Shopping outside the country - unpatriotic?

[z103]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

Shop in the North.

Ireland needs tough love. Prices here will only come down when people stop paying them.

 

[bond-007]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

Agree 100%.

The govt need to be taught a lesson in basic economics.

 

[sparkeee]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

The U2 tax situation,now thats unpatriotic.

 

[DubShelley]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

Shop in the North.

Ireland needs tough love. Prices here will only come down when people stop paying them.

Totally agree!!! The high chair I recently bought my sister for her newborn was €113.99 in Argos in ROI and £78.29 in NI, for the exact same chair = saving of €30. There's just no justification for that!! If I made that saving on just 1 thing, imagine what could be saved if you bought your cot, pram, sterilisers etc up there too!

 

[meatmonger]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

lorry driver in north = paid about 450 stg p w
lorry driver in south was looking for 1000-1150 euro p w.
min wage 20-30% cheaper in north

same goods from same factories up to 50% cheaper.

tell me which part is unpatriotic

 

[Mpsox]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

2 packets of nappies in Sainsburys weekend before last, £10.50
1 identical packet in Tesco in the South on the same week, €11

15 cartons of Aptimil already mixed in Sainsburys: £8.85
15 identical cartons in Tesco in the South: €17.85

if your husband can afford to be "patriotic" at those prices, good luck to him

anyway, are we not all Irish?????

 

[askalot]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

When politicians start trying to appeal to our sense of patriotism it is time to remember the words of Samuel Johnson:

''Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel''.

 

[bond-007]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

When politicians start trying to appeal to our sense of patriotism it is time to remember the words of Samuel Johnson:

''Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel''.

Very well said.

 

[Latrade]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

2 packets of nappies in Sainsburys weekend before last, £10.50
1 identical packet in Tesco in the South on the same week, €11

15 cartons of Aptimil already mixed in Sainsburys: £8.85
15 identical cartons in Tesco in the South: €17.85

if your husband can afford to be "patriotic" at those prices, good luck to him

anyway, are we not all Irish?????

There's more reasons for those prices than just shops ripping us off. I agree, the UK stores based here have little defence when the gaps are so signficant, but the irish retailers are at a disadvantage because it's a small country and small operation. The UK has a much bigger population and market, we're the size of a mid sized city (in UK terms) and so can't get the same discounts on stock at cost level. It's seen all over, especially "named" brands, the cost prices to Ireland are higher, then comes transport, then comes rent, then comes wages, then comes, tax, then comes energy etc etc.

Me: I'd rather see the people in retail/hotels in a job and earning, I'd rather not see more retail closures, especially of domestic businesses. And prices are comming down, I've seen it on the weekly shopping bill. Still shop in the same places and still buy more or less the same items, yet it's down by up to €50 per week.

It's not unpatriotic, but if done en masse it could be short-sighted and more harmful in the long run.

 

[extopia]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

Think about what is being suggested. It hasn't been thought through. If we are going to play the patriotism card, we might as well go the whole hog and boycott all "foreign" retailers that operate in Ireland.

 

[RMCF]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

Think about what is being suggested. It hasn't been thought through. If we are going to play the patriotism card, we might as well go the whole hog and boycott all "foreign" retailers that operate in Ireland.

I think Dunnes Stores/O'Brien sandwich bars are already trying to play this card, mentioning the old favourite line "because we're Irish" in their adverts.

I think at the end of the day people will buy off them if they are competitve. If they aren't, then the business will go elsewhere.

 

[bond-007]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

I think Dunnes Stores/O'Brien sandwich bars are already trying to play this card, mentioning the old favourite line "because we're Irish" in their adverts.

It is that sort of line that will ultimately discourage people from buying from them.

I find the use of phrases such as "Because were Irish" so patronising. They obviously think we are stupid.
Dunnes use the exact same ads north of the border but they are careful not to include "Because were Irish".

 

[Bubbly Scot]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

Shop in the North.

