Newry Shoppers

hellboy99

borderlinemeath wrote: »

The comparable price of a shopping trolley from a different country with a different taxation and minimum wage structure.

Its this that poople don't get....ignorant people who think they are being ripped off because they want to buy something at the same price in different countries.

Last time I checked it was Northern Ireland and not Northern UK .

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Irish retailers simply cannot sell everything at the same price as the UK.
Its going to be too late when people realise this.

That may be true but they can still lower their prices even further and don't say they can't.

Take Superquinn as an example, most of their products including "Irish products" are sourced from Northern Ireland. When they place them on the shelves here to sell they are far from the NI price and in most cases far more expensive than Dunnes or Tesco's.

I went into my local Dunnes today and prices on many items have gone up , 1ltr Fruice which was €1 just over a week ago is now €1.25, most of the drinks have gone up, various food items including their own ranges have gone up, alcohol I couldn't see much difference to be honest.

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Shops will close (as 3G did this week with the loss of 150 jobs) and more and more will join the dole queues.

Businesses open and close all the time, that's the nature of all businesses, it even happened before the recession :rolleyes:

quinnthebin

borderlinemeath wrote: »

The comparable price of a shopping trolley from a different country with a different taxation and minimum wage structure.

Its this that poople don't get....ignorant people who think they are being ripped off because they want to buy something at the same price in different countries.

Irish retailers simply cannot sell everything at the same price as the UK.
Its going to be too late when people realise this. Shops will close (as 3G did this week with the loss of 150 jobs) and more and more will join the dole queues.

I think most people are intelligent enough to know there will be differences from country to country for whatever reasons (albeit not quite as disparate as we have here) - but I certainly don't consider people ignorant for making a choice that many have been forced to make by job losses, wage cuts etc.

borderlinemeath

Last time I checked it was Northern Ireland and not Northern UK .

Northern Ireland is a different country. It's part of the UK. As much as the Sinn Feiners don't want it to be.


North Korea/South Korea also different countries. Just like Ireland/Northern Ireland. Same country name, they border each other...but vastly different.
Republic/Northern Ireland just doesn't have the border control anymore:D.

RustyBeanTin

hellboy99 wrote: »

Exactly, and you didn't hear and see businesses and politicians up north complaining about it every week in and on various media sources and calling you unpatriotic.

Well id say a few of the unionist politicians did a wee bit of yapping but thats all they do anyway

hellboy99

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Last time I checked it was Northern Ireland and not Northern UK .

Northern Ireland is a different country. It's part of the UK. As much as the Sinn Feiners don't want it to be.


North Korea/South Korea also different countries. Just like Ireland/Northern Ireland. Same country name, they border each other...but vastly different.
Republic/Northern Ireland just doesn't have the border control anymore:D.

Whatever, to be honest you sound like you have more of a problem with money going to the UK exchequer than job losses.

Would you rather see border control back then, we live in a free country and people can shop where they like. Would you also like us to stop buying products over the internet from other foreign countries too.

Putting the blame on us southern consumers is just wrong, government, greedy bankers and businesses are to blame for the mess we are in. You go on about job losses, is it the consumers fault that thousands of jobs that could of employed Irish people were lost to cheap foreign labour coming into the country over the last couple of years.

Speaking about my own situation and like many other people, I didn't go nuts or get into debt during the boom years, I worked hard and saved for everything I have. I took out a Personal Retirement Bond Fund during that time and over the past year I've lost all of my money in it, thousands of my own hard earned money, I won't get any of it back and there's no NAMA for me.
I've no job, my wife has taken a hit in her wages, children allowance and welfare has been cut, on top of that health insurance has gone up, increases in medical charges, we're been ask to bail out bankers, developers and people that can't pay their mortgages and now you want us to bail out Irish businesses. I have no problem doing my bit to help our economy but I've been stretched to the point were enough is enough.

We can't afford to shop here, people just don't have the money and for many the weekly / monthly shop up north is keeping a lot of struggling families just above the bread line and barely making ends meet. If they were to all start shopping here we would be in more of a mess than we are now, we would see more people looking to SVTP for help, more people unemployed as in some cases they may be better off, people deciding whether it's food on the table this week or the mortgage / bills getting paid and personal debts increasing.

In order for people to start shopping back down here we need our government or a change of government to realise that dropping VAT by 0.5% is laughable, it should of been dropped 5% at least.
Our tax system, VRT, stealth taxes, electricity, phone, broadband, rates, rents, services, etc.. our whole infrastructure needs to be looked at and restructured in order to help businesses and stimulate our economy, thus encouraging foreign investment, job creation and us the consumer to spend here.

borderlinemeath

A convincing arguement hellboy and I agree with a lot of what you have said.
In fairness your previous posts suggested you had cash to spend on a large TV, whereas in your present more frugal circumstances now have you tied to looking for the best value you can for your family.

