Shopping in the North - Unpatriotic or what?

Lplated

This week the Lord Mayor of Dublin called on people to exercise 'civic patriotism' and not go North for the 30-40% savings to be had up there.

On TV3 Crunch time programme on Tuesday, Tanaiste Mary Coughlan called on people to be patriotic and keep their money at home.

Given that even the National Consumer Agency has officially said that savings in the North are in the 30 to 40% range - what do you think?

Should we stay in the Republic and pay the extra as a kind of 'voluntary' tax, or should we vote with our feet and go where ever we can shop for cheaper.

Do-more

Are we not all Europeans these days?

KTRIC

F*ck her and her big gold chain. People can shop where they want.

AlanD

yeah shop where you want.

FredH3as

No bargain here then eh :rolleyes:

Basq

VAT increases.. cost of living increasing per day.. recessionary times and all that. We have every right to save money that we're losing elsewhere.

One of the funniest quotes I've read this week:

"People will have to see that there is much better value in the Republic of Ireland"
: Brian Cowen

If he finds it, can he let me know where?!

PS - not a Bargain Alert.. will move to 'Rip Off Ireland'. Never a more apt forum!

Drummerboy2

For many years now the well-heeled in our society have being hopping on planes and heading to New York for shopping trips and not a word about it. Now the ordinary hard pressed consumers have decided to do the same and head up the road for some well deserved bargains. Now the powers that be are complaining about the plebs daring to reject the rip off republic.

UsedtobePC

I would ask the Lord Mayor of Dublin and Mary Coughlan where they intend to do their Xmas shopping and by the same token I'd ask them to "buy Irish" only to support the national economy, that is buy only from Irish retailers, Irish products manufactured in Ireland. See what they say about it.

What do you mean it only applies to US and not to THEM?

Bill-e

Has the Vat dropped in the uk yet?
I think this vat changing business is a joke. It's never a good idea to mess with vat. Retailers in the UK are going to have to spend a fortune to re print all their collateral and marketing stuff. Either that or they could choose not to pass on the vat saving to the customer...
With us here in Ireland it's defo not worth it to remarket the prices for a bit of a percentage. So effectively the retailer here will be the one who pays this increase. I think it's madness.
Also a lot of accounting/retail systems have fixed vat variables, especially in the UK cause the vat there hasn't changed in like 38 yrs... It'll call for many software update packages and hassle imo.

paulusdu

we already got stung for an extra 1% tax, another .5% on VAT, our Energy bills jumping like crazy, medical insurance going up, and our take home pay going down.
Mary Harney told us a few years ago to shop around when we complained of being ripped off, and thats what people are doing. If the big shops down here will not offer us the same prices as the ones in Northern Ireland, then tough. We have families to look after, we have bills to pay, the governament is taking more and more from us, so we need to do something in resoponse.
This is voting with our feet.

hellboy99

I'll shop where ever I want, don't see the government saying it's unpatriotic when jobs here are given to cheaper paid foreign nationals :rolleyes:

jayo27

To hell with them all. What we spend is our money and no one has the right to dictate where we should spend it. My Argos list costs €200 less in the North (6 items) than down here so why should'nt I go 50 mile up the road to get the identical items from the same retailer for €200 less. Its a no brainer! While I'm up there I'll also hop into ASDA for the Christmas goodies.

snubbleste

Are FF not in favour of a 32 county Ireland?
Then they turn around and say it's unpatriotic to shop in the North?

Mr Donaldson also challenged Fianna Fáil's nationalist credentials.
“It is interesting that the Irish Government supports a united Ireland, but when it comes to patriotism, that only extends to the 26 counties of the Republic,” said Mr Donaldson... He also questioned why the Government in Dublin should brand spending money in one part of the island unpatriotic. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/1127/breaking54.html

smashey

The retailers who rip us off aren't being very patriotic.

joeali101

They Let Aer Lingus move their Shannon base to Belfast without batting an eyelid,and now they're calling us unpatriotic for trying to save a few quid on our Christmas shopping,by going up north.

DonJose

basquille wrote: »

One of the funniest quotes I've read this week:

"People will have to see that there is much better value in the Republic of Ireland"
: Brian Cowen

LOL here is the actual press conference...*



*No Iraqi's were hurt in this photoshopping.

slinky2000

fack them, Whent he big shops offer the same prices as those inth e north I'll stay here

I'm in Belfast this weekend for work and lets just say I'm loading up before I go back to limerick!

jim o doom

Ask not what you country can do for you (which is nothing, like they have been doing for OH so long), ask what you can do; for your country (even less, by actively spending my money outside of this sh*tehole )

greatgoal

unpatriotic my arse,its our so called patriots in government that are forcing us to do so in the first place,so f**k em.:mad:

brianthebard

Is the country that bad that the govt have to resort to patriotism as a fiscal stimulant? FFS

dardevle

[. My Argos list costs €200 less in the North (6 items) than down here so why should'nt I go 50 mile up the road to get the identical items from the same retailer for €200 less.]



i don't have a problem with shopping around.
what i do have a problem with is people travelling
north and purchasing from the same chainstores
that are ripping us off down here!!

grahamo

UNPATRIOTIC MY ARSE!
I've always worked and paid my taxes even through the tough times in the 80's when I was a teenager and in return for working for peanuts I'm told by then Taoiseach Haughey that I'm living beyond my means. Somebody tell me the govt. are joking! The govt. can kiss my a*se. I'll spend MY money where I want to spend it.

poindexter

i shall be heading north at the weekend and look forward to splashing out and in turn saving a few quid. would Newry be best or should i aim for Belfast??

The_Conductor

poindexter wrote: »

i shall be heading north at the weekend and look forward to splashing out and in turn saving a few quid. would Newry be best or should i aim for Belfast??

You won't get parking in Newry- but everywhere is going to packed jammers one way or the other. Personally I'd suggest Sprucefield at Lisburn- straight up the A1 (you can't get lost)......?

smashey

And with all this talk of being patriotic and getting ripped off, the good old VHI stick 23% on to their premiums.

Facepalm is the only reaction I'm capable off here.

poindexter

Marks & Spencers, McDonald's, JJB, MFI and Mamas & Papas. are these the only shops in Sprucefield??

Zonda999

I honestly think this will sort itself out. The Irish shops HAVE to lower their prices, and keep them low until the sterling picks up against the euro. For rthe sake of a small amount i would still buy down south, but on a big purchase, you really have to go North

The_Conductor

poindexter wrote: »

Marks & Spencers, McDonald's, JJB, MFI and Mamas & Papas. are these the only shops in Sprucefield??

There are quite a few more- thats an old list. There is the largest Sainsbury's in Northern Ireland, Toys'r'us, PC World and lots lots more.......

poindexter

smccarrick wrote: »

There are quite a few more- thats an old list. There is the largest Sainsbury's in Northern Ireland, Toys'r'us, PC World and lots lots more.......

cheers man

Hookey

Appealing to patriotism, the last refuge of the political scoundrel. Seems "being at the heart of Europe" is a one-way street as far as Irish governments are concerned...

slinky2000

poindexter wrote: »

i shall be heading north at the weekend and look forward to splashing out and in turn saving a few quid. would Newry be best or should i aim for Belfast??

really depends what ur lookin mate. just general shopping, head to newry, specialist stuff head to lisburn/belfast. don't forget the outlet in bendbridge, rushmere shopping in craigavon etc