while these tesco price cuts sound great in theory, in reality they are going to result in a lot of job losses around the country, from dairy producers to poultry farmers to manufactoring plants who cannot sustain business at these low prices. goods are cheaper across the water as the minimun wage is lower which allows business to operate at a lower cost. these prices are un sustainable for irish business, and we will see increase in import and loss of irish jobs(a la walmart in america)...once dunnes and super valu are forced to compete.

jaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 720 - 14/05/2009 11:47:00    282988

maybe the reason for the price difference between ireland and Uk is not due to minimum wages but greed on the part of the irish retailers and that theyre making larger margins than UK counterparts

it is true that a basket of groceries in ireland is more expensive than St. tropez, a very rich part of france. why is this so? celtic tiger, greed, everyone trying to squeeze as much cash out of the customer

its about time the retailers started realise they need to manage their businesses better for the benefitl of customers - sicken them that theyre losing their business to retilers in the 6 counties

stranmillis29 (Antrim) - Posts: 788 - 14/05/2009 12:02:13    283009

yea but we also have better social welfare and minimun wage systems than these countries. you have to take one with the other. people would be moaning just as much if unemployment benefit oe childrens allowance was cut 5 years ago when things were good. i think our minimun wage is the second highest in europe(correct me if im wrong) which is crazy i agree, should have been managed better, but these are the facts and we have to live with them now. this tesco price thing is bad news for a lotta people and nobody seems to realise it.

jaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 720 - 14/05/2009 12:11:10    283021

I am not an apologist for Tesco nor do I have any family or relatives working there, but yet I find it unbelieveable that Dunnes Stores never seem to get any bad press despite the fact that they are no cheaper than Tesco. The only reason I can think for all this bad press is that since Tesco are a British company, that makes them fair game to most Irish people, while the Irish company who are every bit as guilty get off scott free. Finally as a few people have pointed out here, it all boils down to the fact that Irish produce is very expensive, so while I'm sure Tesco and Dunnes could charge cheaper prices, Irish producers could almost certainly reduce their prices as well, which of course won't happen. For years we paid ridiculous prices for everything, now that we are far more cautious with our hard earner money, Irish producers don't know what to do, so now instead they spend their time moaning to anybody who will listen, instead of doing the obvious. Drop your bloody prices!

gilly0512 (Galway) - Posts: 1176 - 14/05/2009 13:57:58    283152

fair point about dunnes, i used tesco as the example as they are pushing this border prices inititive at the moment which is driving prices even lower. my original point is that the irish producers etc will be forced to lower prices and so a hell of a lot of jobs will be lost, as everyone is struggling as things are. the only way out of this mess(recession) is to buy irish. but in current climate i wouldn't advise anyone to do it as we all want value so it seems like we'll be in this vicious cycle for a long time. the end result may be that a lot of irish industries will never recover and we will become a one tier economy for a long long time... im not sure what will happen when the farm industry becomes un sustainable, the factories will go after that...

jaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 720 - 14/05/2009 16:37:53    283419

What price are Tesco now charging for jaffacakes jaffacake.jaffacake jaffacakes are not nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

squidword (Louth) - Posts: 2897 - 14/05/2009 18:48:21    283643

great point squid! solid argument as usual!!

interesting article in todays evening herald on this subject. worth the read, it seems tesco is 'shaking down' suppliers, and putting 14000 jobs at risk!

jaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 720 - 15/05/2009 20:10:40    284840

heres the link

http://www.herald.ie/opinion/comment/the-real-cost-of-tesco-price-cuts-1740191.html

jaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 720 - 15/05/2009 20:16:33    284842

Disgrace, forcing the suppliers to lower their prices. They made a big deal about all their reductions and their not taking the hit at all and did you read the piece saying that their profit margins in the six counties is 50% less than here. I was in Marks and Spencers in Liffey Valley a few weeks ago and I was going to buy a jacket for E159 until I looked at the sterling price (which is crossed out on most items) and it as only £99. We're getting screwed bigtime and have been for years but we're only realising it now and making these comparisons because we've hit hard times. We put up with it for far too long