But I still don't agree with these trips up north to buy booze, clothes, appliences etc.
If a new shop opened in your locality would you apply for a job there?

And how would you feel if you were working in the retail industry and you got abuse from customers because they think that you are ripping them off?

Im tired of the abuse, and Im tired of having to explain why prices are as such, and Im tired of the bullying that customers are doing - expecting you to grovel to them while they speak to you like a piece of dirt on their shoe - and if your not "pretty please, how high will I jump nice" - well I'll just go and spend my money in the North.

And believe me I am nice to customers, my shop has the highest mystery shopper rating in the company over the past year, because we do grovel for every penny - because the workers livelyhoods depend on it.

hellboy99

borderlinemeath wrote: »

But I still don't agree with these trips up north to buy booze, clothes, appliences etc.
If a new shop opened in your locality would you apply for a job there?

And how would you feel if you were working in the retail industry and you got abuse from customers because they think that you are ripping them off?

Thank god I don't drink, otherwise I'd need a bigger car judging by some of the trolleys full of drink you see

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Im tired of the abuse, and Im tired of having to explain why prices are as such, and Im tired of the bullying that customers are doing - expecting you to grovel to them while they speak to you like a piece of dirt on their shoe - and if your not "pretty please, how high will I jump nice" - well I'll just go and spend my money in the North.

And believe me I am nice to customers, my shop has the highest mystery shopper rating in the company over the past year, because we do grovel for every penny - because the workers livelyhoods depend on it.

I myself used to work in retail and the abuse you get is part of the job, you will always get the abusive costomer, recession or not.
In must cases you can't blame them, some do go a bit too far with the abuse and don't realise that complianing to the normal floor staff is a waste of time, it's the manager and up they need to complain too, not that, that will get them far either :rolleyes:.

What has happened is that we have been overcharged / robbed on goods for years, back in the day people didn't complain as money was no problem, it and credit was like a non stop running tap. Now that times have changed a lot of people are having to cut back and make savings were they can, if that means going up north then so it be it, even the well off and our own councils are going up north. You can't fault anyone making a 15 minute - 1 hour+ drive if they are making big savings.

Like I've said before the nature of business is not all roses, there are risks, there will always be somewhere else cheaper, be it across the road, in the same town or up north.


As for the mystery shopper, I hated it from both a sales person and customers perspective. This whole ask "can I help you ?" within the first few minutes of a customer coming into the store :mad:. If I need help I'll go ask someone for it, I like to look round a store in peace and not have a load of staff pouncing on me every few minutes with the same question.

katnia

borderlinemeath wrote: »

The comparable price of a shopping trolley from a different country with a different taxation and minimum wage structure.

Its this that poople don't get....ignorant people who think they are being ripped off because they want to buy something at the same price in different countries.

Irish retailers simply cannot sell everything at the same price as the UK.
Its going to be too late when people realise this. Shops will close (as 3G did this week with the loss of 150 jobs) and more and more will join the dole queues.

I must admit when I first read this I discounted it as rubbish (apologies). However, I think you have hit a very important & relevant point, there is probably a very large section of shoppers that believe that prices should be the same and this is obviously not possible nor should it be expected.

But I also believe a lot of retailers here are now reaping what they sowed during the 'Tiger' era, where some sections of the retail community charged what they wanted because they could get away. These same shoppers can now see the vast difference between what they paid back then to what they should of paid and I know this is now a driver of the northern exodus, because if they had not been ripped off in various places they would probably still be shopping there, but it has now forced them to turn their back on these establishments - Who can blame them for this?

I seriously believe some retailers have not woken up to the fact that they need to be offering better value & an increase in good customer service, again, something lacking (in my opinion) in the tiger era.

I don't think it's reasonable to expect prices to be on a par with NI, however I think retailers must work harder to deliver better value & service than they ever had if they wish to stay afloat. I have sympathy for the genuine shopkeepers who are struggling & are trying everything to deliver better value & service, but I can have little sympathy for the greedy & lazy shop keepers who still haven't worked out that people still vote with their feet.

mickmcgee

The comparable price of a shopping trolley from a different country with a different taxation and minimum wage structure.

This different (country) and minimum wage structure will still charge you more for petrol and cigarettes, whats the story there,,
The tiger as we call it, has inflated prices so much in this country of ours, we can no longer afford to the high prices,
End of story,
Visited tesco's twice last week, 58euros and 62euros for 8 bags of food, (not beer, but essential's)
Then, newry shop for the week today, 47 sterling.. ( me thinks me will be back)

mickmcgee( this is my sig , coes, i dont have enough posts)

borderlinemeath

The tiger economy not only inflated prices but a lot of wages as well!
Bankers, builders, developers, you couldn't get a plumber out to fix your toilet without an extortionate fee.
Bertie and the Unions are as much to blame with public service wage agreements, even though now they have been annihilated with the cuts.

