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M&S price gouging

  • 02-09-2016 7:41pm
    #1
    technocrat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 767 ✭✭✭


    Was looking at M&S website for offers before I left work and seen this gem:

    http://www.marksandspencer.com/s/food-and-wine/in-store-offers

    Pizza & prosecco for £10.

    So allowing for currency differences I was expecting to pay 12.50 / 13 € at most.
    Shock horror to discover they were charging €15 when I popped into the Mary st shop.
    That's a 50% markup on the UK price the most blatant example of price gouging I've ever seen not to mention currency difference is so narrow at the moment.
    Needless to say I didn't purchase the deal.


Comments

  • #2
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    technocrat wrote: »
    Was looking at M&S website for offers before I left work and seen this gem:

    http://www.marksandspencer.com/s/food-and-wine/in-store-offers

    Pizza & prosecco for £10.

    So allowing for currency differences I was expecting to pay 12.50 / 13 € at most.
    Shock horror to discover they were charging €15 when I popped into the Mary st shop.
    That's a 50% markup on the UK price the most blatant example of price gouging I've ever seen not to mention currency difference is so narrow at the moment.
    Needless to say I didn't purchase the deal.

    Are you joking? Have you considered differences in vat, economy of scale, transportation of goods etc?


  • #3
    Chromosphere
    Closed Accounts Posts: 204 ✭✭Chromosphere


    There's a HUGE difference in Irish and British tax on alcohol.
    Ireland charges one of, if not the, highest rates in Europe on wine.


  • #4
    ScouseMouse
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,070 ✭✭✭ScouseMouse


    technocrat wrote: »
    Was looking at M&S website for offers before I left work and seen this gem:

    http://www.marksandspencer.com/s/food-and-wine/in-store-offers

    Pizza & prosecco for £10.

    So allowing for currency differences I was expecting to pay 12.50 / 13 € at most.
    Shock horror to discover they were charging €15 when I popped into the Mary st shop.
    That's a 50% markup on the UK price the most blatant example of price gouging I've ever seen not to mention currency difference is so narrow at the moment.
    Needless to say I didn't purchase the deal.

    Thats probably explained by the crazy duty on wine/alcohol in Ireland. This has come up a couple of times and it was found to be mainly down to tax. Never mind the ridiculous cost of doing business in ireland.


  • #5
    Pkiernan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,310 ✭✭✭Pkiernan


    technocrat wrote: »
    Was looking at M&S website for offers before I left work and seen this gem:

    http://www.marksandspencer.com/s/food-and-wine/in-store-offers

    Pizza & prosecco for £10.

    So allowing for currency differences I was expecting to pay 12.50 / 13 € at most.
    Shock horror to discover they were charging €15 when I popped into the Mary st shop.
    That's a 50% markup on the UK price the most blatant example of price gouging I've ever seen not to mention currency difference is so narrow at the moment.
    Needless to say I didn't purchase the deal.

    You need to work on your sums. 5 euro is not 50% of £10


  • #6
    cml387
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,519 ✭✭✭cml387


    Major thread fail. And with the quality of M&S food this should actually be in the bargains thread.


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  • #7
    bpmurray
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,275 ✭✭✭bpmurray


    ScouseMouse wrote: »
    Never mind the ridiculous cost of doing business in ireland.

    If I remember correctly, that was calculated as 6% higher than the UK, so not in the realms of "ridiculous"


  • #8
    technocrat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 767 ✭✭✭technocrat


    davo10 wrote: »
    Are you joking? Have you considered differences in vat, economy of scale, transportation of goods etc?

    Yes I have.
    How come the NI prices aren't higher then considering the transportation costs would be the same.
    The vat rates aren't that much higher when you look into.

    https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-shopping/alcohol-tobacco

    20% against 21% here hmm..


  • #9
    technocrat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 767 ✭✭✭technocrat


    cml387 wrote: »
    Major thread fail. And with the quality of M&S food this should actually be in the bargains thread.

