H
holly8
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where would be best place/shop to get a Nintendo Wii?
Cross border price differences?
- Thread starter Ash
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CatherineB
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I'd say most NI shop staff, particularly supermarket staff couldn't care less about 'enticing you back' tbh.
To get back to the original question: there is an easy way to compare prices for electrical goods. Go to the UK websites for the various shops and see how much the items cost there. Although there are some "web specials", many of the prices would be the same as in the shops. Argos.co.uk is a great one for comparing prices, as you can check the exact same item at Argos.ie.
I do the bulk of my grocery shopping in the Newry branch of Sainsbury's, and find that many of the prices are considerably lower than they are here. And I have to agree that I find the checkout staff to be really nice, as has already been stated here. Mind you, I think that bringing our own shopping bags to Irish supermarkets has put paid to the opportunity for checkout staff here to be as helpful and chatty - it seems to be more awkward for the staff to help when they need to wait for the customer to hand over their shopping bags, rather than whipping out a plastic bag and helping to pack.
I do the bulk of my grocery shopping in the Newry branch of Sainsbury's, and find that many of the prices are considerably lower than they are here. And I have to agree that I find the checkout staff to be really nice, as has already been stated here. Mind you, I think that bringing our own shopping bags to Irish supermarkets has put paid to the opportunity for checkout staff here to be as helpful and chatty - it seems to be more awkward for the staff to help when they need to wait for the customer to hand over their shopping bags, rather than whipping out a plastic bag and helping to pack.
Same here. And don't forget - Sainsbury's is actually regarded as one of the more expensive places to shop by many Newry people. What does that tell you!
Iceland is well worth a visit too BTW - nowhere near the same choice/quality as Sainsbury's but some great deals.
I know - I have family in the UK who tell me that Sainsbury's is the most expensive of all the supermarket chains, so there ya go!
Used to love shopping in Iceland. Shame they closed all their stores in the Republic. Although it has put an end to my habit of popping in there for a bottle of milk and coming out with half the store, bought cos it was on special offer!
Used to love shopping in Iceland. Shame they closed all their stores in the Republic. Although it has put an end to my habit of popping in there for a bottle of milk and coming out with half the store, bought cos it was on special offer!
I have found that the price difference is not as big as it used to be. - Food inflation is almost 10% in UK so far this year.
Beers - very little difference (sizes are smaller up north)
Wines - about 10% - 15% on cheaper bottles, but less on better bottles
Groceries - not much except on generic pharmacy stuff such as nurofen & paracetamol.
Toiletries is the one area where there's still a difference - up to 30%.
Appliances - actually cheaper down south. Samsund fridge freezer with ice dispenser - 799 in electro city, carlow, - same model £699 "on offer" in currys Sprucefield.
The main bargains are to be had in the UK brand clothing retailers such as next / debenhams & M&S, who all seem to be holding the 1.50 / 1.60 exchange down here, so about 20% savings on their products up north.
Beers - very little difference (sizes are smaller up north)
Wines - about 10% - 15% on cheaper bottles, but less on better bottles
Groceries - not much except on generic pharmacy stuff such as nurofen & paracetamol.
Toiletries is the one area where there's still a difference - up to 30%.
Appliances - actually cheaper down south. Samsund fridge freezer with ice dispenser - 799 in electro city, carlow, - same model £699 "on offer" in currys Sprucefield.
The main bargains are to be had in the UK brand clothing retailers such as next / debenhams & M&S, who all seem to be holding the 1.50 / 1.60 exchange down here, so about 20% savings on their products up north.
Sylvester3
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Nah, that honour goes to Waitrose (which stocks some fantastic food by the by) but I can't think of any Waitrose stores in the North.
This hasn't been my experience. e.g. 500ml 5% cans of Budweiser around €1.35 each in an NI off-licence near me - anything from €1.70 to €2.00 in the republic no?
Wine, I'm not too sure but as far as I remember Concha Y Toro or Santa Rita and the like is about €6.50/€6.80 - also an additional 5% discount if you buy three bottles and 10% discount if you buy six.
Surely these bottles are the guts of €10 in the republic?
My family must find that one too expensive to even mention!
Here is a savage example of prices in the RoI versus prices in NI. I couldn't believe it.
I am buying glass mosaic tiles. They are made by a UK company, Original Style, see this link:
[broken link removed]
The price in Tuam for a sheet = 30 euro.
The price in Fermanagh for the same sheet = under 8 euro.
The exact same product. Unreal.
I am buying glass mosaic tiles. They are made by a UK company, Original Style, see this link:
[broken link removed]
The price in Tuam for a sheet = 30 euro.
The price in Fermanagh for the same sheet = under 8 euro.
The exact same product. Unreal.
ubiquitous
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Just for the sake of clarification, was it a regular-price item in Fermanagh, or a "loss-leader" or discounted "sale item". Were the other tiles in the shop similarly discounted?
I have noticed that prices are consistently cheaper the further north you go. There are vast differences between Sainsburys in Newry and Sainsburys in Forest Gate, Belfast. It pays to drive the extra 40 miles. The shops in Newry know they can get away with what they charge. Also I have noticed they seem very surprised in Newry when you pay them in Sterling. They are almost taking it as a given that you will be paying in Euro.
I was in the tile shop in Tuam, saw the glass mosaic tiles, pay 30 euro for a sample sheet. The price is 30 euro a sheet.
I rang the shop in Fivemiletown, they quoted me 4.55 stg + VAT over the phone. No mention of offers, sale, discounts, etc.
That's 5.35 stg incl. VAT, or about 6.90 euro a sheet.
ubiquitous
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All this debate about whether prices really are lower in the North got me wondering if I am actually saving money by shopping in Newry. So I went through a receipt from Sainsbury's, and checked the price against Tesco's website. I chose only branded products, and excluded special offers, in order to make a fair comparison. On a list of 28 items, the Sainsbury's bill came to £58.28. Using xe.com's conversion tool, this equates to €73.90. The same list in Tesco came to €98.88. €25 difference definitely makes it worthwhile!
I reckon myself and my partner are finished shopping in the republic except for day to day essentials. All our Christmas shopping will be conducted in the north as well as non perishable items and clothing. The sad thing is that we just can’t afford to shop in our own country.
I wonder what effect it will have on our domestic economy if there is such a massive sea change in consumer spending directed towards the north?
I wonder what effect it will have on our domestic economy if there is such a massive sea change in consumer spending directed towards the north?
Take Dundalk - large town with plenty of consumer power & only about 10 minutes drive from Newry - many Dundalk people (Dealganians maybe? 
) make this trip but seemingly many do not.
Off the top of my head, in Dundalk for grocery shopping there is:
2 x Dunnes; 2 x Tesco; 1 x Lidl; 1 x Aldi; 1 x Superquinn...and another Aldi on the way.
On the occasions that I have been in these stores, they don't seem to be exactly empty and I'm sure Aldi have done their homework in thinking that another store is viable.
) make this trip but seemingly many do not.Off the top of my head, in Dundalk for grocery shopping there is:
2 x Dunnes; 2 x Tesco; 1 x Lidl; 1 x Aldi; 1 x Superquinn...and another Aldi on the way.
On the occasions that I have been in these stores, they don't seem to be exactly empty and I'm sure Aldi have done their homework in thinking that another store is viable.