Cross the border once means big savings on weekly shop, but not any more, exchange rates and higher taxes to make the buying in the north less attractive to shoppers from the Republic of
Therefore, showing that all our political partners had to do to stop the flow of people crossing the border to do shopping thing. Over the past few years, when it was to highlight the differences in prices between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and the government took wring her hands, commissioned reports expensive and - sometimes - I swear, such as port workers in a room Dell, but it seems to do very little of substance to address the any of these issues.
Gone now it seems the problem only away. Over the past three years, hundreds of thousands of shoppers from the Republic across the border. Favorable exchange rate, and reduced VAT rates and fees combined with lower profit margins for retailers in North Korea led to the kind of large price differences between the many jurisdictions that consumers in financial distress, which I found impossible to ignore.
No more than that. Was recently, which Pricewatch its very first cross-border shopping trip to find out whether there are still great deals to be had, all quiet. There was tumbleweed blowing down the corridors of the giant Sainsbury outside [Lisburn], and only a few cars from the Republic in the parking lot.
And do not forget that part of the reason he was in a quiet yesterday because it happened to be July 12. "Everyone either walk or avoid demonstrations by staying in the house," the girl said, while I have accumulated mountains of my shopping to the conveyor belt. "But even then, we noticed dramatic decline in the number of people coming from the South in the past few months. More so is the way to exchange rates, I think. A year or so since we were provide 90p for the euro, and today is just 79p."
Exchange rates are one component. Tax rates will be another. When the Chancellor and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne published budget of emergency in the last month there have been howls of protest from retailers in the North also announced the VAT rate in the UK is an increase of 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent during the period of January. And can move, and retailers to North Korea and said, costing the economy millions of pounds of lost revenue from shopping across the border.
Said Francis Martin, the head of the Organization of North Ireland, and the increase in VAT in general can have a "negative impact" on small projects that will increase the cost of doing business. The authority said the Independent Retail Trade Association as a "retrograde step" that would be up to everyone in Northern Ireland, from low-income families to pensioners.
There is no such depression coming from the south side of the border. And politicians issued statements welcoming the movements of retailers, while rubbing his hands in glee satisfied. Speaking at a function last week described the company Tesco Ireland chief executive Tony Keohane How Tesco played a role in reversing the flow of successful cross-border shopping.
He said Tesco was "in the happy position of the Department of the queues in the shop again," and thanked the resource base for their support during the period of great change. "Ireland has changed radically, and Ireland has changed dramatically, Ireland, and probably changed forever," he said. He claimed that the moves by the major grocery retailers in the Republic - and there is nothing greater than Tesco - leading to 40-50 per cent drop in cross-border shopping, this year has risen to 70 per cent in major categories such as health and beauty products. As a result, he said: the Irish arm of Tesco has seen nine consecutive periods of growth for Tesco.
A year ago, when there were real bargains to be had in the north, the Republic of shoppers can load up vehicles in Sainsbury's with nothing to a large extent, safe in the knowledge that it would be much cheaper than work. Today it's not like that.
Wipe the child from a six-pack of sanitary towels, which can be purchased in Tesco in the Republic of the costs of 7.78 € £ 7,49 (8,93 €) in Sainsbury. Pampers diapers - One of the products that have forced many people with young children across the border over the past three years - is now almost identical rates in both jurisdictions.
50g jar of Nescafe, which was selling for £ 1,65 (1,97 €) in the north and at 1,66 € in our local Tesco in Dublin.
That there may still be of haggling, of course - despite the differences in price sometimes is not radical as it might once have been.
Analgesics Sainsbury own brand and ridiculously cheap, with 16 capsules of paracetamol only cost 20p (23 per cent) and 16 ibuprofen at 28p (33 per cent) more than that. A pack of eight batteries, Duracell A. Ultra, which cost 11 € in the cost of the Republic of £ 3,99 (4,76 €) in Sainsbury, but they were a deal to buy one-get-one free, which greatly increased their potential savings. 130g bag costs of Doritos Nacho chips 99p in the north, giving the unit price of 76p (91 cents) in the 100g. Unit price of potato chips the same in my local Tesco is 1,18 € in 100g. The original source tea tree and mint shower gel, which at 3,99 € in the Republic is 3,60 € in the north.
Cheaper generic drugs aside, it is alcohol where it is still the biggest savings are, although readers will need to do a bit of research for some of the differences in prices are not as great as you might imagine and alcohol in some cases, costs are actually more in the north.
The last week Tesco was selling bottles of Jameson for 20 €, while Sainsbury would best that the Department of £ 17,99 (21,46 €). Hennessy Cognac at the same time, which costs £ 21,50 (25,65 €) in Northern Ireland, is 26 € in Tesco.
Wolf Blass wine, which was at 10.99 € 7.99 pounds (9,53 €) in the sale of Sainsbury's for 10,99 € at Tesco, while Oyster Bay Merlot costs also in Tesco but down south £ 6,99 (8,33 €) in [Lisburn ].
The real savings comes to alcohol Deals on Sainsbury's bought a special issue this week load.Last good wine normally sells for £ 8 (9,54 €) reduced to £ 6 (7,16 €) with a further 25 per cent if the landing was purchased in the cases of six. Even wines that would normally retail for about Tinner in the Republic and costs 5,50 € in the north. Beer can also be a lot cheaper. A case of 20 bottles of beer Miller is 20 € in the means of Tesco in the Republic, but only 12 pounds (14,31 €) in the north.
We carried on Twitter straw poll last week asked whether he was still annoying people who cross the border to shop due to narrow the gap in prices. The mixed reactions. "Hell, yes, lower prices, are all factors that formed, and this was before raising the level of services in the area of retail," said one person.
"I do not know how anyone can be bothered to do so under any circumstances. Painful enough to shop at your local supermarket," said another. "We do not buy the regular. Maybe a key element," was the reply as of 1 / 4. "It's a market. In the absence of competition from the North raises prices in the south. Or is that sarcasm?", And asked another. Perhaps, but this does not make it any less true.