Disappointed with M&S

nodolan

gerrycollins wrote:

I dont think any discussion can take place(no offence) untill all elements involved in putting a product on the shelf for you to buy are targetted because all it need is for one cog of the wheel to be broken for the wheel to not turn.

I hope most people know that Tesco themselves transport their stock from uk based suppliers at sterling rates and could sell it a lot cheaper than anyone else nut they wont because the others are charging what they charge. to put it mildly if they were to charge the sterling rate they could put aldi and lidl out of business.

Agreed, to an extent. It's a ground up discussion that may help bring about that change.

I knew that about Tesco - that's why Sainsbury and others across the border are doing so well AFAIK.

the groutch

so as to not keep referring to minimum wages:

Starting wage for M&S in the UK is £6.50 (€7.50)
Starting wage for M&S in Eire is €10

whippet

I don't have figures to hand, but I know someone quoted examples before on these boards .... but factoring in store rents in Ireland against similar locations and footfall areas in the UK are on totally different levels.

Rents are a massive factor in the price differences between UK and Irish shelves.

nodolan ... why why would you even try to compare Tesco pricing to M&S pricing ... it's like comparing sh1t and chocolate .... M&S will always be more expensive, it's what they are known for!!

nodolan

whippet wrote: »

nodolan ... why why would you even try to compare Tesco pricing to M&S pricing ... it's like comparing sh1t and chocolate .... M&S will always be more expensive, it's what they are known for!!

Because up until quite recently Fairtrade and organic groceries in most other stores were incredibly expensive whereas M&S was stocking organic groceries ahead of the rest at a better price - back then - but obviously in the year or more since I stopped buying in Tesco that's changed.

tv3

whippet wrote: »

I don't have figures to hand, but I know someone quoted examples before on these boards .... but factoring in store rents in Ireland against similar locations and footfall areas in the UK are on totally different levels.

Rents are a massive factor in the price differences between UK and Irish shelves.

nodolan ... why why would you even try to compare Tesco pricing to M&S pricing ... it's like comparing sh1t and chocolate .... M&S will always be more expensive, it's what they are known for!!

Well said.Maybe spell it o u t for him now and he might get the point :rolleyes:

darc

What everyone forgets is that just 3 years ago when sterling was at 63p / euro there was a huge trade the other way. Northerners went to southern towns becasue they were substantial saving on may products especially fuel, food & clothing.

At about 72p, there was no discernable difference between the 2 markets except on motor fuel, at 80, the difference was 10 % in favour of the north & at 90p the difference is 25% in favour of the north especially as vat rate have differed by an additional 3%

Probaly later this year sterling will come back to 80p and eventually probably to the mid seventies.

So with our higher than average earnings & lower than average taxes, we can take advantage of a market anomaly, but if you are shopping up north please support 1. Irish products & 2. Local retailers.

nodolan

Just been talking to a friend of mine in Letterkenny. He used to manage two Centras up there. He says that local stores like Centra and even Dunnes in Letterkenny are now competing on a level pricing policy. He says that even toiletries like Lynx (I hate the stuff) is now cheaper in Dunnes in Donegal than it is in Asda in Derry and that there is a reversal with grocery shoppers now buying at home but that the differences in prices for electrical goods is still so big between the same stores (Currys was his example) on different sides of the border means that people are actually hiring and borrowing vans to go to Derry to buy 42" TVs and white goods etc. He bought a 42" Samsung Plasma TV in Currys in Derry and he reckons he saved so much he could've both two in Derry for the price of one in Currys in Letterkenny.

Monkey61

As someone who lives between the UK and Ireland, I actually find M&S quite fair when it comes to grocery prices. They actually seem to work pretty close to the exchange rate and I would go there specifically to get certain items (in Ireland) because I find them much cheaper than Tesco.

Again it's not a like for like comparison really, but just as an example - 300g pot of humous in M&S, £1.29 in UK, something like E1.59 here - pretty happy with that. Same product about £1.09 in UK Tesco, about E2.99 here. So go on the M&S!

Groceries are always going to be more expensive here, but for certain items I do find M&S have much less of a sterling versus euro mark up.