Bray in County Wicklow is the cheapest town for grocery shopping according to a shopping basket survey.
National supermarket branches, voluntary chains and independent grocers in 15 towns with populations over 10,000 were evaluated in a National Prices Commission (NPC) shopping basket survey undertaken in March 1977.
The resulting NPC report reveals Bray in County Wicklow is the lowest priced centre in the country,
This town, regardless of where and how you shop, on balance, your shopping basket is going to be less.
The report findings show Sligo is the dearest town. A basket of 155 common items are priced at £45.32 in Bray and £48.14 in Sligo.
The NPC believes the price variation is a sign of a lack of competitive trading in some of the higher priced towns. People in Bray are aware their prices are the result of keen competition between traders,
So many supermarkets, they compare with one another very well.
A woman from Tralee in County Kerry notices the price difference between her home town and Bray.
They can put up a price and nobody seems to mind where here you have to keep prices the same otherwise people just won't buy them.
The President of the Bray Junior Chamber of Commerce advises people in Sligo to lobby their public representatives to get the national supermarkets into their town to help competition.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 23 June 1977. The reporter is Derek Davis.
