New York Shopping

Exchange rates mean Irish shoppers are heading to New York to take advantage of cheaper prices.

Irish people on the streets of New York say they are drawn by the value to be had in the city compared to at home.

Fifth Avenue New York, one of the most exclusive shopping streets in the world. But guess what, it’s now cheaper than Dublin.

Hotels in the shopping district of New York are booked out with Irish people in search of a bargain. Prices in many stores are 15 to 20 per cent lower than in European shops. Contributing to the value for money is the fact that the exchange rate is currently $1.25 to €1.00.

Designer brands which cost an arm and a leg in Cork or Dublin are affordable here.

Electronic equipment like camcorders and iPhones cost around one third less. The popular Apple iPod costs €539 in Dublin but the equivalent of €339 in New York.

Many Irish shoppers feel that they are being ripped off in Ireland. For them, it is worth your while to travel and not pay the price back home.

It is predicted that the dollar will continue to weaken against the Euro so this could be just the beginning of the shopping exodus to America.

An RTÉ News report broadcast on 24 February 2004. The reporter is Carole Coleman.