Irish consumers losing out compared to Britain

IRISH consumers are paying over €100 more than their British counterparts for certain products.

This is according to a survey of random items in stores such as Tesco, Aldi and Argos in both Ireland and Britain.

Gillette razors in Tesco, for example, were almost €4.40 more expensive in Ireland than in Britain, while a tin of Heinz beans was almost double the price in Ireland. A Britax car chair in Argos was over €100 more expensive in Ireland.

Chief executive of the Irish Consumer Association, Dermot Jewell, said the problem is that the market in Ireland is not as competitive as it should be and that is unlikely to change unless customers take action.

“Supermarkets will always put forward the case that staff wages and rent are higher here but when you compare us to the rest of Europe that is simply not the case,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Argos said they are aware that there are some sensitivities surrounding differences in prices between Britain and Ireland.

A Tesco spokeswoman, meanwhile, said they as well as consumers have been aware for some time that prices in Ireland are generally higher than in Britain and other countries due mainly to higher costs applying in Ireland.

She added that it has been established over recent years that the average difference in grocery prices between Britain and Ireland is 15%.