# Why don't Dunnes Stores round up/ down?



## deanpark (21 May 2021)

Dunnes Stores continue to give 2c and 1c in the change - both in person and at the self service machines. After the universal take up of rounding in Ireland for several years, why is Dunnes an outlier? Is it due to their accounting systems aren't geared up for rounding? I thought that rounding is "the law of the land"? Or is it just voluntary? It's not a big issue but a minor gripe of mine as a regular customer of theirs.


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## NoRegretsCoyote (21 May 2021)

Not sure of the legal position but Dunnes are always 5 years behind on IT.


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## rayn (21 May 2021)

Rounding is voluntary and only applies to cash transactions.


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## EasilyAmused (21 May 2021)

What surprises me is that you are using cash/coins! Especially in a large multiple. And even more especially during the pandemic. 
A number of places I know only accept card payments at present during the pandemic. I’m not sure if they’ll revert to cash/coins. 

I lived in rural Ireland when the rounding was introduced but I’d say only half of places there used to round their prices.
It’s not mandatory and customers may demand their correct change.


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## deanpark (21 May 2021)

NoRegretsCoyote said:


> Not sure of the legal position but Dunnes are always 5 years behind on IT.


Yes I suspect it's some idiosyncracy with Dunnes' financial systems as Tesco, Supervalu and the German chains all round up/down.


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## odyssey06 (21 May 2021)

NoRegretsCoyote said:


> Not sure of the legal position but Dunnes are always 5 years behind on IT.


Agreed although starting to catchup.
They just launched an app... €10 off a €30 shop voucher when you sign up...


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## NoRegretsCoyote (21 May 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> They just launched an app..


Exactly. Five years behind everyone else


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## Sue Ellen (21 May 2021)

NoRegretsCoyote said:


> Not sure of the legal position but Dunnes are always 5 years behind on IT.



Hopefully no one will do a Richard on them


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## Monbretia (21 May 2021)

EasilyAmused said:


> What surprises me is that you are using cash/coins! Especially in a large multiple. And even more especially during the pandemic.
> A number of places I know only accept card payments at present during the pandemic. I’m not sure if they’ll revert to cash/coins.


I use all cash again now, briefly resorted to card during early pandemic as there were a couple of local shops doing card only, all have reverted back now and take cash no problem.   Was it Woodies I think or some one of the diy chains I frequent that had a card only policy for a while, can't remember at this stage.

I do most of my grocery shopping in Dunnes, never noticed that they don't round!


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## EasilyAmused (21 May 2021)

NoRegretsCoyote said:


> Exactly. Five years behind everyone else



Many apps are a curse though. Better off to use Chrome/Safari/ANOtherBrowser to access a website than use an app. Unless there is significant differences.


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## grenzgebiet (23 May 2021)

Very glad that Dunnes Stores do NOT round up.
In order to break even with rounding one has to avoid buying one or two items - ie always buy MORE than two items - if they are priced at €X.99.
I find that I quite frequently want just one - or maybe two items - thereby potentially loosing 1.0 or 2.0 cents per transaction.
(I don't think I have ever seen anything priced at €X.01 ?)

So - in a country with a population of roughly 4 million, say a quarter of them buy a single item for €X.99 per week. That's one million cents, or ten thousand euro which has been 'rounded up'.   
I would imagine that that's not unrealistic.
So €10,000 per week ends up in the accounts of Tesco, Aldi or what ever - just because we don't ask for the cent in change and put it in the nearest Charity box.
If we did - I'm sure Vincent de Paul or RSPCA or whatever your favourite charity is - wouldn't say no to ten grand per week.

I would personally prefer to avoid 'rounding' and get retail to introduce honest pricing - for example €5.00 and NOT a 'pretend' €4.99  -  to make things sound cheaper.


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## Gordon Gekko (23 May 2021)

grenzgebiet said:


> Very glad that Dunnes Stores do NOT round up.
> In order to break even with rounding one has to avoid buying one or two items - ie always buy MORE than two items - if they are priced at €X.99.
> I find that I quite frequently want just one - or maybe two items - thereby potentially loosing 1.0 or 2.0 cents per transaction.
> (I don't think I have ever seen anything priced at €X.01 ?)
> ...


Do that many people pay with cash these days though?


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## deanpark (23 May 2021)

grenzgebiet said:


> Very glad that Dunnes Stores do NOT round up.
> In order to break even with rounding one has to avoid buying one or two items - ie always buy MORE than two items - if they are priced at €X.99.
> I find that I quite frequently want just one - or maybe two items - thereby potentially loosing 1.0 or 2.0 cents per transaction.
> (I don't think I have ever seen anything priced at €X.01 ?)
> ...


