‘Brexit to blame’: UK shoppers pay up to 50% more than those in EU
Zara is charging British shoppers as much as 50% more than in Spain, while Decathlon partly blames Brexit for markups on e-bikes that can be up to £250 pricier in the UK than in France.
The figures come from a snapshot survey by Guardian Money that examined prices of popular items at pan-European retailers including Ikea, Apple, JD Sports, and H&M, as well as Zara and Decathlon. It compared prices in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Ireland.
It found that while at some retailers, such as JD Sports, prices are broadly similar across Britain and the EU countries, at others prices in the UK are markedly higher. None of the retailers had generally lower prices in the UK.
The findings add another twist to the current UK cost of living crisis.
Zara, Europe’s biggest clothing retailer, has some of the biggest percentage price differentials between the UK and the rest of Europe.
A British shopper pays £49.99 for a linen blend tunic dress at one of Zara’s stores in the UK, equal to €58.70 at current exchange rates. But at Zara in Germany, France, Italy and Ireland, the price is €49.95, and in Spain only €39.95.
A men’s hoodie that sells for £45.99 in the UK, equal to €53.99, sells for only €35.95 (£30.62) in Spain, meaning a buyer in Manchester is charged 50% more than in Madrid for the identical item.
Decathlon, the French sports goods retailer that operates 2,000 stores across 56 countries, charges £1,299.99 for a Riverside electric bike in its UK stores, equal to €1,525. But in France, Spain and Italy, the price for the same item is €1,199. The e-bike buyer at Decathlon’s Brighton store is therefore paying €326 (£278) more than if they popped across the channel and bought it in Dieppe.
Decathlon largely blamed Brexit for the
Read more on theguardian.com
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