Govt ‘will have to stem flow of shoppers across border’

ubiquitous said:
How come this does not apply in the UK, where most of their trade is? Btw, most high-street chains are struggling badly in the UK as well, hence the VAT cut over there.
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I dont think they'd get away with it in the UK. Alot of Irish people will pay whatever is there and are afraid to question anything. Its a culture thing.
 
FLANDERS` said:
I dont think they'd get away with it in the UK. A lot of Irish people will pay whatever is there and are afraid to question anything. Its a culture thing.
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Fair enough if you subscribe to the thesis that "the paddies are an inferior species" but I don't believe for a moment that Irish consumers are stupider, more "afraid" or less assertive than their UK counterparts.

The negative experiences in Ireland of some retailers like Harvey Norman and the success of other, more value-geared, outfits like Lidl & Aldi would seem to indicate that Irish consumers are more discerning and selective than you given them credit for.
 
Just chatting to a friend of mine at work here who says her mate orders/buys clothes from the North with the sole intention of returning them in the South for the increased refund!
 

You are correct of course but everyone pays income tax (or most people do ) so if Irish business want our custom they'll have to fight for it. We've already paid income tax so we are certainly under no obligation to buy here, PAYE & PRSI was the "patriotic duty" and it ends there.

And if the government wanted to do something why do we hear of so many people coming back from shopping trips from New York and customs do nothing? There is an easy target if they want to try and raise some cash.
Sure people almost laugh at customs as they take all labels off the new clothes and claim that ipod was brought over the outward trip.

FLANDERS` said:
5 years ago people would almost laugh if you said you shopped in Lidl/Aldi, .
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You must have classier friends then I do, I've never heard this before.
Laughing at where you shop??
Are the likes of Superquinn for a more discerning type of shopper?
Not aimed at you Flanders, I'm just surprised, genuinely hadn't heard of this ever

Must be the same people who carry around Brown Thomas bags but hadn't actually shopped there recently.....
 
"We've already paid income tax so we are certainly under no obligation to buy here, PAYE & PRSI was the "patriotic duty" and it ends there."

I have this vision of people who are happy to earn their wages in the South, spend their wages in the North and wonder why our economy is going down the toilet? Oh yes, and if it will ever affect them?

Thats the thing, by all means we have to try and be more competitive but it costs more to run a business in this jurisdiction and we all share a responsibility for shoring up our own economy. If we all can't see it and assume, somehow, that the economy is something that other people are involved in or that affects other people only, we may as well close all our shops, hospitals, prisons, schools etc.,etc. How do we all think these services are paid for?

mf
 

All very true but I can see how a person who just lost their job has a problem spending that extra % to pay for public sector pay increases and first class flights to Florida.
 
Purple said:
All very true but I can see how a person who just lost their job has a problem spending that extra % to pay for public sector pay increases and first class flights to Florida.
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Of course. I do see that. But us all going shopping in Norn Iron is not going to help our own economy. And none of the posters seem that strapped - its almost a triumphalist, Yah Booh Hiss kind of mentality.

So there.



mf
 
mf1 said:
Of course. I do see that. But us all going shopping in Norn Iron is not going to help our own economy. And none of the posters seem that strapped - its almost a triumphalist, Yah Booh Hiss kind of mentality.

So there.



mf
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I agree that the tone is not good on this thread but it would help our economy more if the government lowered taxes and paid for it by wasting less of our money.
 

The VAT on newspapers and magazines is what pushes the price up in the Republic of Ireland compared to the UK. Same goes for books.

The Star is an Irish newspaper, HQ is in Terenure as far as I know.
 
FLANDERS` said:
Just chatting to a friend of mine at work here who says her mate orders/buys clothes from the North with the sole intention of returning them in the South for the increased refund!
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So I guess none of the shops look for receipts then?
 
Re: Govt ‘will have to stem flow of shoppers across border’

Its a fact of life that everything here is dearer than the UK apart from diesel/petrol. And anyone who is close to the border will be well aware of that fact. I bet a lot of garages on the border do a roaring trade from the north, its just a fact of life. The savings are too ast to be ignored. If the mark up was in the region of 10% then I could live with it but most of the mark ups are 30% or more.

noah
 
Complainer said:
So I guess none of the shops look for receipts then?
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I would have assumed they would. Maybe the shop just sees it as being a return to them, I don't know. Obviously they aren't that strict or this would be a pointless exercise! I am simply relaying something I found interesting regarding the original thread subject.
 

The big UK chains don't seem to have a problem exchanging/refunding items that have been bought in branches in a different country. Well, exchanging, at least - I have often bought clothes in M&S or Debenhams here, for family in the UK, and they have had no problems exchanging for different sizes.
 
reds said:
Same goes for books.
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books are zero rated both here and the UK.

one reason why i occasionally take a trip oop north to shop in sainsbury is the greater range of both vegetarian products (such as quorn) and british ales that are not as readily available down here. the prices are lower but that's not the sole reason for going there.
 
I think that multiples should be named and shamed.

They are been left off the hook by media and consumer organisations
 
According to the Indo, Sainsbury's in Newry sell the most alcaholic products out of all its stores worldwide!!!!
 
The only way this government will do anything about the price difference is when so many people keep going north or online or whatever that the retailers here actually get up and activly lobby the government to do something. The retails are very slow to lower their prices due to "insurance costs, wages, cost of doing business here etc blah blah blah" we're listening to that for years. Not long ago we were told to shop around. Now we're told we're unpatriotic. I have no problem paying 20-30% less for something abroad. I quite recently spent 400e on some musical equipment online from a SHOP (not a warehouse) in the UK - the same item in a Dublin music store was 700e - honest to goodness, why on earth would i have bought that in Dublin? I had the same issue a couple of years ago and even rang the shop in Dublin to tell them the difference in price and that i'd prefer to purchase it here - i was told they couldnt match it and that was that. It wasnt even a case of matching it, they were miles off the price.
I for one wont listen to the "cost of doing business" blab, i am not unpatriotic. I am using my rights as a european to purchase from wherever i feel i'm getting the best deal. We've been robbed in this country for far too long. You can go and purchase whatever you like wherever you like. I know what i'm doing and i am NOT unpatriotic.
Rant over.
 

I heartily endorse the above product and (or) service, ElephantFresh!
 
"I am using my rights as a european to purchase from wherever i feel i'm getting the best deal. We've been robbed in this country for far too long. You can go and purchase whatever you like wherever you like. I know what i'm doing and i am NOT unpatriotic."

"I heartily endorse the above product and (or) service, ElephantFresh!"


Thats just fine and dandy. But do remember that every time you do that, you are adding to the woes of our own economy. It is not rocket science. Unless consumers spend in their own economy, they themselves each and every one of them personally are part of our economic problem and downturn. So less services, less jobs, less social welfare..................

mf
 
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