Dr.Shephard (Leitrim) - Posts: 2187 - 15/05/2009 22:01:04    284898

Firstly Id like to point out the irony in that a man named after a British made biscuit is raising this issue..but I do agree with ya Jaffa. ;) Today I read that Tescos head honchos are being called before an Oireachtas committee to look into the gross disproportionality of profits between here and the UK which is good sign. I smell Brits tryin to make gombeens out of us and I hope the government do something. If enough of an issue is made out of them rippin us off compared to UK customers they might think twice about the PR disaster that would be cuttin Irish produce from their stock and they might instead cut prices by eh...not charging so bloody much for their goods! Go'on Superquinn...she cant be bet lads and Tescos should have kept Maurice Pratt in the Ads when they took over. They'll rue the day.

spudenator (Laois) - Posts: 1052 - 15/05/2009 22:14:10    284910

People are not interested in this jaffacacake which is a pity and that is clear from the amount of views the thread has gotten so far many of which I assume are in fact your own.
In addition to that the thread has only received 8 replies before this one 5 of which are your own also surly that says something. People would much rather discuss Jordan and Pete things like that.This type of stuff has implications for people so they would rather avoid discussing if at at all possible. Anyway...........................

squidword (Louth) - Posts: 2897 - 15/05/2009 22:14:12    284911

Dya hear this fella.... Squidward. Ya can hardly accuse HS posters of being more interested in Jordan and Peter Andre than this topic seen as most of the replies on that thread were messin. Also, am I wrong in saying that your only other post was to ask a daft (but funny mind) question about the price of jaffacakes. Cathc a grip!!

spudenator (Laois) - Posts: 1052 - 15/05/2009 23:08:28    284956

Just an idea:
With Tescos putting Irish jobs at risk (the suppliers) and with them asking people to take off GAA tops when doing a bag packing fund raising exercise in Tesco a few weeks ago, is it time to organise a boycott of Tesco. Not talking about a forever and ever thing, but maybe a one week or even one weekend where we go to Dunnes or Aldi or Lidl or anywhere else instead. Just throwing this idea out there to gauge a general interest level and if anyone else wants to organise it then that's perfect. Just thought i'd mention it. It's not going to bankrupt them but if someone like Patrique (hint) should take up this cause, they'd get a crowd behind them and probably organise an e-mail campaign too. Like I said, it's just an idea put out there to get some opinions.

donegal_insider (Donegal) - Posts: 584 - 16/05/2009 04:47:53    285037

TESCO SHOULD BE BOYCOTTED BY EVERYONE WHO CALLS THEMSELVES IRISH.

trilaecAbu (Tyrone) - Posts: 134 - 16/05/2009 23:36:56    285440

Cheers trilaecAbu. Anyone else have any opinions?

donegal_insider (Donegal) - Posts: 584 - 20/05/2009 17:56:03    289242

Its not tesco that needs boycotting, they are just one of many. Its the whole middle tier of people making money from this. Why not buy straight from the suppliers? Companies like dunnes and tescos are effectively telling their suppliers what they are going to pay, thats just crazy. They are just buying the stuff and selling it again... Cut them out of the loop altogether, country markets, local produce, its not that difficult to find this stuff. Take their power away and they wont be able to tell anyone anything

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 20/05/2009 18:49:59    289286

So where do you do your shopping then TrilaecAbu, as I presume that you live in the North, so your choices would be Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, Lidl, Aldi none of which are Irish by the way? I find this whole argument with Tesco pathetic, as most people given half a chance would do all their shopping in the North due to the much cheaper prices, and you can guarantee that most of the goods in Northern Ireland Stores are UK sourced. The people that are too far from the border shop at home in Tesco or Dunnes, and whinge and moan about the prices, yet when Tesco source cheaper goods from the UK, they whinge and moan again, so basically are we just a nation of whingers and moaners then? If you don't want to shop in Tesco out of some misguided loyalty don't then, but you are certainly not going to find it any cheaper in Irish owned Stores. The fact of the matter is that most of the moaning here is coming from Irish farmers, who along with their sky high prices, get more subsidies than people would believe, so maybe if they dropped their prices, Tesco mightn't have to source so many goods from the UK.

gilly0512 (Galway) - Posts: 1176 - 20/05/2009 23:43:46    289506