Retailers braced for major slump in Christmas sales

gurramok

_Kooli_ wrote: »

Ive been looking at people in shops wondering if they are actually just browsing. But i can confirm ,they are still buying. The vast majority of the country is not on the breadline, despite what makes headlines.

Those who always had money to spend, still have money to spend.

Funny that. I noticed the likes of Dunnes/Penneys where you can get cheap clothing to be packed and yet the moderately expensive ones like Oasis\Burtons to be empty.
Of course some will have money to spend who still have good jobs, the numbers of these have decreased. Its a money crunch out there

thebman

There are great bargains everywhere at the moment and rents are gone down.

Glad I got another job, everything is so cheap, I get first pay cheque on Friday and will be treating myself to some new clothes and maybe a computer game or two

Nehaxak

Well speaking as a Dad here with two kids, I've saved an absolute fortune this year (yet again) by shopping online and doing both Santa and clothes shopping through the interwebs from mostly UK retailers with absolutely no problems at all.

When it comes to money and the ability to save as much as is possible while still managing to give the kids a good christmas, patriotism goes completely out the window and I have absolutely no shame in that at all. Family first, everything else second.

The prices still being charged here in Ireland for goods, especially clothes, are absolutely terrible, I don't know how they continue to get away with it.

I bought two Helly Hansen jackets for my kids from a UK place online, which I initially heard about on Boards' Bargain Alerts forum, for around 30 euro each, free postage. Same jackets in town my girlfriend seen for 125 euro each ? Seriously, wtf :eek:

Same place, I bought two pairs of "designer" jeans for myself for 25 euro, I mean really good jeans they are - I can't imagine what I'd be charged for them here in Ireland. Everlast hoodies, top quality, 15 euro. Everlast and Regatta T-shirts, 3 to 5 euro each.

Irish retailers need to bring their prices down to acceptable and respectable levels or people will just continue to shop elsewhere. We are afterall part of Europe so they can all just shut up about patriotism to be perfectly honest.

The country chose to vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty and as far as I'm concerned now my "country" as such is not Ireland but Europe and that treaty was the nail in the coffin of any patriotism (apart from football!) I felt for Ireland. I am a European, I am from Europe and I will do my utmost to spend my money in my country, Europe, to get the best deals and savings that I can.
Ireland as a nation needs to just wake up and adjust itself, it's market, it's trade and economy to the simple fact that we are only a very small nation, an Island and a name - our country for all intents and purposes is Europe.

You can choose to remain a local retailer and sell locally to your nation or you can adjust and choose to compete in the European market while passing on considerable discounts to your local customers while still maintaining a profit. You can do that now and build up a base for yourself for the future, or you can bury your head in the sand and continue whining, boo hoo, "dey tuk ar jabs" - No, they didn't, they just took your customers.

MysticalRain

Nehaxak wrote: »

The country chose to vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty and as far as I'm concerned now my "country" as such is not Ireland but Europe and that treaty was the nail in the coffin of any patriotism (apart from football!) I felt for Ireland. I am a European, I am from Europe and I will do my utmost to spend my money in my country, Europe, to get the best deals and savings that I can.
Ireland as a nation needs to just wake up and adjust itself, it's market, it's trade and economy to the simple fact that we are only a very small nation, an Island and a name - our country for all intents and purposes is Europe.

Exactly. When it comes to the free market, we are all Europeans now. I wouldn't mind, but the business community were actually pushing us to vote for the Lisbon Treaty. Did they not realize what being a member of Europe actually means?

senordingdong

And lets not forget that Fianna Fail told us all to shop around.