Ireland needs tough love. Prices here will only come down when people stop paying them.

I agree. I get a bit of stick for going Up north for shopping but even taking the cost of petrol and tolls into account I can save hundreds. On Christmas presents alone I saved a small fortune...well I didn't really because I had a budget, it just meant my children got more and we had a bigger range of food over the festive season.

It's not just money either, I loved the sheer choice I had up there. I'll continue to go North while it remains economical for me to do so.

 

[MrMan]

Re: Shopping in North? Unpatriotic?

If tough love is needed to be given out then why not give it to the retailers who charge different prices north and south. People rave about the savings but don't seem to mind that the same retailers who are charging the higher prices in our country are making a killing from the irish rushing to spend their money in the united kingdom. People will find any number of reasons to make themselves feel alright and even though it is contributing to the lack of spending in our own economy which obviously affects jobs in our own country people will continue to take whats on offer because 'its the govts fault blah blah blah'.

 

[Complainer]

It seems that FF have managed to get over the patriotism issue in bringing in some Yanks to develop the new party website, despite us having large numbers of very skilled web developers at home.

 

[micmclo]

Today the Euro went up and the US Dollar and pound sterling went down after the Fed announcment.

This weekend is a good time as any to go shopping up north!

 

[Jock04]

For one thing, Uk companies are not the only people running retail outlets here.

For another, imho, lofty morals & the bigger picture will not put food on the table of a normal working class family, or indeed one which has suffered job loss, this week. There are many families running on a very tight budget week to week, to ask them to spend more than they have to on patriotic grounds is both churlish & unrealistic.

And for yet another, the supervalues & local supermarkets have suddenly been able to source produce at better prices & pass these onto customers. There can be little doubt that prices have come down, special offers abound. So why weren't they charging those prices 6 months ago? Little wonder the populace feel little loyalty towards them.

 

[Bubbly Scot]

Well said, Jock!! I would love to spend locally, help keep people in jobs and all the rest of it but it comes down to the bottom line..or MY bottom line. I shop mostly in Tesco and Aldi here in ROI but every now and again I go North to bulk buy.

On an aside...Out with friends tonight one joined us late, came in and announced "I'm out of work at 9am today" Two people swore that's what we heard and assumed she'd lost her job. Turns out she'd actually said she was out AT work. In the current climate we didn't think it unusual she was announcing her "redundancy". Only when we started commiserating loudly did everyone realise the mistake.

We then spent the next hour discussing the best places (locally) to get bread, milk and the best deals this week.

A sign of the times we now live in.

 

[Caveat]

Good post Jock.

 

[MrMan]

For one thing, Uk companies are not the only people running retail outlets here.

For another, imho, lofty morals & the bigger picture will not put food on the table of a normal working class family, or indeed one which has suffered job loss, this week. There are many families running on a very tight budget week to week, to ask them to spend more than they have to on patriotic grounds is both churlish & unrealistic.

And for yet another, the supervalues & local supermarkets have suddenly been able to source produce at better prices & pass these onto customers. There can be little doubt that prices have come down, special offers abound. So why weren't they charging those prices 6 months ago? Little wonder the populace feel little loyalty towards them.

The uk retailers are the ones constantly being described when comparing prices such as buggy in argos was €90 here but argos in the north only charged £35 why not boycott argos altogether?
As for lofty morals and putting food on the table how many more jobs will be lost on account of retailers in the south continuing to lose business? You don't have to look at it on patriotic grounds, think of it more on selfish grounds i.e I would like the country to get back on its feet so that some day soon I will have less to worry about when it comes to putting food on the table.
The local shops have started to drop prices significantly but that doesn't mean that it is profitable for them and that they can do so and maintain job levels in the long term. I know small to medium builders that are pricing work at a loss to stay in business and not face hefty redundancy payments so while everything may look cheap and rosey on the outside there are going to be repurcussions down the line that will affect this country.