Boycott of British Stores In Ireland

Sleipnir

From today's Independant.


SHOPPERS were yesterday urged to consider adopting their own personal price boycotts as further evidence emerged of a huge price gap in cross-border shopping.

The latest price divide follows weekend surveys showing a massive mark-up on goods in British retail chain outlets in the country.

And last night Consumers' Association of Ireland chief executive Dermot Jewell said while a nationwide price boycott would be difficult to organise, shoppers should seriously consider their own personal boycotts if unhappy with high prices.

The latest price comparisons clearly showed UK retailers with shops in the Republic selling goods here at inflated prices - at what they believed the market would bear, he said.

But it was no longer a case of being price-conscious.

In many cases shoppers did not have a choice in where they shopped or what they bought. Where shoppers were unhappy with the prices being charged, they should vote with their feet, he said.

Mr Jewell was commenting following evidence of some big cross-border differences in prices in the same supermarket chain.

However, Tesco, the store in question - whose motto is "Helping you spend less everyday" - was saying even less about the cross-border pricing policy.

Retail sources say special offers, different economies, markets and distribution costs lie behind differences.

One irate cross-border shopper told the Irish Independent some products can be over 100pc dearer in the Republic - even taking the exchange rate into account.

"I shop on a regular basis north of the border and it's about time shoppers started going back there," she said.

A 400g pack of cherry tomatoes from Spain cost €1.33 (stg93p) in Tesco's Lisburn store. Yet a 200g pack of Irish cherry tomatoes in the chain's Jervis Street Centre store in Dublin was €1.78. On a per weight basis, this means the Dublin price is a whopping 267pc of the Northern counterpart.

Kelloggs Fruit and Fibre 750g was €2.98 (stg£2.08) in Lisburn but €3.69 in Jervis - a 71c difference. Tesco-brand one litre of soya milk cost €0.99 (stg69p) in Lisburn but €1.69 in Jervis - €0.70 more.

A two-litre pack of Dale Farm organic milk cost €1.84 (stg£1.29p) in the North while a litre of Glenisk organic milk in Dublin was €1.69. On special offer in the North were Nestle Aero yoghurts with eight for €1.71 (stg£1.19). A four-pack, or half the amount, in Dublin was €1.69.

A Sunday newspaper survey of British retail chains in Ireland found much evidence of massive mark-ups.

It showed Irish consumers were being charged up to 40pc more than UK shoppers for some electrical goods, up to 23pc more for clothes and accessories and up to 60pc more for DVDs.

Fergus Black

blorg

I think it's very unfair to single out Tesco for criticism based on their price differences with the UK. Surely it would just as reasonable to jump on Dunnes Stores because they sell things cheaper in Spain?

IMHO, Tesco have been an overwhelmingly positive influence on the Irish market, both from a price and quality point of view.

I agree Irish prices are a rip-off, I just think it's unfair to single out Tesco in this regard; they are one of the least guilty parties. What about a comparison with their Irish competitors?

Beëlzebooze

I remember when Lidl in Ennis first opened it's doors, that first weekend of trade saw the pices for booze way lower than in Tesco's offlicense, or even the offie in Dunnes. A week later the prices had gone up in Lidl, to just cents under the prices in tesco's and dunnes.


It makes sense, the supermarket chains charge what the market can bear, it isn't FAIR, i'm not happy with it, but it makes sense.

spongebob

Compare Lidl Ireland with Lidl Germany for example. Lidl would not have such fat margins in Irelnad were it not for the Tesco/Dunnes/Supervalue margins in the mid-uper market. I am sure that Lidl would dramatically reduce their margins if Tesco did so first.

Therefore I am still minded to exert downward pressure on Aldi and Lidl by FIRST exerting pressure on Tesco. Once Tesco drop their prices to their 'Home Market' levels you will find that Dunnes and Superquinn and Supervalue will have to follow.

Then it would be time to chase the Germans.

M

John R

What I would like an answer to is why several supermarket chains leads to strong competition and very low prices in Britian, Germany and lots of other EU countries while in Ireland there are several large chains but no low prices. I suspect the reason is that the Irish management of these stores know that the government will not do anything to stop them fixing prices artificially high as a group. Unlike the more strict regulators elsewhere who jump on any suspicion of cartels.