Prices ‘nothing like’ 30% higher than UK
Thursday 6th December 2012, 5:00AM GMT.
Sandpiper CI Ltd chief executive Tony O'Neill is the subject of an interview in today's JEP
TREASURY Minister Philip Ozouf has been accused of deflecting attention from budget duty rises by taking ‘cheap pot shots’ at businesses that employ thousands and contribute millions in tax.
Sandpiper CI Ltd chief executive Tony O’Neill claims that Senator Ozouf had ‘damaged his own credibility’ by accusing retailers of ‘profiteering’ because prices here are higher than in the UK.
Mr O’Neill was reacting to comments made by the Senator who said retailers should come clean and explain why they charge so much for alcohol, tobacco and fuel.
But Mr O’Neill argued that Senator Ozouf was merely trying to deflect attention away from the effects duty rises in his budget.
• See Wednesday’s JEP for full interview
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Says the man trying to deflect the fact that his company charges full UK prices and adds GST + 5%.
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Well, technically speaking, if the guy is adding GST (5%) on the top of UK price in his shops, it it clear that the products are only 5% more expensive here.
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Not really Slawek, UK prices include VAT too.
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Only on Jaffa cakes….
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My maths seems to be far behind yours…
Could you explain please why not?
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Slawek
Th UK cost will be item price + VAT 20%.
The Jersey cost will be item price + VAT 20% + GST 5% (plus whatever the retailer adds for shipping etc)
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Sorry, forgot to add……Jersey should not be paying VAT 20%, therefore, our prices are more than 5% higher.
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Agreed – Jersey should not be paing UK VAT.
Yet even if Jersey is paying UK VAT, or when there is no UK VAT in the product price then the price here is only 5% more (on some certain boxed pro.
It is not our business if Mr O’Neill ‘charges’ us UK VAT or not. In fact he is not charging us UK VAT, he just sets his prices ridiculously high. That is his right. Ours is to buy elsewhere.
I am not buing anything in any Sandpiper’s shop.
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Fair point Slawek, as you say, we can all shop elsewhere.
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Oh, come on Slobberk. Who are you kidding? Five per cent? More like the thirty per cent which the article states.
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James
1. I don’t find calling me Slobberk funny.
2. Rather than commenting here I suggest you spent more time to remembering (or learning perhaps) primary school maths. Once you finish the course you will find to yor surprise that adding 5% to the price will not make it ‘more like the thirty per cent’
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I find that the prices here are often at least 30 per cent higher, mostly on food like bread etc. It’s not a case of manipulating maths, Slob, it is more a case of reality.
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I find a great many things funny but not this pathetic ‘in joke’ of calling Slawek by an offensive name.
It is my belief that this is a prime example of prejudice against someone with a name suggesting a different origin and culture and that the moderators should have blocked this nasty trend before it ever took hold.
Heads should be hanging in shame. This behaviour reminds me too much of my Jersey schooldays.
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Fuel is about 15 Percent cheaper in Jersey than the UK and the cheapest I have seen in Europe bar Guernsey.. Alcohols more here though.
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Fuel in Jersey is far from cheap, and it is not cheaper than elsewhere.
The cheapest pump price in Europe is 0.99 Euro per litre of unleaded, in Latvia, according to the AA. That compares to the 1.36 Euro or more we pay in Jersey.
The UK price is only higher due to taxes, VAT on road fuel is 20% for example.
The lower price in Jersey is thanks to lower taxation, and not down to the fuel companies or service stations which are making a tidy profit on fuel.
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Unleaded fuel is now £1.29 per litre compared to £0.89 p per litre 4 years ago in the UK ……..
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Not true:
Belgium 1.27 euros = 1.03 pounds
Poland 1.26 euros = 1.02 pounds
Luxemburg 1.33 euros = 1.07 pounds
Romania 1.24 euros = 1.00 pounds
Andora 1.24 euros = 1.00 pounds
Spain 1.36 euros =1.10 pounds
Latvia 1.33 euros = 1.07 pounds
Bulgaria 1.27 euros = 1.03 pounds
Estonia 1.26 euros = 1.02 pounds
Croatia 1.33 euros = 1.07 pounds
Russia 0.77 euros !!!! = 0.62 pounds
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.19 euros = 0.96 pounds
Moldavia 1.06 euros = 0.86 pounds
and the list goes on with cheaper prices If you look outside Europe you will be socked like 0,343 euros = 0.26 pounds in Egipt
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Are these prices for 93, 95, 97, or 98 RON petrol?
