It’s cheap up north
A reader from Dublin who frequently does her grocery shopping across the border rang us after making some notes on the pricing in Tesco in both jurisdictions. In the North she found a 100g Tesco own-brand of organic instant coffee with a price tag of £1.87 (€2.50). In Dublin, she says, the same jar was selling for €4.48. A 150g pack of Tuc crackers which cost €1.99 in Dublin cost 95 cent in the North while Jacob’s crackers were selling for 88 cent up there and €1.60 down here. “That is virtually double,” she says. She cited a range of other examples, including Bisto and Jus-Rol puff pastry, which had similar price discrepancies. “I don’t buy the argument about higher overheads and different VAT rates,” she says. “How is it that other retailers such as Marks & Spencer’s prices north and south of the border tend to be much closer if the overheads and VAT rates are so different? Something should be done about it, I really feel the public is being ripped off.”
A spokesman for Tesco said that, across the full range of around 20,000 products stocked by the store, the price differential between stores in Northern Ireland and the Republic was between 10 and 15 per cent. “Occasionally there will be larger gaps” which, he said, could be explained by certain products being on special in one jurisdiction but not in the other.
I’m from the north originally, resident in Dublin for the last ten or so years, and it pisses me right off that some of the best stuff you can get in the Tescos at home you can’t get down here. And now I find out it’s all more expensive down here too (which, to be fair, isn’t entirely surprising).
Why? WHY, Tescos, WHY?
*sobs*
Comment by Neill | January 29, 2008 at 3:35 pmNeill, what’s this about Tesco up North having nicer things than the ones down here? Higher prices, I can just about handle but I’d hate to think I was missing out on the best stuff!
Comment by Conor | January 29, 2008 at 3:40 pmOh IU think it’s true I’m afraid Conor. While I was home over Christmas I had occasion to visit the large 24 hour Tesco in east Belfast. Both myself and my fiance were of the opinion that there was a much more impressive range of produce on offer.
This wasn’t necessarily Tesco’s own brand stuff, but (for example), the fiance found that there was a vastly greater range of Weightwatchers produce on sale up North. There was other stuff too but it has mostly slipped my mind at this stage, having long been consumed (mmmmmm…).
One other thing is that there was a much, much greater range of cds and dvds on offer in the Belfast store than I have ever seen in the Dublin branch(es) that I would frequent.
Comment by Neill | January 29, 2008 at 4:28 pmNot on the same subject but a related one…Heaton’s in Tralee seems to have far better stock than Heatons in Dublin. Fact.
Comment by Tri | January 30, 2008 at 3:28 pmI agree with Neill about the better selection up North. ‘Tis sad, but true. When I visit, I stock up on items from their vegetarian range. The compact Tesco Metro on Donegall Place in Belfast City Centre has plenty more to choose from than even the MA-SSIVE Clearwater store in Finglas…
Comment by Mel | February 7, 2008 at 4:43 pm