Affect of UK budget on cross-border shopping

g32

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I am just myself - not multiple posters. You have already been warned by a moderator on another thread not to backseat moderate.

I have heard the expression 'backseat driving'. I have yet to hear of the equivalent which equates to 'backseat moderate'. New to me.

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I however will point out when you post lies and untruths and inaccurate data. Which you have done multiple times.

You keep mentioning that. Where exactly?

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I most certainly will not scan my business details on a public forum!
I value my job and I would not be stupid enough to risk my job and livelyhood to prove anything to you.

Thank you for coming clean - You don't want to prove it.

You are unable to prove the cost of operating down here remains the SAME after all the reductions in:

-VAT
-Rent
-Wages
-Electricity
-Commercial rates


My previous question to you:

You have not proven that the cost of operating down here remains the exact same after these reductions. This time, I ask you to prove all that.

Back it up by scanning and uploading your retail business book and overheads for 2008 and 2009.

borderlinemeath wrote: »

It is actually the most stupid thing you have ever posted.

Now you resort to name calling when you cannot debate your point.

As for such terms let me point it this way... i understand the same as you do when you Rip Off us consumers and accuse us of being anti-Irish when we shop up north. 

borderlinemeath wrote: »

The 29% (not 30% as you inaccurately keep rounding it up) survey is over a year out of date.

If you think so...Good for you....

borderlinemeath wrote: »

We are not greedy retailers making millions. We are ordinary workers that pay tax and prsi that are desperately trying to keep our businesses and livelyhoods going.

The whole price problem was born by a Retailers choice...Yes the sector which was competitive up until about 9 years ago.

borderlinemeath wrote: »

As a good few other posters have told you on other threads - if retail was such a great deal - why isn't everybody doing it? Why are so many shops closing?
You won't listen as you are a narrow minded, angry little person who is incapable of listening to reason or taking part in a debate without making a total idiot out of yourself.

Now you are reacting angrily to my responses. I am not here to haggle unnecessarily with you. Listen I agree, someone ****ED UP !! I still believe it should be up to Retailers to react positively to competition. That was a brand new thing to many Retailers after the celtic tiger !

owenc

borderlinemeath wrote: »

The UK budget doesn't come into effect until January so there will probably be a huge Christmas publicity campaign by Newry and Enniskillen Chambers of Commerce to shop in the North before the budget increase.

Sure Asda has 2 billboards in Drogheda at the minute advertising Enniskillen. Drogheda is about 2hrs away from Enniskillen!!!

Just shows that things are getting as bad across the border. I don't think many people have any spare cash to spend anywhere these days.

Its really not that bad here. Asda in coleraine is packed out every weekend and i see more cars in it than the one in strabane of which none in the one in coleraine are republic of ireland cars and most in strabane are.

owenc

g32 wrote: »

I did my grocery shopping in Asda Enniskillen last week. I made savings ranging from 30%-60% compared to prices down here in the Republic.

The VAT increase will only marginally minimize the price gap. Unless Retailers get their act together and actually lower their prices....

I mad 70% saving without shopping over the border shows how cheap asda is, my usual shopping is £150 in tesco but it is only £45 in asda, but my mum still shops in tesco because she says tesco food is better.:pac: One question why is this place in the north east when Ni is in the North east this should be east should it not.

Mr Magnolia

g32 wrote: »

Now you resort to name calling when you cannot debate your point.

1. That's not name calling.
2. Read your earlier posts in this thread.
3. I've dealt with it move on.

hellboy99

borderlinemeath wrote: »

That fine Hellboy and that's your choice.
You know the differences are there and that you can save money by shopping around. And I would say you still get your fuel in the South!

But you rightly and with good grace say you feel sorry for the local retailers as they are doing everything they can to make their businesses stay afloat.

G32s constant attack is on the retailer - and this is where I have to stand up for my profession as it's a situation that we had little to do with.
Retailers don't dictate currencies, cost prices, minimum wages, rates, rents and other associated costs but G32 is under the impression that we do.

I always get my fuel here in the South, electrical goods I go up north, clothes I get here (you can't go wrong with Pennys ), groceries and toiletries I go up north to Iceland & Asda twice a month and then in-between I shop down here in Dunnes, especially for my meats.