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95 RON petrol, see link below with prices updated daily
http://www.fuel-prices-europe.info/index.php?sort=7
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But do you really need a car in Jersey? I live in the Republic and driving a car is definitely more expensive here (after budget even more) and paid €1.56 ltr today but my 4 bed house, only 15min drive away from work cost me €250 (mortgage) a month, as a 1st time buyer. Wages are similiar (or even a bit higher) and I must say that you get more for your money here (Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, etc.). The problem in Jersey is that sandpiper rule the Island and no competition can get in, so prices are way too high. My wages + partners wages are roughly the same as in Jersey & we can save about £700-900 more a month.
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Fuel maybe cheaper, but it works out more expensive here as we can not get the milage to it unlike the UK or Europe.
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Point taken, but a tank over here, for me lasts for ages.
I guess if I lived in the UK, I would have some little 50mpg Jazz or similar – Over here, I have two cars, one to use, and one for fun – total cubic capacity – 5.2 litres.
No annual road fund license over here – cheaper insurance and little risk of vandalism / theft. Then there is no council tax / expensive season ticket to get up to the City.
Cost of living on Jersey is cheap for many !
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Looking at last weeks till receipt from Asda I’ll post the items and prices, can someone post a comparative Sandpiper list.
4 pints of semi skimmed milk £1 that’s 4 pints not 4X 500ml.
Large 800 gram Warburtons loaf £1
Large 800 gram tiger loaf £1
500 gram Flora spread £1
350 gram Catherdal City mature cheddar £2
600 gram rich & creamy coleslaw £1
large head of cauliflower 75P
Large head of broccoli 75P
250 grams chestnut mushrooms 75P
18 440ml cans Stella Artois £11
10″ thin & crispy pizza made to order with 6 toppings £2
350 gram lloyd Grossman pasta sauces ( various ) £1
2X2 litre Highland Spring still water £1
454 gram jar Ragu red & white lasagne sauce £1
500 gram Bisto gravy granules £1
Haagen Daaz ice cream various flavours £2
This is not a full shop but it does give an idea of prices here, can someone post a comparative Jersey list.
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Waitrose Jersey
12 cans Stella 4% £9.95
Loaf thick sliced white bread £1.91
Pack of 3 peppers £1.76
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…and Waitrose in Guernsey is somewhat cheaper than Waitrose in Jersey…..not to mention they don’t pay GST either!
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Is Wairose pronounced the same in Guernsey as in Jersey or have they got some idiosyncratic ‘Langlais/Langlois’ version of the name?
Wotraise, perhaps?
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Warbourton bread £1, 12 cans Stella 440ml £7.00 3 mixed peppers 99p thats in most supermarkets in the UK, ps. Milk 4 pints 89p !!! Whats your ansa to that then ?
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Little relevance !
Gas (petrol) in the USA is currently £2.00 per gallon – Is this relevant ? Er no.
Electricity in Alderney and Sark – 50 p per unit !
So what !
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He’s right, it is nothing like 30% – it’s significantly higher than that!
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I would ask TREASURY Minister Philip Ozouf why he charges so much for alcohol, tobacco and fuel. I would say its because the States are inefficient and expensive to run!!! another squeeze another Tax same old doom and gloom.
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And yet Sandpiper are the worst offenders in putting prices up for ‘import charges’
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Ozouf didn’t do a very good job of hiding the budget, I read it in the paper and had a summary on the TV.
Now that we’re on the subject of expensive shops in Jersey, how about we start talking about state sponsored rent rebates for imported minimum wage shop staff?
These aren’t just sour grapes, these are O’neill sour grapes dipped in bitter chocolate and Sicilian sour lemons.
(couldn’t resist sry!)
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Just to correct this myth,no one repeat no one receives ‘rent rebate’ unless they have quallies.
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But it is paid to people on wages that shops pay, and you do get your quallies after 5 years.
My point wasn’t ranting about benefits being doled out willy nilly, I was drawing attention to the fact that we are sponsoring a cheap labour force for jersey shops.
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Quallies are still 11 years I believe.
I ill-conceived welfare payments kick in at 5 years and as long as you have your benefit token in a pram tax payer’s money starts to flow…..