I personally think a packet of cigarettes should be about €20 a pack, but then the smugglers would be doing a roaring trade. You can't win.

Whiskey Devil

Spending your money over the border will only prolong the pain here. Hellboy mentioned that he is now unemployed - you might have to get used to it, because it's unlikely to change anytime soon if people keep taking their business into the North.

I have family members in the 'convenience store' business in the West and it's IMPOSSIBLE for them to compete on price because their distributors are mickey mouse in comparison with Tesco. The same thing applies to Asda who are owned by Walmart - they have more buying power than Tesco so they can buy and sell cheaper.

Civil Servants shopping in the North should be ashamed.

gipi

Whiskey Devil wrote: »

Civil Servants shopping in the North should be ashamed.

Why? Haven't they earned their salary just like everyone else? They're perfectly entitled to spend their money wherever they like.

Would you ban civil and public servants from crossing the border then? What about anyone on Social Welfare - maybe they shouldn't cross over to shop either?



(end rant).

Whiskey Devil

gipi wrote: »

Why? Haven't they earned their salary just like everyone else? They're perfectly entitled to spend their money wherever they like.

Would you ban civil and public servants from crossing the border then? What about anyone on Social Welfare - maybe they shouldn't cross over to shop either?



(end rant).

The majority of Civil Servants are vastly overpaid by this state. They could at least have the decency to keep that money in the country.

Again, Social Welfare in this country is still more than generous - nothing wrong with that, but the job situation won't be changing any time soon if it continues. Good luck to 'em.


I never suggested people should be banned from shopping up North. 'Just saying that it's shortsighted and they'll pay for it eventually. More pay and social welfare cuts won't be too far down the line..

hellboy99

gipi wrote: »

Why? Haven't they earned their salary just like everyone else? They're perfectly entitled to spend their money wherever they like.

Would you ban civil and public servants from crossing the border then? What about anyone on Social Welfare - maybe they shouldn't cross over to shop either?

It's getting ridiculous with some of the statements being made here, like Gipi says would you rather we all shop here and screw whatever state our own finances are in.

For many families going up north is helping them manage in the times we are now in, the savings they make are helping them pay bills, loans, keep their families feed and clothed.

To all the people that have made comments here about how southern shoppers going up north are closing businesses here, if you found yourself in the same position as many struggling families do now can you honestly turn round and say that you would not do the same. For me my family comes first and foremost, loss of trade here and businesses shutting is the last thing on my mind.

Businesses didn't give a dam about anyone during the boom when they were robbing the people blind. Now that times have changed and people have opened their eyes and others out of necessity are going up north, do you really think they care about businesses here now and can you blame them.

Whiskey Devil

A business closing it's doors may not affect you directly, but it will indirectly. The longer the dole queues become, the more severe the cuts will get.

Not a criticism, just pointing out the reality.

hellboy99

Whiskey Devil wrote: »

A business closing it's doors may not affect you directly, but it will indirectly. The longer the dole queues become, the more severe the cuts will get.

Not a criticism, just pointing out the reality.

True, but businesses close all the time, at the minute we are seeing an increase with closures but it's not the consumers fault if they can't afford to shop in them. VAT for a start should of been lowered a alot more than 0.5% in the budget and government should be doing a lot more to address high running costs here.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Ok Hellboy, while I have agreed with the basic tenet you have posted so far, just for the hell of it (pun not intended) can you suggest any practical action the Government can take to "address high running costs here"? Keep in mind the knock-on affects such as a reduction of VAT on overall exchequer returns or reduced minimum wage on spending power. Also consider the price differentials between here and NI (a 2% drop in VAT for example would have no significant impact). A few actual figures or amounts would help the argument.;)

hellboy99

Jovanni Plump Serum wrote: »

Ok Hellboy, while I have agreed with the basic tenet you have posted so far, just for the hell of it (pun not intended) can you suggest any practical action the Government can take to "address high running costs here"? Keep in mind the knock-on affects such as a reduction of VAT on overall exchequer returns or reduced minimum wage on spending power. Also consider the price differentials between here and NI (a 2% drop in VAT for example would have no significant impact). A few actual figures or amounts would help the argument.;)

• VAT - reduce from 21% to 16% or less, thus increases spending, encouraging tourism and new businesses to open and helping current businesses to stay open. All this will increase revenue returns.
  
• VRT needs to looked at, lowering to getting rid of it will help the car market.
  
• Energy, fuel, phone, broadband, rents, rates etc... all need to come down, especially within the retail and manufacturing.
  