    Go knock yourself out then.
    They had a stand with guy giving out free samples so hardly selling that well.
    People aren't fools!


  • #10
    Walter2016
    Closed Accounts Posts: 522 ✭✭✭Walter2016


    Duty on sparkling wine in Ireland is €6.38

    In the UK its £2.67

    So excluding duty the UK price is £7.37 and Irish price is €8.62

    At current exchange rate of 1.193 the ex duty price is slightly lower in Ireland.


  • #11
    Walter2016
    Closed Accounts Posts: 522 ✭✭✭Walter2016


    technocrat wrote: »

    20% against 21% here hmm..

    Vat in Ireland is 23%.

    No vat on many foodstuffs in Ireland or uk.

    Imo, the biggest rip off people are Ryanair on board food. €2.50 for a Twix bar, €2.50 for a minuture can of coke.


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  • #12
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    bpmurray wrote: »
    If I remember correctly, that was calculated as 6% higher than the UK, so not in the realms of "ridiculous"

    Minimum wage Ireland €9.15, minumum wage uk £6.70 (€7.97 at today's 1-1.19 exchange rate), that's around 14% difference on workforce costs which tend to be the highest cost for all businesses.


  • #13
    whiterebel
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,034 Mod ✭✭✭✭whiterebel


    davo10 wrote: »
    Minimum wage Ireland €9.15, minumum wage uk £6.70 (€7.97 at today's 1-1.19 exchange rate), that's around 14% difference on workforce costs which tend to be the highest cost for all businesses.

    That minimum wage rate only kicks in after 2 years of employment, according to my very disappointed son. Its only €7.40ish for the first year.


  • #14
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,875 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    But 2 years on a lower wage gives the inexperienced worker those 2 years of experience that most employers want - if employers had to pay full wage to beginners, why would they bother, just get someone with experience.


  • #15
    technocrat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 767 ✭✭✭technocrat


    davo10 wrote: »
    Minimum wage Ireland €9.15, minumum wage uk £6.70 (€7.97 at today's 1-1.19 exchange rate), that's around 14% difference on workforce costs which tend to be the highest cost for all businesses.

    It's known fact the M&S pay well above the minimum wage.
    I would say the London gain probably equates to Irish wages.


  • #16
    Walter2016
    Closed Accounts Posts: 522 ✭✭✭Walter2016


    I'm in Warwickshire for the next few days. Just bought diesel from a Texaco garage in a town called Binley.

    It was £1.19 per litre. That's about €1.42.

    The Texaco on the tallaght bypass was €1.16 last week.

    If I went by the original post, it would mean I'm being ripped off here in UK. Sure they are both Texaco garages!

    Btw, its feckin expensive here. A "spit" of whiskey (25ml) cost £4 in the pub last night. A glass of crap wine cost £6 in the pub. Can't wait to get back to Stepaside.


  • #17
    technocrat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 767 ✭✭✭technocrat


    Walter2016 wrote: »
    I'm in Warwickshire for the next few days. Just bought diesel from a Texaco garage in a town called Binley.

    It was £1.19 per litre. That's about €1.42.

    The Texaco on the tallaght bypass was €1.16 last week.

    If I went by the original post, it would mean I'm being ripped off here in UK. Sure they are both Texaco garages!

    Btw, its feckin expensive here. A "spit" of whiskey (25ml) cost £4 in the pub last night. A glass of crap wine cost £6 in the pub. Can't wait to get back to Stepaside.

    You just prove my point that cost of living doesn't differ that much between here and the UK but yet the markup by some UK shops is excessive.


  • #18
    rubadub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,382 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    technocrat wrote: »
    Shock horror

    Needless to say I didn't purchase the deal.
    I would probably a nervous wreck if I was to follow the rule of being shocked and horrified after I check out the price of food & drink in other countries before buying it here, and needless to say I would not by buying it so would starve or at least be a lot leaner.


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