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Your point about “cheap labour” I agree with although I call it dumbing down of the workforce for profit but ‘quallies’ are 10yrs not 5yrs,the point being that if you have contributed for that period you have shown a commitment to Jersey.
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Ozouf hasn’t got any credibility to damage.
I would agree that Sandpiper don’t overcharge simply because if their prices go too high, as they did in a certain section, I’ll switch to the Co-Op.
What I don’t understand (and don’t have to) is when I need a bedside lamp, a Town shop wanted 74 pounds – certain large store to the north, 9 pounds and buy another half price. new Roman blind; town shop 175 pounds. Online 9 pounds plus a fiver postage (and it had good reviews). Sorry, but I’m not helping out local businesses at these prices
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no it is more like 60 percent more just go and look for yourself befour making comments
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You’ve all been deceived, it’s not about the budget, or retail, or who’s disguising their profits – the biggest issue to challenge the Island’s stability is the ill-understood impending FATCA Regulation and associated gripes from the UK’s HMRC. Given the poor understanding of its impact amongst even Senior Finance figures, I’d expect it’s worse still amongst our Politicians. In short, we’re about to encounter the strongest challenge to Offshore Finance possibly imaginable – the perks of Offshore will go, and by law we’ll have to hand over details of every non Jersey person with a bank account, trust, company or fund to their relevant Government. We’ll get nothing in return but a winding down of our economic lifeblood, and subsequent stagnation and collapse. Doesn’t matter how much duty is on fuel or ciggies or booze, or whether retailers charge VAT+GST+Xmas bonus – your Government is not prepared for what’s coming, and frankly it’s all a bit scary. Who pays the bills when 8000+ of us have no job nor skills to qualify for the few that remain…. just a polite heads up, but the ship is sinking and maybe, just maybe those in charge have no idea what’s heading our way. I know many of you have it in for Finance, but if the Finance folk have no money, the knock on effect will ruin the rest of you too. Up go your bills but you can’t cover them – most of us won’t be able to cover them, and then where are all heading?? Go and challenge your Deputies & Ministers and ask them how they envisage our FATCA survival – JEP Folk, you should get in on it too, you don’t need to be a genius to work out what happens when you take away the one thing that provides us all with security.
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Well said, unless someone pulls their finger out (SoJ, Chief Minister et al) we’re going to have more to worry about than grocery prices.
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We could put up with the US only, the Cayman Islands et al are more likely to suffer in that respect – but now the UK are on board and I’ll wager a worrying number of other EU countries will hop on the bandwagon too, thus sealing our fate.
I’d like a push towards petitioning our States & Finance representatives for comment on the matter – in spite of the dire, twisted state of affairs that it local politics, I’m sufficiently concerned by the potential pitfall awaiting us that I’m given consideration to rolling out a new party. It’s about time sensible minds took control of the madhouse!
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Another reason not to spend loads of cash on new Police headquarters and hospitals.
When Jersey sinks all the millionaires will just take the lifeboat out. They are only here while Jersey can make them money and I doubt they have any loyalty.
Back on track,I just purchased a laptop from Amazon £70 cheaper than Jersey price and WindowS 8 not 7 as in Jersey!
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Oh yes thay are. For example – an electric gadget I purchased recently was £97 in Grande Marche, £99 at JEC, £90 at Wholesale electrics and £42 on Amazon. Another iten recently purchased was priced between £52 and £62 in Jersey – £21.19 on Amazon. My motto is now Buy Local -THINK TWICE
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The prices here a crazy here in at least 50% to 60% higher it is a disgrace. Every where in World is cheaper if you ask me… Jersey a robbing bbbbbbb’s and this 5% GST is a joke …
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You’ve obviously never been to Alderney or any of the islands off the Scottish mainland. (I don’t know about other small islands in the UK). Food prices in Alderney would make your eyes water!
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The treasury minister was talking about the pre tax price of alcohol, tobacco and fuel. 30% seems very conservative. More like between 50 and 100%
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Mark G What a strange first comment you make.
“Says the man trying to deflect the fact that his company charges full UK prices and adds GST + 5%”
Full UK prices itsn’t that what we want isn’t that what we want to pay UK cheap prices. Tony O”Neill is doing just that !!!!
“Adds on GST” Tony O’Neill isn’t adding on GST our goverment is doing that.
You go to Iceland you pay the price on the box plus GST which our goverment enforces how can you blame the guy for doing that ? surely your not under the idea that there is VAT on food are you.
