SAIL CENTURY OF THE
French chains roll out the red carpet for ferry-going Irish bargain hunters
INCREASING numbers of savvy holiday makers are easing the cost of holidays abroad by stocking up on groceries and booze during their trips to the European mainland.
And French supermarket chains such as E. Leclerc have cottoned on to the fact that hundreds of potential customers are arriving into ports like Cherbourg every day and have started to leaflet arrivals from Ireland and the UK.
They are offering travellers a click and collect option to fill their cars before their return journey to Ireland.
Some regular travellers bring large cool boxes to bring home cheese and other perishables.
Ferry travellers to France and Spain have done the maths and worked out that, with some clever spending in European supermarkets, they can recoup some of the spending on their holiday or if they regularly buy alcohol in supermarkets here, can even get a free jaunt.
Irish holidaymakers returning from France have traditionally filled their cars with cheaper wine, but many are
‘We buy sausage and cheese and olive oil’
now stocking up of items such as nappies and washing power.
Consumers Association of Ireland policy advisor Dermott Jewell said the shift in consumer behaviour is ‘a sign of the times’.
He told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘The world has changed so much that people are even looking for grocery bargains on their holidays.
‘Things are so expensive here now that it’s no wonder shoppers will take any opportunity they can to buy things at half price. It’s probably a once in a year opportunity, but it makes sense and can lower the price of a holiday overall.’
Travellers are reported to be availing of long-life shelf grocery such as nappies, baby formula, biscuits, chocolate, jams and other condiments, and of course wine, beer and spirits.
Caoimhe Ni Raghallaigh, from Fairview in Dublin, who has holidayed on French campsites with her young family for the past three years said: ‘The first time we kind of filled up our car by accident; now we make sure we have a cool box and space to bring stuff home with us because it’s so much cheaper and some of what we buy lasts months.
‘If you drink a bottle or two of wine a week, buying that is a no brainer, but there are lots of other bargains there too, particularly if you like French brands, which my kids do.’
‘Nestle Hot Chocolate is about a third of the price it is here, we buy the really large containers which last for about a month each.
‘We also buy sausage and cheese and olive oil.’
France has a wide range of super and hypermarkets including Carrefour, Auchan, E. Leclerc and Geant Casino.
A sample analysis of supermarket prices this week confirms popular food items and alcohol products in French stores are almost always cheaper than they are in Tesco, SuperValu and Dunnes Stores here.
In France, a 750ml bottle of JP Chenet red wine was selling for just €3 at E. Leclerc. In Dunnes, €3 will only buy you a 175ml bottle of the same wine. A full size version costs €10, more than treble the cost in France.
Similarly, Maille, the popular brand of Dijon mustard, is €1.89 in Carrefour, while the equivalent jar in Supervalu is €3.85.
In E. Leclerc, a bar of Lindt chocolate is 99c, compared to €3.85 in Tesco.
Bonne Maman jam costs €3.50 in Supervalu, but at the Carrefour in Cherbourg – one kilometre from the ferry terminal – the same item costs just €1.55.
And Irish holiday makers are noticing even Irish-produced products are cheaper in France.
Large cans of Guinness were on offer for €1.30 at E. Leclerc this week. In Supervalu, they cost €1.75 each in a pack of eight.
A 750ml bottle of Jameson whiskey was less than half the price than some Irish stores. It was selling for €16 in Carrefour Cherbourg, compared to €32.50 at Tesco here.
Nora Costello, marketing manager of Irish Ferries which serves Cherbourg from Dublin Port, said the company has noticed holiday makers availing of cheaper French supermarket prices.
She told the MoS: ‘An added bonus is the ability to shop the wonderful French gourmet delicacies and wines in the local wine outlets and supermarkets.
‘There’s great value prices to be had and people can save by stocking up and filling their boot to offset the cost of the trip.’
Latest available figures show Ireland was the most expensive country in the EU for household expenditure on goods and services in 2022, with prices 46% above the average.
The figures also revealed Ireland was the fourth most expensive country in the trading bloc for food and non-alcoholic beverages, with prices an average of 15% higher than other EU states. Only Denmark, Luxembourg and Malta were more expensive than Ireland for basic grocery items last year.