Christmas Day I will be spending between €400 and €500 on a new 26" TV. The same TV would need to be £250, or less, in Northern Ireland for me to give up a Saturday or Sunday.
 
TarfHead said:
My 2 cents worth is that people's calculated savings include pricing their leisure time at zero. While I would be tempted to give up half, or more, of a weekend day to get the savings, I value my leisure time too much to spend 4 hours behind the driving wheel and potentially the same again in shops.
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Yes, but not everyone is from Dublin don't forget.

There is a sizeable population in Louth, Monaghan, Cavan & Meath for example for whom a trip to Newry involves between a 15 and 45 minute drive.
 
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