UPDATE: We spoke to Tesco Ireland re #ProseccoGate and here’s what they had to say:
We work hard to offer our customers clear, fair and transparent pricing. Excise duty on sparkling wine and champagne is higher in Ireland which in addition to vat and freight costs can result in price differences for imported products like sparkling wine. Excise duty is set by the government and the duty cost per bottle for this particular brand of prosecco is €6.37. In addition to excise duty, this product is subject to 23% vat in Ireland compared to the UK’s rate of 20%. Our local wine buying team based in Dublin regularly review our range and offers and the size of our product range means that customers can easily make a choice in store amongst the different products and brands available. This particular brand of prosecco has been priced at €14 since April 20th in our stores while another popular brand Amanti is currently priced at €8.
Bank holidays call for bubbles.
Prosecco is the talk of the internet at the minute between the fact that supplies are running out and that there’s a skinny version available.
It’s getting attention for an entirely different reason this weekend after people discovered that there’s a major price difference between British and Irish Tesco branches.
A number of customers have taken to Facebook to express their indignity at the fact that Bella Cucina prosecco is much more expensive to buy in Ireland, £5.50 versus €17.99 to be exact.
Of course, it is important to remember that shipping costs need to be taken in to account (between €2 and €7.50) and that wine tax in Ireland is considerably higher than the EU average.
That said, people are NOT happy with Lisa Kiernan’s post getting a massive reaction on the social media site…