You can’t please all the people all of the time comes to mind here.
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The price printed on the box will be inclusive of VAT.
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There is no UK VAT on food.For all of my perceived faults with Iceland food they do offer the UK price plus GST.
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What about M & S ? Channel islands tax plus GST.
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I would like to issue a challenge to Mr O’Neill. I will prove that prices are at least 30% more in Jersey shops (moreso in Sandpiper owned stores)than in the UK.
I have just come back from a visit to a city where prices are on a par with London and could have wept when I saw the differential with what we are ripped off with here.
Hence where-ever I can I will buy from Amazon, even some food stuffs. Why can’t we have a Lidl, Aldi or Asda in Jersey? We aren’t all millionaires.
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Agree, lived in Germany for years and Aldi & Lidl are top. Good quality, stores are kept simple & staff get decent pay.
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Not the same in France,horses for courses mon vie and if you think they would offer a low deal in Jersey you may be dissapointed.
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Just been on the Laura Ashley website- picture canvas £78 reduced from £130. Rang up Laura Ashley in town to ask if said offer applies in store.
Answer – No – it’s still £130. £52 more.
Can I order it off the internet? No because my card is registered in Jersey.
Local shops – greedy greedy greedy.
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Do you need it enough to pay £130? That’s what I’m dying to know.
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Why? If Laura wants it and can pay what business is it of yours if she needs it or not?!?
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Tesco Portsmouth
Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich 80p
Ham Sandwich £1.10
How much are your sandwiches Mr O’Niell?
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Oh my god, do you lot never shut up? Why don’t you move to the UK and enjoy lower prices??? I’ll tell you why because a) you wouldn’t earn as much, b) you would pay more tax and c) you would have to travel 2 hours to and from work.
Can we stop the whinging now? The grass is not always greener, if it was no one would be here would they?
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d) you’re house / mortgage payments would probably cost less than half of a similar property in Jersey
e) it’s free to go to the doctors
f) you’ll get about 50% more mpg from your car
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d) I wouldn’t buy a house now if you paid me, that is a sure way to lose your money – in the near future when the recession really kicks in house prices are going to plummet. I’m in gold at the moment and doing quite nicely thank you.
e) I have private health insurance but never get ill and anyway if I did there are five doctors in my family who can tell me there is nothing wrong with me but ‘the sniffles’.
f) Ah but my car would likely be vandalised or stolen and so my insurance premiums would be higher
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You’ve (bean) on the Island too long:-). Depends on the area you’re buying, I’m 30 (first time buyer) and recently bought a 4 bed house only 15 min away from work in the countryside. My mortgage is less than 250 a month + mortgage interest relief (210), so great time to buy. My rent in Jersey for a 2 bed flat was 900 and insurance for my car is 90 more here, so definitely worth it, with the same salary as in Jersey. Going on holiday is also cheaper:-)
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Hate to tell you Kimberley MIRAS ended about 10 years ago.
As for paying £250 a month? Current UK mortgage rates are approx 4%. Unless you are on a tracker- again these do not exist any more, your house is probably worth about £50K.
4% on a £50K mortgage = £200/month. No Repayments. No Endowment No MIRAS……..Get the idea?? Stop talking gibberish!
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Mr Wiley, why do you assume people have to travel 2 hours??????????? I don’t live in The UK but Ireland. My wages are the same as in Jersey and my recently purchased 4/5 bed detached house with 0,6 acres of land cost me €110.000 + I only have 20 mins drive to work where all big International companies are based. It would take you longer from St Brelade to town in the morning. Hate it when Jersey people think the outside world is so bad, you just get scared after living on the Island too long. Coming with the phrase low tax is a myth for a normal worker (minimum wage etc.) in Jersey, as you pay so much more for everything else (rent, food…)
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That is my experience of living and working in London.
The ‘workers’ in Jersey keep voting in the same people who keep putting up their taxes; the Bailhaches, Ozoufs etc. or worse still don’t vote at all,
There were plenty of candidates who wanted to lower tax and cut spending and they never got a look in – but so many people are dependent on that high spending government for jobs that they have to vote for higher tax.
So as the song goes the public get what the public want.
Still at least they don’t vote for the lunatic fringe who would put taxes up to 90%.
