Retailers braced for major slump in Christmas sales

lmimmfn

tax hikes in the budget will make it a lot worse and im sure most here will slash their own Christmas budget in half in comparison to last year.

S.L.F

irish_bob wrote: »

same could be said about the public sector

Which bit of it?

mikemac

Unless people have a cash in hand job they are paying PAYE, PRSI, BIK and levies on their incomes.
What is left is discretionary spending.

If Irish retailers can't compete then welcome to the EU.
Irish retailers certainly haggle on their stock purchases and if they don't get discounts they are probably getting credit terms.
So if you a consumer and paying the retailers mark-up (or is that margin? ) then certainly have a go at haggling on high value items like TV's or ipods, etc. It's expected and a sale with a reasonable discount is usually better then no sale at all

Dotsie~tmp

Amhran Nua wrote: »

How many people though, I can't see too many people going North unless they are either buying big ticket items like TVs or computers, or live fairly close to the border. The internet purchases are an interesting one though, as far as competition with retailers goes. Whats the best solution to that issue, long term, or is there one?

Like most I will be stocking up on some drink and food for the crimbo. Im a guinness drinker myself and can tell you on average I'll pay about €1.80 per can in a multipack. Its works out at 85cent in asda for the same. If you think people wont be flocking north in epic numbers you are either deluded, loaded or both.

These arent even their christamas offers.

mikemac

Dotsie~tmp wrote: »

If you think people wont be flocking north in epic numbers you are either deluded, loaded or both.

These arent even their christamas offers.

Your location is Dublin, the people in South Kerry or most of Munster may be deluded or loaded or both but it'd take a huge amount of shopping to make it worth their while.

Dotsie~tmp

So Kerry looses out. The numbers will still be epic.

mikemac

Yes, numbers will still be epic.
But for many it's not a good option at all

donkey balls

murphaph wrote: »

Cost of business is simply much higher in the south for a start. Higher energy and insurance, higher wages, higher VAT. If we pay ESB staff etc. a load more than NIE staff then electricity will cost more. If we allow silly payouts in court for litigation, insurance will be higher. All of this contributes to higher costs which are all passed on.

Retailers themselves to an extent are guilty of not passing on savings when possible sometimes too, but the overall cost base, like with every industry in Ireland, is too high relative to our competitors and MUST fall.

just a quick point regarding the ESB charges there laid down by the energy regulater,when Bord Gais entered into the electricity market with cheaper electricity,guess what the energy regulater would not allow the ESB to lower there prices.
and in the near future the ESB will be offering chaeper gas prices than bord gais.

mikemac

The ESB would love to lower their prices, it'd wipe the competitors out or at least still maintain their dominant position.

As said, the regulator sets the prices, not the ESB

SLUSK

Actually I think it is a good thing people stop spending money, you need to save money in order to dig get yourself out of these massive debts. Consumption is not what drives the economy, it is savings and investments.

nesf

Retailers in a recession announce they expect poor Christmas sales and people actually react like that's news?

newman10

Mr.Micro wrote: »

People would not be going north if the retailers got there act together and cut a few prices along with getting in quality stuff instead of all that grey rubbish with big price tags. Prices have been too high too long here in the south and as long as there is better value up north people will continue to shop there. In Europe people can shop in whatever country is cheaper so why should we be different?

Be more specific in what sector of retail that need to cut their prices. I am in Jeanswear and can give you 2 pairs of jeans 1 shirt and a Pullover for €100.

Maybe not a cheap as Pennys/Dunnes but I operate in a branded environment.

If people insist on calling us Rip Offs without checking what we have to offer we may as well shut up shop and the cycle of dying Towns continues

murphaph

donkey balls wrote: »

just a quick point regarding the ESB charges there laid down by the energy regulater,when Bord Gais entered into the electricity market with cheaper electricity,guess what the energy regulater would not allow the ESB to lower there prices.
and in the near future the ESB will be offering chaeper gas prices than bord gais.

So what you're saying is that a public sector regulator is keeping prices artificially high? Sounds plausible. Cheers for the info.

However, I still maintain that ESB staff are overpaid in relation to what they do. We all remember the closed down power station which was still paying staff to come to 'work' and drink tea. Where would we be without unions securing such 'rights' for the proletariat!

murphaph

SLUSK wrote: »

Actually I think it is a good thing people stop spending money, you need to save money in order to dig get yourself out of these massive debts. Consumption is not what drives the economy, it is savings and investments.

It's actually consumption. If there are no consumers, then we don't need any factories or shops. What would people work at without consumption? Spending money you haven't got is another thing ;-)

donkey balls

murphaph wrote: »

So what you're saying is that a public sector regulator is keeping prices artificially high? Sounds plausible. Cheers for the info.

