# Drink cheaper in the North ?



## JohnnieKippe (6 Dec 2005)

I'm driving to Belfast on business on Friday. Wondering if its worth stocking up on drink for Christmas. Is it any cheaper ?


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## steveyd (6 Dec 2005)

Yes, worth stocking up,  prices are alot cheaper in the North.


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## TarfHead (6 Dec 2005)

Make sure you know what you're buying.

Last month I was in Sainsburys in Newry and bought a box of 24 bottles of Becks. It is difficult to figure if it is value of not cos ..
- alcohol percentage is lower
- bottle size (440 ml) is different

I not bothered cos I don't think I'd notice the reduced alcohol level and the trip to Newry wasn't only about value.


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## chanceanarm (6 Dec 2005)

tarfhead,
how much the did 24 bottles cost you ?
Dave


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## ubiquitous (6 Dec 2005)

Spirits are generally cheaper but beer not necessarily so. 

Asda in Enniskillen are charging £3.38 for 4 x 33cl bottles of Stella or €9/€13.50 for 12. You can get Stella at around €1 a bottle in 15-20 bottle boxes in many supermarkets in the South.

Wine appears to be significantly cheaper up North.


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## TarfHead (6 Dec 2005)

chanceanarm said:
			
		

> tarfhead,
> how much the did 24 bottles cost you ?
> Dave


 
Can't remember - sorry


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## X-Man (6 Dec 2005)

i live in dundalk and alot of people i know from here travel to sianburys in newry and get really great deals and save alot of money.and yes drink is cheaper by far and better deals also.


don't forget that the republic is a complete rip off!!!!!!!


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## JohnnieKippe (6 Dec 2005)

I would be looking for Bulmers, Guiness and Wine


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## JohnnieKippe (6 Dec 2005)

Is Sainsbury in Newry the best place to go ?


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## tallpaul (6 Dec 2005)

Went up to Newry last Saturday. We were there early but be warned, it was very very busy. More cars from the Republic than Northern cars in the car park!!! We went to Sainsbury's which is located on the way in. There are tremendous savings on pretty much all spirits. Beer is more hit and miss and as a previous poster memtioned, alcohol percentages may differ. If you like blanche beer, they have good value on Hoegaarden with two 75cl bottles for £5.


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## Marion (6 Dec 2005)

The one and only time that I visited North of Monaghan (this summer) I happened to meet somebody from Dundalk in the drinks section of  Sainsbury's Lisburn and they said (and, of course, I believed them) that it is better to shop in Lisburn than Newry because it is quieter for shopping.

Marion


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## Guest127 (6 Dec 2005)

dont rule out Sainsburys in Armagh. Newry is a 'mare at the moment. Henry Street at 3pm next saturday, pushing a double buggy and using a zimmer frame would be easier to negotiate. on the various strengths of beers etc. usually the northern supplied beers are stronger not weaker. few exceptions. make sure to check where the carlsberg is brewed. ( if its Northampton put it back, if its diagio ( harp brewery dundalk) its ok. heineken can be as low as 2.5 in the north so watch out for that one. most beers are 5% down the north.


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## TarfHead (7 Dec 2005)

TarfHead said:
			
		

> Make sure you know what you're buying.
> 
> Last month I was in Sainsburys in Newry and bought a box of 24 bottles of Becks. It is difficult to figure if it is value of not cos ..
> - alcohol percentage is lower
> ...




Got that ar$eways .

* Becks* 20 bottles @ 275 ml each @ 5% alcohol by volume ==> GBP 10.99.

We went Tuesday 07 Nov and it was quiet. Apparently weekends in  December in Sainsburys Newry are to be avoided.


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## Guest127 (11 Dec 2005)

yellow card for Sainsburys!. today I had a visitor from Dublin who wanted to go down to Newry to buy drink. We went down early but the place was still filling up with shoppers. 24 X440 cans of Kronenbourg for £12.99 (€19.63) was in my opinion the best deal but was being bypassed by most shoppers,however nearly everybody's trolleys were overflowing with other brands mostly miller, stella and budweiser. my friend went for the bud deal 20x300 bottles for £10.99 each or two for £16. he took two for £16 along with other drink and when we went to the checkout he was asked for €52 + euro, which surprised him as we had calculated that £13 for one case of beer plus the £16 for the bud came to £29 which we both reckoned would be well under the €50 mark. when we checked his receipt the bud was not reduced ie it was the full £10.99 for each case. He went to the helpdesk and the assistant informed him that he had purchased a different size  20x330 is what she stated. however when she  was invited to check the trolley she backed down and said it was ok and stated that ' it has happened a few times today' and gave him back the £5.98. she made absolutely no effort to find out which checkout was involved or to leave her workstation to rectify the error. for all we know all the checkouts could be have had the same overcharging happening. I would advise any member of aam therefore to check their receipts if they purchased the 2 for £16 bud deal today. cant say if the same error occurred with the stella, miller,or san miguel as we didn't purchase them. for whats its worth the carlsberg in sainsburys today was the one to avoid ie brewed in northampton and 3.8% strength.