Speaking from my own experience I can tell you that for some businesses they cannot lower prices to what they would like to, I have a friend running a business and if you seen all the outgoings you would think twice about setting up a business here in the South.

borderlinemeath

g32 wrote: »

I have heard the expression 'backseat driving'. I have yet to hear of the equivalent which equates to 'backseat moderate'. New to me.



You keep mentioning that. Where exactly?




Thank you for coming clean - You don't want to prove it.

You are unable to prove the cost of operating down here remains the SAME after all the reductions in:

-VAT
-Rent
-Wages
-Electricity
-Commercial rates


My previous question to you:

You have not proven that the cost of operating down here remains the exact same after these reductions. This time, I ask you to prove all that.

Back it up by scanning and uploading your retail business book and overheads for 2008 and 2009.




Now you resort to name calling when you cannot debate your point.

As for such terms let me point it this way... i understand the same as you do when you Rip Off us consumers and accuse us of being anti-Irish when we shop up north. 



If you think so...Good for you....



The whole price problem was born by a Retailers choice...Yes the sector which was competitive up until about 9 years ago.



Now you are reacting angrily to my responses. I am not here to haggle unnecessarily with you. Listen I agree, someone ****ED UP !! I still believe it should be up to Retailers to react positively to competition. That was a brand new thing to many Retailers after the celtic tiger !

Do you have a job?

I value mine, I will not divulge confidential company information and jeopardise my employment on a public forum to satisfy a disgruntled poster.

borderlinemeath

hellboy99 wrote: »

I always get my fuel here in the South, electrical goods I go up north, clothes I get here (you can't go wrong with Pennys ), groceries and toiletries I go up north to Iceland & Asda twice a month and then in-between I shop down here in Dunnes, especially for my meats.

Speaking from my own experience I can tell you that for some businesses they cannot lower prices to what they would like to, I have a friend running a business and if you seen all the outgoings you would think twice about setting up a business here in the South.

I know all the costs, I've worked in retail for 18yrs and my partner has his own retail business. It keeps him awake at night with worry.
At least I work for somebody but my constant fear is that we may end up closing down and I will be jobless.

g32

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

1. That's not name calling.
2. Read your earlier posts in this thread.
3. I've dealt with it move on.

borderlinemeath: 'you are a narrow minded, angry little person'

Not name calling?

g32

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Do you have a job?

I value mine, I will not divulge confidential company information and jeopardise my employment on a public forum to satisfy a disgruntled poster.

I am not 'disgruntled'.

I know when you make out something to be over-exaggerated about the costs of running a business. The costs of running a business have been reduced dramatically. Google it.

I also worked in retail for 20 years and I also know the costs involved in running a retail business inside out.

.....And I always sold more because I offered very competitive prices and value for money (which my competitors didn't). The result: they closed at their own fault.

The reductions in operating costs are factual.

locum-motion

g32 wrote: »

I am not 'disgruntled'...

Must be 'gruntled', then!:)

meolwan

I am glad to see that i have found a nice friendly thread. Shame on me for thinking I would maybe get some pointers on where to go to save money not for me but for my son who is at collage in dundalk. As was mentioned in the thread earlier not sure by who and at this stage nor do I care, I am in Dublin so I will travel anywhere to save money LOL sorry mod could not resist the friendly nature of this thread . :):)

borderlinemeath

meolwan wrote: »

I am glad to see that i have found a nice friendly thread. Shame on me for thinking I would maybe get some pointers on where to go to save money not for me but for my son who is at collage in dundalk. As was mentioned in the thread earlier not sure by who and at this stage nor do I care, I am in Dublin so I will travel anywhere to save money LOL sorry mod could not resist the friendly nature of this thread . :):)

If your looking to save money try "bargain alerts" in the Biz section;)

borderlinemeath

g32 wrote: »

I am not 'disgruntled'.

I know when you make out something to be over-exaggerated about the costs of running a business. The costs of running a business have been reduced dramatically. Google it.

I also worked in retail for 20 years and I also know the costs involved in running a retail business inside out.

.....And I always sold more because I offered very competitive prices and value for money (which my competitors didn't). The result: they closed at their own fault.

The reductions in operating costs are factual.

So you worked in retail for 20 years did you? Funny you come across in your posts as much much younger than that.

I find that very hard to believe with the comments you have come out with about retailers and the fact that you didn't know the difference between duty and vat until posters had to point it out to you.