• Lower the price of cigarettes, I realise why they are so high in price but at the same time there is no denying the fact they generate a lot of revenue.
  
• Banks need to start lending more than what they are.
  
• How our current HSE operates needs to be overhauled completely, we need a system similar to that of the Netherlands and Canada. If we get our health system to run correctly and effectively a lot of wasted money can be saved.
  
• Savings in government spenditure needs to be looked at even further; wages, running costs, the amount of ministers we have etc...
  
• Money going to overseas aid needs to lowered if not stopped for one year.
  
• Abolish employer’s PRSI for every new job created, this along with a drop in VAT and running cost drops will encourage more businesses to open, decreasing our unemployment figures and the welfare budget.

Stephentlig

I've just been to www.veritas.ie I used to shop regulary at this store even before the recession. I still do because as a Christian i'm forced to go there as its the only national branch that issues Christian stuff that you cannot get in your local handy store etc.

I saw a Christian dvd called ''francis of assisi'' in hmv for 4euro and in veritas it was 17.93

thats a big huge gap to me, how on earth can such a price difference be justified? my mind is in a spin. :eek:

and when I e-mailed them with the proof I got no e-mail back.

Whiskey Devil

HMV have obviously bought the dvd at a special price. €4 is NOT a regular price for any dvd. HMV and their suppliers would go out of business if they sold dvd's for €4. The Christian shop do not have a 13 euro + mark up on a dvd. As long as people do not understand basic things like this, retailers in this country have no chance.

Atomic Pineapple

Whiskey Devil wrote: »

HMV have obviously bought the dvd at a special price. €4 is NOT a regular price for any dvd. HMV and their suppliers would go out of business if they sold dvd's for €4. The Christian shop do not have a 13 euro + mark up on a dvd. As long as people do not understand basic things like this, retailers in this country have no chance.

Along with that HMV's buying power would be many times that of veritas I'd imagine, buying in bulk = better discounts

RustyBeanTin

Stephentlig wrote: »

I saw a Christian dvd called ''francis of assisi'' in hmv for 4euro and in veritas it was 17.93

Even at 4 euro it is a complete rip off

mindundalk

RustyBeanTin wrote: »

Even at 4 euro it is a complete rip off

Not very nice at all.

RustyBeanTin

mindundalk wrote: »

Not very nice at all.

ah come on, it was just a wee joke

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

RustyBeanTin wrote: »

ah come on, it was just a wee joke

And not even a wee bit funny! :mad:

Bog Butter

Went up to Newry this morning for a dental check up with x-ray, filling and teeth clean which cost me £127. Also did a grocery shop.

However I noticed a cucumber is 80p in Sainsbury's and 70 something cents in Aidi in the republic. So get your cucumbers at Alidi in the south people!!!

I read through the thread and people are giving out about people going north and about northerners coming south for work and northern companies winnning contracts here. We're talking about Irish people here! Taxes may be going to London but the UK do invest it back in NI. They provide a healthcare etc. for Irish people. They invest in roads benifiting Irish motorists. And so on.

Irish jobs may be lost in Dundalk but Irish jobs are created in Newry. A digger driver from Tyrone working in Dublin; I think this is great. Northerners coming south is a good thing people. Think about the money they bring back to their families.

Pulled this from the net: "A government survey has shown that more Catholics find it harder to get a job than Protestants." If this is true isn't it is better that this would be unemployed Catholic comes south for work rather than being unemployed.

What about the people from Donegal, Tyrone and Derry who will benifit from the UK's investment in the new A5 dualcarrigeway. The Irish government are investing in this too by the way. This is a direct example of how your taxes in going to London comes back to this island.

Let's try and not be to parochial people.

Tiny Explosions

Jovanni Plump Serum wrote: »

And not even a wee bit funny! :mad:

Lighten up mate!

I thought it was a wee bit funny...hehe!

On topic, I buy almost everything I need in Newry...because most things are at least 25-30% cheaper, for example check out any product in ArgOs in Dundalk and compare it to the price in Newry! Maybe if I was a millionaire I'd buy everything I need in town, but I'm not so I won't and I don't feel a bit guilty about it either.

haines35

Is that Argus in Dundalk and Argos in Newry you are talking about....lol;)

Tiny Explosions

haines35 wrote: »

Is that Argus in Dundalk and Argos in Newry you are talking about....lol;)

Oh my god, a spelling mistake!!

Any more to add to the thread?:P

locum-motion

Tiny Explosions wrote: »

Oh my god, a spelling mistake!!

And in any one of the other 41 Irish regional forums on Boards.ie, that particular spelling mistake wouldn't matter a jot.

But Louth has a local newspaper called The Argus, so there's a certain irony in the mistake that I (like the poster) felt was worthy of comment.

So your sarky comment above is unwarranted, IMO.