Competition Authority defends retailers over prices
The Competition Authority has reportedly come out in support of big retailers who are charging higher prices in the Republic than they do in the North.
Enterprise Minister Mary Coughlan asked the body to investigate the matter last February amid rising public anger over the price differential and the major exodus of shoppers heading north in search of savings.
Reports this morning say the authority has now concluded that tax differences, the high cost of doing business in the Republic and the lax attitude of shoppers are all to blame for the higher prices south of the border.
It has reportedly defended big retailers for failing to pass on the benefits of the narrowing euro-sterling exchange rate, saying raw materials are usually sourced outside the UK and priced in euros and dollars.
