Do you shop across the border...?

Wertz

Just got back from Sainsburys in Newry this afternoon. I try and get down there about once a month and stock up on food and drink (especially drink).
I've been doing this for about the last 2 years or so and every month it seems like there are so many more RoI registered cars in the car park and every accent you hear in the aisles seems to be from Dublin or it's surrounds.

So I decided to post a poll to see just how many boards users do the pilgrimage to the retail goodness in £stg land.

There's no doubt that most if not all grocerys are somewhat cheaper than in Tescos, Dunnes or SQ down south, and in some cases the difference is large. Add to that the constant 2for1 offers and, what seems to me at least, a superior selection of products and I can see very little reason for shopping at home, unless it's for staples like bread or milk or whatever...
As for the alcohol; well its so easy to see how we are being taken for mugs in the south. I know we have a higher VAT and tax rate, but the savings remain even when you take those into account. The Quay's has apparently got the highest figures for sales of alcohol for any store in the UK.

It was always drummed into us when I was young, to buy rish and support the economy, etc. but that mindset seems to have been chased away by the tiger in the last decade. I feel little or no patriotism to Irish shops and retailers, and even less to UK supermarkets who have set up in the Republic.
Am I alone here...?

Sarsfield

I live in Dublin & don't drive, so I don't know why I'm even answering! My vote was 'No', but for the reasons given.

I agree with the buy Irish thing. I used to strongly agree with the idea, but circumstances have changed a lot since the 80s. Back then local business needed us and many of us made the small effort to buy Irish. Shame they couldn't return the favour with competitive pricing.

samo

Would agree that for regular grocery shopping the south is much cheaper....I was pretty shocked at the price of the Sainsburys up in Newry for some items...but on the other hand there's a HUGE difference in alchohol which would be my incentive for going there. It pains me to give tesco's in Ireland 20 euro for a bottle of their own brand vodka (1l) when I can buy 1.5l of the same in the North for about €15 euro (or less the last time I was there)

BrianD

I find that the North is even more expensive than south of the border. There may be well exceptions but its just too far to go from Dublin to do the weekly shop. One of the attractions used to be the UK retailers but we have them all down here now.

Davidth88

I keep meaning to go up to Sainsburys to buy Fullers London Pride beer , it's not available in the 26 counties .


Is the Newry store easy to get to from Dublin then ?

tabatha

i go all the time. i usually go up to sprucefield and the sainsburys there is about 10 times the size of the one in newry. therefore ten times the bargins of 2 for 1. it is so worth it. the selection of food is so great as well. there are things that we just cant get here in the south for some strange reason. we really are being ripped off her in the south.

Wertz

Davidth88 wrote:

I keep meaning to go up to Sainsburys to buy Fullers London Pride beer , it's not available in the 26 counties .


Is the Newry store easy to get to from Dublin then ?

Fairly easy I spose, although the traffic restrictions N of Dundalk at the minute make it a little slow. Other than that it's M1 all the way.

Yeah I've been meaning to venture down to Sprucefield...Newry sells out of the 2for1 very fast on Sundays and they're where you can make most fo the savings.
Anyone who's said grocerys are cheaper in the south needs to do their sums again...all except fresh fruit and veg work out cheaper in the north even after the currency difference is taken into account. Stuff like minerals, crisps, biscuits, dairy and tinned foods are all waaay cheaper (unless you're an Aldi/Lidl head)
The cost of driving down from Dublin or further afield might add to the cost, especially if done weekly.

I sound as if I'm pimping the store here; I'm not. I'm just sick and tired of being taken for a mug by Tesco et al. If more people start voting with their feet we might see the southern supermarkets start to take note...

jesus_thats_gre

Am originally from Dundalk so its only a 20 min trip. Used to always go up with my parents for the past 20 years and now I go up too!!

jesus_thats_gre

Sprucefield is nothing special, it used to be the business but has little to offer anymore. I suppose the new Sainsbury and B&Q stores might appeal to some but it is all available in Newry. Newry is that little bit friendlier than Lisburn too, for obvious reasons..

boa-constrictor

Newry is definitely cheaper than the south. I have to go up there every fortnight or so and we do the shopping while we're there. I'm glad to say I haven't had to put up with our inflated prices since before Christmas except for milk and bread.

Remember to bring Euro cash, not sterling or even Laser. Sainsbury's usually give stg 70p to the Euro and sometimes more. About 3 weeks ago we did a big shop, and got 73p for our Euros. Last Friday I withdrew £40 sterling from my Bank of Ireland account thru a BOI pass machine in Newry and I looked at the debit today and it was for €61 - thats a rate of 0.6557 or a difference of about STG£2.70 (€4) from what Sainsbury's would have given me for my €61 - bloody robbery.

weemcd

Newry is considered to be a very euro friendly town.

I also have to admit even living in the north, going into a shop like sainsburys to buy something like a coke or a bottle of water (and many, many other things) work out to be much cheaper. There is the trade off of having to take the drink from a shelf rather than a refrigerated cabinet, but moneys money. You could buy a litre and a half of water for the same price you would buy a regular bottle ballygowan in a newsagent.

Wertz

weemcd wrote:

Newry is considered to be a very euro friendly town.

I also have to admit even living in the north, going into a shop like sainsburys to buy something like a coke or a bottle of water (and many, many other things) work out to be much cheaper. There is the trade off of having to take the drink from a shelf rather than a refrigerated cabinet, but moneys money. You could buy a litre and a half of water for the same price you would buy a regular bottle ballygowan in a newsagent.

So you missed the little chill cabinet thing just inside the door too huh?

@ Boa Constrictor;
totally agree on bringing €€€ with you...I made the mistake of using the credit card a few times and even though ti's not as much a rip off on fees as the ATM, you still loose out. Last time I was down they were giving 71p...almost as low as the trade rate between banks lol

drdre

my friend goves to belfast every month to meet his family and brings back loads of beer. he says its cheap.
it must be worth a trip,i might pop up over the summer

byte

Being in Donegal, I am close and travel to shop in NI quite regularly, nearly every fortnight. Nearly all my Christmas shopping last year was done in Derry City, and some in Enniskillen and Strabane.

Sure, you couldn't beat it!

zAbbo

Nip across to Newry every month or so, Nearly everyone i work with shops in Newry(young and old), grocerys and clothers.

weemcd

aye some good bargains to be had.

I got 2 t-shirts, a pair of cords, a belt for less than £40 which is less than 60 euro (jack jones + d2 btw, not dunnes:))