Delivery charges and the idea of buying before you try have led to most shoppers choosing to make the journey to the shops rather than risk the online option. Also, the weakness of the euro against the UK pound meant that, at best, online shoppers would only break even when counting the cost against the Irish equivalent.
Now it seems that better bargains are to be had by purchasing online, even when you add on the delivery charge. Take Topshop (www.topshop.com) and Topman (www.topman.com) for example. These two stores are well-known for their high mark-up when it comes to Irish prices, but shopping on their websites for basic items such as jeans, vests and plain t-shirts, you could save an average of €6 per item.
Just yesterday I spotted a pair of jeans in Topshop for €61 but when I looked them up on the website that evening, I noticed that they were just £45 (€51.28) from the online store. My curiosity had landed me a bargain – I could now get the jeans I wanted with a few quid knocked off the price.
While not every item will add up to a bargain once the set delivery charge of £5 (€5.70) is added on, if you’re shopping for more items then this additional cost counts for less per item meaning that the more you buy, the more you save – every shopaholic’s dream! Best of all, you don’t have to worry about the fact that you can’t try these clothes on. You can purchase items you have already tried on in Irish stores or, once they are delivered, try them on in the comfort of your own home and return them to any Topshop or Topman store across Ireland if they are not suitable.
Other retailers where you can seek out similar deals with online shopping are New Look (www.newlook.co.uk), Miss Selfridge (www.missselfridge.com), Monsoon Accessorize (www.monsoon.co.uk) and Warehouse (www.warehouse.co.uk).
Prices correct at the time of publication. Currency conversions made via XE (www.xe.com) on Monday January 25th, 2010.
