This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7746735.stm
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Galway shoppers 'to come north' | Galway shoppers 'to come north' |
| (11 minutes later) | |
| The cutting of VAT from 17.5% to 15% will have a "massive impact" on the level of cross-border shopping, a leading economist has said. | The cutting of VAT from 17.5% to 15% will have a "massive impact" on the level of cross-border shopping, a leading economist has said. |
| Professor Mike Smyth said it will result in record number of shoppers travelling north this Christmas. | |
| Professor Smith said the savings to be made on a large shop could justify a family travelling from as south as Dublin to Newry. | Professor Smith said the savings to be made on a large shop could justify a family travelling from as south as Dublin to Newry. |
| And in the east of the island from as far away as Galway to Enniskillen. | |
| The cutting of VAT to 15% was announced by Alistair Darling on Thursday as part of the pre-Budget report. | The cutting of VAT to 15% was announced by Alistair Darling on Thursday as part of the pre-Budget report. |
| "The reduction in VAT along the fact we're in already discount mode is going to have a huge effect on cross-border shopping," said Professor Smyth of the University of Ulster's School of Economics. | "The reduction in VAT along the fact we're in already discount mode is going to have a huge effect on cross-border shopping," said Professor Smyth of the University of Ulster's School of Economics. |
| "If you consider somewhere like Argos - all their catalogues prices are going to be out-date so they're going to be bringing out leaflets on which the prices will be slashed and that's going to have a psychological impact with people wanting to make sure they're also benefitting from the bargains to be had. | "If you consider somewhere like Argos - all their catalogues prices are going to be out-date so they're going to be bringing out leaflets on which the prices will be slashed and that's going to have a psychological impact with people wanting to make sure they're also benefitting from the bargains to be had. |
| "And if people find the traffic is too busy around somewhere like Newry, they'll travel on to Lisburn, Belfast, wherever. | "And if people find the traffic is too busy around somewhere like Newry, they'll travel on to Lisburn, Belfast, wherever. |
| "There's VAT on everything except children's clothes, so it's going to impact across the board, and white goods, such as washing machines, were already much cheaper up here anyway." | "There's VAT on everything except children's clothes, so it's going to impact across the board, and white goods, such as washing machines, were already much cheaper up here anyway." |
| The Chancellor said VAT would be cut from 17.5% to 15% for 13 months, putting about £12.5bn in consumers' pockets. | The Chancellor said VAT would be cut from 17.5% to 15% for 13 months, putting about £12.5bn in consumers' pockets. |