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Many Northern Ireland consumers will be sending festive cards and presents to family and friends through the post over the next few weeks.  We have put together some top tips to help consumers ensure their cards and parcels arrive on time and get the best deal on postage.

Many people will be preparing to travel this Christmas, whether it is going home for the holidays or celebrating in a different country. To help the journey go as smoothly as possible, the Consumer Council is helping Northern Ireland consumers prepare for their journeys with its Top Travel Tips.

firmus energy has announced today, 6 December 2022, a reduction of 20.52% to their regulated gas tariffs for domestic and small business customers in the Ten Towns area, and a 17.6% decrease in the Greater Belfast Network, effective from the 1 January 2023.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas shopping warning

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday taking place on 25 November and 28 November respectively, consumers in Northern Ireland will be hoping to find some great offers online. Some retailers have even started their deals already. However, delivery problems may occur including delayed, lost and damaged parcels.

We have released two pieces of research which explore food affordability, accessibility, and availability. Food inflation is the second biggest driver of overall inflation (14.6% in September 2022) therefore the Consumer Council has carried out research to explore the lived experience for consumers in Northern Ireland regarding the barriers and concerns they have regarding food.

Consumer Food Shopping Experiences

Our Consumers’ Food Shopping Experience research report and accompanying videos follow 22 participants on their normal shopping journeys including how they plan their shops, the grocery shop itself, and their perceptions of what they have bought for their money. Through in-depth interviews and video diaries, we hear what influences consumers’ buying decisions, their response to price increases, and any difficulties encountered such as missing items and short shelf life.

Created in partnership with Ipsos Mori, this research shows the impact that rising food costs and supply chain issues are having for NI consumers. It also demonstrates that many consumers are already doing all they can to deal with cost-of-living increases affecting every part of their household spend.

Key findings

• Food affordability - All participants in this research had seen their food costs increase, some by as much as £40 per week, depending on household size.

  In response to rising costs, consumers are shopping around to find better value, actively looking for deals and promotions, buying more supermarket own brand products, reducing the amount of ‘treats’ or looking for cheaper alternatives, doing more batch cooking, and some shop online to monitor their spend and limit impulse buys. For those households struggling the most, some parents discussed going without to make sure their children had enough to eat.

• Food Accessibility - Most participants felt they had access to a good range of shops, but this was sometimes an issue for those without access to a private car or adequate public transport, and those living in smaller rural settlements.

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• Food Availability - The research shows that despite cost pressures, quality and freshness was key, particularly for fruit, vegetables and meat. Such was the value placed on this that consumers reported shopping across different stores to access the best produce in different categories, but it was clear rising fuel costs were meaning consumers were having to cut back or plan shopping trips more carefully.

  Several participants were noticing issues with short use-by dates and reduced choice on supermarket shelves, and this was causing them to make extra shopping trips or buy little and often for perishable items. When buying locally, additional cost was often cited as a problem.

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View the Consumers’ Food Shopping Experience report

Watch the Consumers’ Food Shopping Experience videos

The cost and availability of a Minimum Essential Food Basket in 2022

The Cost and Availability of a Minimum Essential Food Basket research report published today is an audit of price and availability of a basket of goods across different store sizes and in different settlement sizes, to establish to what extent where consumers live and shop affects the price they pay and the choices they have.

The audit was conducted in Mid and East Antrim, Derry/Londonderry and Strabane to ensure a good mix of settlement sizes and a range of shop sizes from large supermarkets down to the local village shop.

As an example of the impact living or shopping location can have, the research found that a single parent shopping from a small independent store spends on average £15.09 more than a single parent who shops at a large national supermarket.

In terms of availability, there was a small amount of variation across settlement sizes (6%), with availability being somewhat better in larger settlement sizes. However, the availability of the exact products and product sizes in the prescribed basket of goods was relatively low across all locations ranging between 46-52%. With substitutions however availability increased to between 76-88%.

View The Cost and Availability of a Minimum Essential Food Basket report

Support available from the Consumer Council

The Consumer Council offers a variety of support and advice to help consumers understand ways to save money and shop around, and what options are available if they are struggling to pay their bills.

We have a  range of interactive tools and resources including an Energy Price Comparison Tool and a Household Budgeting Tool. Consumers can also get in touch with us for free independent advice by calling Freephone 0800 121 6022 or emailing contact@consumercouncil.org.uk

Discretionary income for the lowest earning households in Northern Ireland fell by by 46.1% compared to last year (from £45.32 to £24.41), meaning they have less than £25 per week left to spend.

The Consumer Council is calling on consumers to consider switching energy supplier to save money on their bills as the UK government’s Energy Price Guarantee scheme comes into effect today, Tuesday 1 November 2022.

Richard Williams, our Head of Transport Policy, explains the changes that are proposed in the aviation industry and how these will negatively impact consumers in Northern Ireland.

We have teamed up with partners on a new digital initiative to raise awareness among students of the dangers of online gaming and gambling.