Gerry N Hill

Having just returned from a shopping trip in the Iceland supermarket in Fuengirola, I was astounded to find that the pound/euro doesn't seem to have affected the prices there. I fully appreciate that the company have transport costs from the UK to Spain but nevertheless with the pound being almost at parity with the euro, as of today 1.11€ to a pound, is there any need for such high prices, they seems to be using an out of date conversion rate, perhaps they still think we get 1.65€ to the pound. I noted one product in particular; a pack of Scots porridge oats marked at 99p for the UK was on sale at 2.36 Euros!
We are almost all being hit from every angle, people who received their state pension in pounds have seen it decrease dramatically; people with bank accounts in England have seen the interest they receive reduced drastically with the reduction in the bank rate. And finally I read that this week a Member of Parliament was opening a debate on the winter fuel allowance, saying that any person living outside the United Kingdom should not be eligible. Where will it all end!
Gerry N Hill
Mijas Pueblo

fionamw

I haven't worked out the whys & wherefors, but certainly agree that the products seem extraordinarily expensive.....thank god I only go there for a handful of things for which there aren't really Spanish equivalents, if I were doing a whole Britshop it would be extortionate sums

poshnbucks

When you shop at these Brit Shops do check the sell by dates you will be surprised how close they are or in the case of the one a few miles from us several months out of date on Bread Flour. We only use them for Pataks Curry Paste now and HP brown sauce which is a shock because it is nearly a euro cheaper than my supermarket.
The rest of the stuff is marked up to the nines with Cadbury's Roses large tin being twenty Euros. I love to save a Euro and use 40 litres of diesel saving it don't you, Its the principal.

Diesel by the way 87 cents litre this morning....................Was 1.36 5 weeks ago

Gerry N Hill

I bought Cadbury's roses in Gibraltar for £7.99 for the big box. I saw them in Iceland today at 13.50€ which at today's rate is £12.06

jdr

Dunnes is the same, working on a quid or 1.50€`s price tag. ;-((

lic

I live in the UK. I know you do not think of Iceland as being a specialist shop, but when it is situated in Spain, it is. They are there specificly to sell to the expat community. Knowing this their prices are inflated, the £ E rate does not affect it. They know you will pay, that's why mums go there!
I bought a 75 cl bottle of 103 brandy (i love the stuff) frm Oddbins. It cost me £12.99, a litre of the stuff in Spain costs 7.50euro and 9.50 at the duty free. Its worth the flight prices jsut to stock up.
Chorizo is very cheap in Spain, in Lidl here it is 2.39 again it is classed as a specialist item.

Dick Dasterdly

It pays to keep an eye on the ball.
A few months back UK punters started to flock into Aldi,Netto and Lidl in big numbers to save a few pence during the credit crunch.
According to the most recent price survey Aldi and Netto are now more expensive than most of the the major UK supermarkets with ony Lidl remaining competitive.
Probably the weak pound has made them more expensive due to much of their stuff being imported.
Asda was easily the cheapest of all.
Would have expected UK brands in Spain to cut their prices considerably with the present exchange rate,but apparently not.
Seems they are out to make a real killing.

poshnbucks

What they compared are the items on general sale at Aldi/Lidl with the scrape the bottom of the barrel ohhhhhh no these are lower quality than our value products from the BIG FOUR Supermarkets cheapo brands, So it was not a like for like comparison therefore gives an unfair impression and thus shows how worried the Big Four are of loss of market share to Aldi/Lidl. I was a Waitrose man back in the UK but I use Aldi/Lidl for certain things, Do you remember back in the eighties when you would come out of one wine bar and catch a cab for the four hundred yards to the next one and put the journey all down to expenses, A credit crisis arrived after which Belts were tightened and expenses like that were knocked in the head, People for a while watched their pockets and became a little street wise before parting with their cash, This now is the same, times 50, But things will turn around, Finances/House Prices were getting rather out of hand with Joe Public and the Banks and institutions needed reigning in. Make your fall out shelter and come out when the dust has settled. Nationwide has said it will put cash into the housing market by way of mortgages. Myself I have put all my money in the safe hands of The best Trader in New York Bernard Madoff I am sure to get what I deserve when the dividends are paid out.
Good enough for the Santander Group and Nicola Horlick good enough for me.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/15c743ea-c...077b07658.html

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/investi...icle_id=459312

trentino

I was at the same Iceland yesterday and I must admit I was shocked at some of the prices only having been here for two months. I go there for legs of lamb as the spanish ones are so small, would need 4 to feed my family. I suppose at the end of the day "pays your money, makes your choice".

Lionda

Errrr........................No

Rocky Balboa

Iceland is a big rip off. Our baby will only drink the Cow and Gate formula as all the others make him sick. In the Uk its about £6 a tub, in Iceland here its around €17.

Supesol is just as bad, a jar of Dolmio sauce is near €5 now. A loaf of bread in OpenCor this morning was €3.

Spain has become a very expensive place to live, but what can we do?

Cats-R-Us

Suggest you don't buy in "English" shops. Spanish bread is great, why buy the imported UK stuff which must have been frozen to get here and was usually tasteless even before it was frozen. We live in the mountains so don't have the costas shops to rely on. Fresh veg is the best and not expensive in the markets. Bread from the local Panaderia is fantastic - they even slice the bigger loaves on a machine if you want sliced bread. You are in Spain so live the lifestyle and forget all the premade, full of additives, packages like Domio sauce and make your own. Much better for you too.

rachelk

I've noticed they sometimes black out the sterling prices in Dunnes now.

jackytoo

Never shopped at Iceland but they seemed to have some good party food offers in Sur in English. eg. 18 mini cornish pasties 2.70E or 3 packets for 7.50E. 12 Tortilla wraps, 24 mini eclairs all the same price.

I wanted some curry powder last week 3.20 for a small packet in alcampo! smaller size than I pay 80p for in Morissons, Gibraltar. It seems the Spanish have a weird pricing system, fewer people spending less so hey, lets put up the prices

thatman

[QUOTE=poshnbucks;7065056]What they compared are the items on general sale at Aldi/Lidl with the scrape the bottom of the barrel ohhhhhh no these are lower quality than our value products from the BIG FOUR Supermarkets cheapo brands, So it was not a like for like comparison therefore gives an unfair impression and thus shows how worried the Big Four are of loss of market share to Aldi/Lidl.
I was a Waitrose man back in the UK -

So you really are poshnbucks shopping in Waitrose - always thought you were.
I read the article in the Daily Mail on line and thought the same as you - you take an own brand can of Tesco baked beans - for example - and compare it with an Aldi can on price. The Tesco can is a few pence cheaper but I would not give them room in my kitchen but give me Aldi beans - the taste is wonderful. This is not my staple food but I love baked beans and can write a book entitled "The Baked Bean Bible" but that is another story. The toilet roll prices were the same - you get what you pay for - pay 46p instead of £1.20 and you will be putting another one in there by teatime.
Back to Iceland - would not cross the threashold - they have always been expensive even when the Euro was around 1.66.
Live on Costa del Sol part time now and drive from UK bringing non perishables (not much) with us from Aldi and other Supermarkets that we think we will need during our stay - lived there full time for 7 years without an Iceland and and can't think of anything I would go into Iceland to buy - just asked other half and the reply was the same. Nowt - sums them up.