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## Lemurz (12 Dec 2005)

Was in Newry today with the Mrs.  Prices are cheaper than down South but you'd want to be buying pallets of booze to make it worthwhile, considering your time and the cost of motoring.  Place was crazy - you'd think the booze was free!

You nearly need to be genius to spot the deals as comparing apples with apples can be difficult:
1) case sizes vary with 18/20/24 cans/bottles
2) contents can vary with 207/275/300/330/440/500ml cans/bottles
3) Alcohic content can differ from down South (3.8% versus 4.3%)
4) Exchange rates vary by store (Sainsbury 0.671 versus Dunnes 0.70)

Some prices if your interested:
12 Carlsberg 440ml (3.8%) - £5.99 Sainsburys (£7.99 Dunnnes)
20 Budweiser 300ml (5%) - (2 for £16) Sainsburys (£10.00 Dunnnes)
20 Stella Artois 330ml (5.2%) - (2 for £16) Sainsburys
20 San Miguel 330ml (5%)- (2 for £16) Sainsburys 
10 Coors Light 330ml (5.0%)- £6.99 Sainsburys (£7.49 Dunnnes)
24 Miller 330ml (4.7%) -  £12.99 Dunnes (£13.49 Sainsbury)
18 Harp 440ml - £9.99 Sainsburys (£10.99 Dunnnes)
18 Guinness 440ml - £14.99 Dunnes & Sainsburys
8 Murphys 440ml - £4.99 Dunnes 

Roses Tin 2.2kg - £8.99 Sainsburys
Quality Street Tin 1.257kg - (2 for £10) Sainsburys 
Celebrations Tin 1kg - (2 for £10) Sainsburys 

Overall, Sainsbury appears best value, but their exchange rate sucks and their off licence section is as bad as the west link for traffic jams!


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## Guest127 (12 Dec 2005)

Congrats Lemurz; You have more patience than I had. those deals two for £16 is where the overcharging occurred on Sunday. my pal was charged full whack until he complained. very few cans in the north are 50cl which is pretty much standard here.  you can mix the celebrations/quality street and take a tin of each for £10.  Theres  a lot more offies in Newry where the prices might not be quite as cheap as Sainsburys but where you will not feel like a  battery chicken.


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## GreatDane (12 Dec 2005)

Some of my friends, who live in Dublin (DNS if your really wondering ) have told me Sainsburys is great value - wines, such as Rosemount Shiraz etc are a must, while filling the back of the car with groceries is also worthwile ... I know two couples that make the trip once per month at least.  Also, spirits are apparently cheaper .. Sainsburys in Newry, for the record.

Cheers


G>
[broken link removed]


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## Guest127 (13 Dec 2005)

Real Dns citizens wouldn't be seen dead in Sainsburys.surely you mean Marks ?


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## TarfHead (13 Dec 2005)

cuchulainn said:
			
		

> Real Dns citizens ..



.. whatever that means  ?

From my gaff on DNS, I was parking in The Quays carpark in Newry 70 minutes later. Sure why wouldn't you go that extra distance if you're getting something significantly different to what's available in Dublin ?


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## Guest127 (14 Dec 2005)

Wasn't referring to the time or distance - must be 'blow ins' or 'runners' as _real _DNS residents would be 'too posh' to shop in Sainsburys. in the UK tesco are wiping the floor with Sainsburys so much so that its now getting to be a matter for concern for the competition authority. Marks on the other hand are considered slightly 'upmarket' thus just right for  _real _DNS'RS . I can be parked in Newry in 10 minutes from leaving the house and no tolls to pay either, most times I cant be arsed. Not worth the hassle. However Dublin prices are something I am not familiar with so I am not criticising, just slagging.


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