But the rounding also goes in customers' favour so theres no windfall that "ends up in the accounts of Tesco" etc Unless I'm missing something?!


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## SparkRite (23 May 2021)

deanpark said:


> But the rounding also goes in customers' favour so theres no windfall that "ends up in the accounts of Tesco" etc Unless I'm missing something?!



Have lost count the amount of times in the two well known German supermarkets that the likes of €9.97 would not be rounded down. Then when I ask about it besides the look of surprise, the change is ALWAYS in 1c coins instead of a 5c coin.
Totally defeating the 'spirit' of the rounding scheme and done for one purpose only !


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## grenzgebiet (23 May 2021)

Hallo Deanpark:
My point was that rounding can never go in customers' favour unless they buy more than two items.
If you buy either one or two items priced at X.99, the rounding is always in favour of the supermarket.
So you always loose out if you buy only one thing.


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## Cervelo (24 May 2021)

Funny every time I go to Dunnes to do the shopping they round down my bill and not by 1 or 2 cents but 10 Euro


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## huskerdu (24 May 2021)

grenzgebiet said:


> Hallo Deanpark:
> My point was that rounding can never go in customers' favour unless they buy more than two items.
> If you buy either one or two items priced at X.99, the rounding is always in favour of the supermarket.
> So you always loose out if you buy only one thing.


You have literally just invented numbers with no evidence that on average rounding goes in favour of the supermarkets,


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## grenzgebiet (24 May 2021)

Hallo Deanpark:
My point was that rounding can never go in customers' favour Unless they buy more than two items.
If you buy either one or two items priced at X.99, the rounding is always in favour of the supermarket.
So you always loose out if you buy only one thing.


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## grenzgebiet (24 May 2021)

Hallo Huskerdoo,
No, I have not claimed that at all.
What I said was :
If you buy only ONE item at X.99 then you ALWAYS loose ONE cent.


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## huskerdu (24 May 2021)

I don’t agree as you are making sweeping assumptions about the number of transactions that are 99c

it averages over time


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## SparkRite (24 May 2021)

huskerdu said:


> You have literally just invented numbers with no evidence that on average rounding goes in favour of the supermarkets


Maybe he did, maybe he didn't......... 
But do you honestly think that supermarkets would have adopted the scheme if it didn't go in their favour?


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## grenzgebiet (24 May 2021)

Not an assumption at all Huskerdoo - an example. 
But it is extremely common for items to be priced at X.99.
And also at X.29, X.59, etc.

Of course if you buy multiple quantities, things will even out - but if you can only afford a max of two on any occasion, then you stand to loose out.

I just think that retailers should price honestly in round €X.00 euros.


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## huskerdu (24 May 2021)

I’m cynical about the motives of any business. 
they didn’t have a lot of choice as the Central bank is removing 1c and 2c coins from circulation. 
They have avoided the cost of handling coin which is an immediate benefit


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## losttheplot (24 May 2021)

grenzgebiet said:


> I just think that retailers should price honestly in round €X.00 euros.


That would be worse. Buying 5 items that were 0.99 that would have been 4.95, would then cost 5.00. So you'd lose 1 cent on every item.


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## grenzgebiet (24 May 2021)

Correct, LostTP,
BUT,  my point was that if you DON'T buy multiples then you loose out.


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## Sconeandjam (13 Jun 2021)

Dunnes initially started and rounding up and I think customers were not happy. I am delighted you get the right change. Don’t forget easy to cash out if the right change is in the tray at the end of the day.


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## shweeney (14 Jun 2021)

I can't remember the last time I saw a 1 or 2 cent coin (or a 5c for that matter). I'd be interested to know how many people are still using cash in the shops, and the overall reduction in cash use since the start of 2020.

also, I get that many people have to watch the pennies, but if you went to the shop every day of the year and got rounded up *every* time, at most you'd be down €7.30 for the year.


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## deanpark (18 Jun 2021)

Sconeandjam said:


> Dunnes initially started and rounding up and I think customers were not happy. I am delighted you get the right change. Don’t forget easy to cash out if the right change is in the tray at the end of the day.


Surely then Tesco, Supervalu, Lidl etc etc customers wouldn't be happy either? My original query was what is the actual reason Dunnes are an outlier. Dunnes would suit themselves and the rounding must be something that they dont want to do. I think personally they should be told to get on with it and fall in with all the other shops in their industry.

I don't really mind getting 1c and 2c  in change - as I put them in a jar and after a year they're worth a fiver/tenner which the kids are welcome to.


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## johnwilliams (18 Jun 2021)

everything is marked ending in 99 if the don't want to give back 1 or 2 cents  ,then they should mark their products in €1.00 or 95 cents on their display stickers


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