It's not just the girls who get excited when the new season's clothes hit the stores. Now's the time that guys start spending too but for most men the cost of a new suit usually comes with a wallet numbing price tag - but that could be all about to change.
From Monday, Lidl is offering a range of two-button men's suits for just €27.99, along with a range of shirts in white, blue and check for €6.99. Usually, a shirt in a fashion store can be €40, while a made to-measure suit can cost anything from €1,000 upwards.
But now value retailers are slashing the price of men’s suits in a bid to attract cash strapped shoppers to their stores.
Lidl's main rival in the discount grocery market, Tesco, stocks cut-price suits for heftier price tag of €35 for a jacket, with trousers priced at €14.99, but the supermarket chain still reported strong business for its 'pricier' clothing range. Now the likes of Lidl, Primark and Aldi are slashing the price of men’s suits in response to the deepening recession.
Of course, Tesco buckled under consumer pressure earlier this year when it matched UK and Eire prices as well as slashing prices on more than 700 lines from F&F and Cherokee. A third of Tesco's clothing is at a cheaper price than last year and all of this is very good news for consumers.
Lidl first ran its discount suits in a special offer in October. Demand was so high that it decided to run the promotion again this year. A spokesman said: "We had such a fantastic response to the suits last year that we felt it was only natural to bring them back again. In these trying economic times we are delighted to offer guys the chance to look smart without breaking the bank."
The new range of business fashion from Lidl should be a welcome help for consumers who may only wear suits just once or twice a year on one off special occasions.
Lidl suggest its suits as 'perfect for young men going for their first job or even a student dressing to impress'. The offer from Lidl is the latest salvo in the escalating price wars between Ireland's supermarket multiples, who are all desperate to increase - or at least retain - market share during the recession.