Funny how you turn and bite the hand that feeds you though.

meolwan

borderlinemeath wrote: »

If your looking to save money try "bargain alerts" in the Biz section;)

Thanks Borderlinemeath I do know about "Bargain Alerts";) If I may say to you with regard to your verbal ping pong with g32 "dont take the bait" it wont do your blood pressure any good

borderlinemeath

meolwan wrote: »

Thanks Borderlinemeath I do know about "Bargain Alerts";) If I may say to you with regard to your verbal ping pong with g32 "dont take the bait" it wont do your blood pressure any good

Ah my blood pressure is fine. Thanks though!
To me it's more about sticking up for my livelyhood - retailers didn't create the mess we're in - the government did plenty, and the exchange rates did the rest.
G32 says plenty to stir - but we all get a good laugh as well!

AARRRRGH

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Ah my blood pressure is fine. Thanks though!
To me it's more about sticking up for my livelyhood - retailers didn't create the mess we're in - the government did plenty, and the exchange rates did the rest.
G32 says plenty to stir - but we all get a good laugh as well!

The answer is simple.
Those who cant compete will go out of business.
Landlords, suppliers etc will be squeezed and will have to move on price if they want new businesses to buy from them.
New businesses will come along, and negotiate these better rents,and better deals with suppliers and so on, to take the place of those forced out of business.
The subsequent Lower cost base -> cheaper prices for the consumer too.


It doesnt really matter why they cant compete, so explaining why over and over makes no difference at all.

What really matters is that people stop paying high prices. Once this stops, what I outlined above will happen and we will stabilize very quickly after that.
Paying high prices because you feel sorry for the shopkeeper doesnt help. It just prolongs their agony and makes prices stay high.

bigneacy

Cross border shopping to the tune of what it was (dec 07,08,09) will never be seen again...

Three factors put paid to this:

Newry Pay Parking
Sterling Rate getting worse
VAT rates soon to go up

The traders this side of the border still haven't copped on. Its not a victory for the consumer, we get the raw end of the deal. Everything is just as expensive as it was 3 years ago, the only difference now is It's now not worth it petrol, time and effort wise to shop north.

Politicians can call it what they want, all the town chambers of commerce will be delighted with themselves as if they've acheived something. They haven't. Newry got greedy with the pay parking. It was one of the biggest motivations to shop up there, not having to deal with queues to get in, queues to pay, queues to get out, fiddle with change etc.

And yes, knowing this government i'd be shocked if they didn't put vat up!

hellboy99

bigneacy wrote: »

And yes, knowing this government i'd be shocked if they didn't put vat up!

Too right they will.

tigger1962

oh this thread is getting interesting... I'm a consumer.. I live 10mins from Newry! Dont forget that Sainsburys give 2 hours free parking if you spend enough...

I have noticed though that slowly the shops in Newry have gotten more expensive recently . However they are still cheaper than some of the multinationals in Dundalk. Even Boots/HMV in Newry are cheaper than their equivalents here. Vat/Sterling difference doesn't account for the difference in many cases as they are the same products.

I currently do most of my weekly shopping in the german discount stores here but for other items I go to newry or 30 mins further in Sprucefield/Lisburn.. even wit the cost of diesel included it still works out cheaper. I'm not sure how the 3% difference in vat will affect me but I'll still compare prices before buying!

Fatfrog

VAT rate up to 20% in the UK from Jan 4th, but VAT is only charged on certain food & drink items. I don't think there's going to much increase in a standard trolley cost?

Irish business needs a boast in a couple of key areas;

1: Min wage needs to be reduced painful but it must happen if were going to compete. Tax net for min wage workers could be reduced to minimize impact.

2: Electricity costs need to be reduced, we can't control coal or gas costs, but wages make up a huge majority of the ESB's costs, considering the average wage in the esb x3 years ago was apparently 80K!!! (That's just the average inc OT!!) Basically the ESB workers get the ex-public pay and conditions but without the Pension levy or any other cut the public service may face!! For every ESB employee there are 1.2 company vehicles!!!
The Government will claim "We can't interfere.." but we do have a regulator we approves price changes!

3: Insurance, the cost of insurance is crippling our economy, more so due to court settlements rather than insurance companies making a profit. The guy that broke his leg on a GAA pitch, a couple of days ago got 40K compensation, madness!! Why?

If we can get this right Irish businesses would be far more competitive, we could actually start exporting again!!