However, I still maintain that ESB staff are overpaid in relation to what they do. We all remember the closed down power station which was still paying staff to come to 'work' and drink tea. Where would we be without unions securing such 'rights' for the proletariat!

yeah murph i remember that allright as for them being well paid they do have good T&Cs but according to the media an average worker gets 90,000 euro per year(utter bull****).
my mate works for them and he is no way on that wage nor is his colleagues and they make up the majority of the esb networks with O/T i reckon there on about 38,000/45,000 a year.
also as a semi state there one of only a few companies making a profit not just on the irish network but with there international arm ESBI.

jimmmy

donkey balls wrote: »

my mate works for them and he is no way on that wage nor is his colleagues and they make up the majority of the esb networks with O/T i reckon there on about 38,000/45,000 a year.

Your mate is telling porkies or else does not understand that the statistical average pay in the ESB is close to double that. He must not be in the better paid part of the ESB;)

kleefarr

jimmmy wrote:

In his SIG..
Average weekly earnings in the Public Sector (excluding Health) are €973.09
http://www.cso.ie/releasespublicatio.../psempearn.pdf
It is the highest in the known world. .

Not surprising as I have recently discovered that they get paid TRIPLE time for working on Sundays and then some of them have the cheek to moan about that possibly being reduced to just DOUBLE time. :mad:

donkey balls

jimmmy wrote: »

Your mate is telling porkies or else does not understand that the statistical average pay in the ESB is close to double that. He must not be in the better paid part of the ESB;)

a manager in the esb depending on what division would be on about 60,000 upwards there are people on 90,000 plus i agree.

as i said the majority of staff work in customer care/ electricians& drivers whse staff

jimmmy

donkey balls wrote: »

a manager in the esb depending on what division would be on about 60,000 upwards there are people on 90,000 plus i agree.

as i said the majority of staff work in customer care/ electricians& drivers whse staff

In ESB Poolbeg the average is over 90,000.

Any ESB person putting on the poor mouth should know the statistics, and buy their own round in the pub.

segaBOY

Hasn't retail been overinflated during the boom anyway? Why keep this hyped industry going?

Employees would be much better served working in a new sector that may actually add to our exports over personal debt of so many.

donkey balls

jimmmy wrote: »

In ESB Poolbeg the average is over 90,000.

Any ESB person putting on the poor mouth should know the statistics, and buy their own round in the pub.

thats poollbeg so on average there is more employees in poolbeg than the rest of the esb?.

Absurdum

jimmmy wrote: »

In ESB Poolbeg the average is over 90,000.

Any ESB person putting on the poor mouth should know the statistics, and buy their own round in the pub.

No ESB worker is putting on a poor mouth.

If you feel you can build and operate a power station for less, then you're welcome to do just that.

donkey balls

Absurdum wrote: »

No ESB worker is putting on a poor mouth.

If you feel you can build and operate a power station for less, then you're welcome to do just that.

i have a better idea why dont we all work for the min wage i wil give the lads i know flying for ryanair a shout im sure MOL would love them to work for nothing.(after all they only spent about 90,000 euro of there own money to get were they are).

there are companies out there using the excuse of the big R to reduce employee wage+T&C while coining it

lmimmfn

^^ESB are the most expensive power supplier in europe, nuff said really.

donkey balls wrote: »

i have a better idea why dont we all work for the min wage i wil give the lads i know flying for ryanair a shout im sure MOL would love them to work for nothing.(after all they only spent about 90,000 euro of there own money to get were they are).

there are companies out there using the excuse of the big R to reduce employee wage+T&C while coining it

The reality is we are far too expensive,out cost of living in general has to decrease, that means lower cost services, food etc. and with that yes, its 100% acceptable that companies reduce or wages/salaries. Otherwise they'll just move off somewhere else.

On the original topic, what percentage of peoples budgeted expenditure will be spent up north? for myself i reckon 80%. Its unfortunate but prices need to lower here, what about you guys?

mikemac

lmimmfn wrote: »

On the original topic, what percentage of peoples budgeted expenditure will be spent up north? for myself i reckon 80%. Its unfortunate but prices need to lower here, what about you guys?

For people who are close to the border.
Munster seems to be forgotten here

lmimmfn

mikemac wrote: »

For people who are close to the border.
Munster seems to be forgotten here

lol, true, i know of a few guys from munster planning their big shop, but yeah, its a long haul.

donkey balls

i used to work for a logistics company who did whse&transport for a well known irish owned company both grocery&drapery.
most of there clothing would come through dublin port were it would be brought to the whse in dublin the orders picked for the stores and sent out on trucks.
this is were it gets interesting the company has shops in the north&uk also spain were the clothes were cheaper than buying them in the south of ireland.
ask a mgr/spokesperson for the company and they would say transport costs were higher because were an island nation.(utter b*ll*x)

Absurdum

lmimmfn wrote: »

^^ESB are the most expensive power supplier in europe, nuff said really.

They aren't, plus there are several competitors in the market here.

We went from having the lowest electricity costs in Europe to one of the most expensive because of the Commission for Enery Regulation and their policies.

omahaid

No harm I say, I wont be crying into me tea.

Peanut

donkey balls wrote: »

....
also as a semi state there one of only a few companies making a profit not just on the irish network but with there international arm ESBI.

Umm a semi-state having high wage costs, providing an essential service and being profitable on revenue from Irish customers is probably not really that beneficial to the country as a whole in the current climate...