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JG “Why can’t we have a Lidl, Aldi or Asda in Jersey? We aren’t all millionaires.” The answer is simple here its the same answer as to why we can’t have Tesco, Asda and all the rest of them. They do not want to come to the channel islands because of the freight costs.If you don’t believe me write to the companies we are small fry to them and they wouldn’t dream of coming to the islands.
CP There is no VAT on food in the UK so how can they charge it in Jersey. They only charge the goverment imposed GST.
I have purchased the majority of my Christmas Gifts on line and saved a fortune however in respect of food I do agree the cost is higher but the freight is crazy.The upkeep of a shop in insurance, salarys, lighting and the general running of a business is what is putting the cost on our food also. You have to think outside the box. It is darn expencive to live in Jersey that is why we pay for the priviliage to do so. If a company like Woolworth couldn’t make it we are lucky we still have companies here stable enough to remain,
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Wrong Sandpiper worker, you could easily open an Aldi (franchise) here in Jersey and get the products from France but the problem is that Sandpiper have their fingers in the pie (States, shareholders etc.). They know it would ruin their business & rents are only high for the small business but not a big company. Why do you think M&S opened at Liberty Wharf (free rent). I’m sure COOP have a special agreement too:-). Woolworth couldn’t make it because it was franchise like any other franchise.
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Prove it O’Neill?! Get your facts right and PROVE it. You have us all by the short and curlys and you know it. You have no idea how your putrid greed devalues everything you say. You have no idea how out of touch you are. Will you read and consider any of these comments, probably not!
We all know how much cheaper it is to shop in the mainland compared to Jersey and you put your face on this article? HOW DARE YOU!
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Still waiting for smoenoe to post that comparative shopping list.
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Spent the afternoon being dragged around Home-maker and the wife wanted to purchase a new smart TV and tumble drier, cost £900 and one weeks delivery.
Got home and looked on the John Lewis website, cost saving £300 and includes free delivery to Jersey in one week.
Home-maker order cancelled, why shop local when you get totally ripped off.
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i really dont get some of the comments on here ,yes jersey,s cost of livingis higher then uk,its a better safer place to live,low crime rate,beautiful beaches,no weekly murders ect.and so what if you have to pay a little more for food.i,d gladly pay a little more to live in such a beautiful island,and guess what i work in a shop ..and dont recieve any benefits and i can live.why does everyone presume working in a shop is low pay,i think welldone to the retailers on the island that have brought new shops to jersey.and the reason they have to employ imigrants is because some locals think its beneath them to work in a shop. its the states that need slagging off not retailers,they are the reason the islanders are unhappy ,they increase our tax,they put 5gst on everything so of course you got to pay more if retailers have to pay more,so shop local x
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Why do you assume it’s safer in Jersey? You can live in any other village or town with the same population and it’s also safe. Jersey has a higher crime rate than many small towns & St Helier is a small town. Other places have nice beaches too, other places have lakes and walks, yes it’s personal taste but depends what you want. Buying a house with garden and working in a shop is still possible somewhere else but not in Jersey. I find Scotland amazing, Isle of Man as an Island is great and Ireland just beautiful.
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Goodness Giles your really should ensure your information is correct before you come out with erroneous statements.
Aldi had the opportunity to come into Jersey they didn’t want to FACT.
Fingers in pies. In the states. Excuse me the article is Sandpiper going against a States minister here !! Shareholders in what ?
“Rents are only high for small business” “Free Rent” Please let us all in on your little secrets or were you dreaming and then work up ha ha you are amusing even though your totally inaccurate
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Having recently visited Jersey and being absolutely SHOCKED at the high food and clothing prices over there, I can only say that the products on offer are low market quality in respect of clothing and very poor quality foodstuffs at incredible prices ! You have to go to the Pound shop at St. Brelade to get a decent loaf of bread which is sold at UK prices , better bread at lower cost compared to the local bakers. The old excuse about transportation of goods does not hold up to scrutiny either, goods are shipped by road, rail and air all over the UK in some cases by sea and even with our high taxation system are still cheaoper than in Jersey. I think that its more a case of Jersey has a captive audience that can thereofore be taken advantage of by local shop keepers in general or is it a case that they themselves are being ripped off ?
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Indeed, roger, indeed. But captive audience no more. Amazon does us well, and its tax rate in the UK is irrelevant to me. And of course the many, many other UK suppliers willing to negotiate a deal and who actually are pleased to get the business and the opportunity to quote. It’s a buyers market everywhere but Jersey. Hum.
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