Shopping Northern Ireland

thanks emma for the excellent real life example....That's what i mean Claire1956.. So are the other product over here in Ireland.

I'm from NI, so am I being patriotic when I head North to my parents to do my shopping this weekend?

The example is fine - it's not the point I am making, which you must have missed.

The point is that as the Irish coffers €€€€, for all of the state benefits that many people use/need (people looking for assistance for flooding currently etc) are reduced, part of this is driven by people not buying Irish and retaining money in this economy. Its a fact, there's no point being smart to me. I am not the electorate, just one voter who never ticked a box of any member of FF or Green. I am running a business and I am not a lobbyist.

If you take the time to look a little into the future, based on your back slapping for shopping in NI/UK, you might begin to understand what I am taking about. How can you fund state education/pensions from a society who are loosing jobs to cheaper economies, who don't spend what they earn at home and are perhaps too proud to bargain their Irish suppliers to meet the UK prices.

BTW, I dismiss the B and Q example as it is a UK parent company. If it were an Irish company with a UK subsidiary/equivalent, then the argument could stack up.

Will the market not have to find its own level in the face of such competition? Surely it is not up to consumers to prop up the Irish Retail industry by choosing to spend considerably more than they need to.

The whole reason that Ireland entered the EU was to have access to a wider market for trade and I think there is nothing wrong or shameful in choosing to do so.

Sylvester, your point is correct, no way should it be propped up. But to get the level playing field lets look at some options:

If I suggested that the minimum wage be cut to €6.50/hr as one option to get the costs down in our business I'd probably be banned from the site.

In addition cut social welfare to same as UK/NI, then all of the posters on this site over the past year who have lost their jobs would be reaching for my throat.

The new Mums would crack-up if I suggested that child benefit be cut to 25% of what it is, its the parents decision to have the child, not the states. BTW I have 3 kids under 5yrs of age.

Suggesting to raise Corporation Tax would probably have some of the Site Admins apoplectic.

I could go on.................but the point is YOU and I are the Market that you refer to and today we have a strike because the people have decided that they don't want to 'find its own level in the face of such competition' as you have suggested! And generally Ireland will continue to have massive issues unless some drastic measures are made and we learn to support ourselves. 'Shop local' is my own contribution to helping keep Irish based PAYE/PRSI workers in their job. I do it because I need them to be able to have funds to purchase my product.

Today our office had a visitor who hopes that the banks are nationalised and that the IMF do come in a cut 20% of public sector jobs. So that means that we hand the problem elsewhere in the long term, have a more drastic result instead of each of us taking a little bit of ownership........IMO by shopping in NI and with large UK based stores you are agreeing with our visitor. And it might be the best solution.....but it will be extremely painful.

Hi Claire1956...I am not saying that you are wrong...i am sorry if you felt like it, but it's someone;s own wish where and how he or she want to spend their money

spidermonkey said:

Preparation is the key to surviving shopping whether it be Dublin or N.Irl.We left Balbriggan on Monday last at 8.00 a.m. and arrived in Lisburn at 9.15 to the Sprucefield centre,total distance was 76 miles,Lisburn is 26 miles further on from Newry.It has a massive Sainsbury's,Next home store,Curry's,B&Q and toysrus on the left hand side and a big M&S,JJB Sports and Boots across the road. We came across no delays on the roads and sainsburys was empty and the shelves full,well worth traveliing the extra few miles.My own personal opinion unless your stocking up on drink,dog food,tins of biscuits/sweets it is not worth the drive up just to buy groceries but the difference in price is unreal on these specific itiems.Baileys 1 litre bottles £10,tins of Roses 2 for £10,Tesco price €9.99 for 1 in the South,Foxs biscuits £4.99,Tesco price €12.45,De longhi coffee maker £74.99 in Curry's the cheapest in Dublin €119.99.Research what you want to buy check Sainsbury's website for specials before you travel and stick to your list.I would avoid Newry at all costs on the run up to X-mas unless you are sitting in the the quays car park at 8.00 a.m.

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Litres of Jameson and Smirnoff are €27 and €20 respectively in Tesco at the moment. Roses and Quality St. Tins are €5.49 in Super-Valu. Those Foxes biscuits were €5.49 in Super-Valu last week. Dunnes Stores are practically giving away Lily O Briens Chocolates. The newspapers are full of full page ads every week, and said newspapers have flyers for Centra full of brilliant offers.

If people can get their shopping cheaper they will continue to go there whether that is in northern ireland or down the road. For those who argue against shopping up north they are thankfully in a position where they can afford to shop down here. Germans shop in Poland, fact, and will continue to as long as it is cheaper. Yes this country is really up the creek with no paddles, but if you have lost your job, taken a pay cut or being smart and getting value for money and thats what it is, people will continue to shop up North, like wise Northerns came down here for petrol not so long ago. Is there a soluntion to this problem well all costs in this country have to come down not just the min wage, but doctor fees need to come down, electricty and gas the list goes on. But nobody wants to take a cut, do you?

In the Netherlands who lives near the borders of germany...they go over there for their shopping and People from belgium coming over to The Netherlands and to germany.

These things happens all around...not only here in Ireland...Everyone tries to get cheaper products...

here, here, i fully agree, well said!!

Should that not be (h)ear, (h)ear?

Hi,

Just a word of caution for all ROI shoppers heading north to do your shopping. I bought a VAX hoover in Currys in Newry yesterday and brought it home to discover that within one minute the electrics had burnt out. Even thought I had bought it in Currys, I was informed after many phone calls that under no circumstances would a ROI shop take it back or either fix it or give me a refund. This under a VAX and Currys guarantee. Seemingly anything you buy in the North comes under a different legal jurisdiction and the only course of action for me would be to make a 300 mile round trip to return the goods to the newry branch. Buyer beware.