Under the National Code of Practice on the Dual Display of Prices retailers will dual price from the 1st October 2001 to at least one month after the 9th February 2002. Items were dual priced as they were placed on display. Using this gradual method, it took about four months to dual price almost all items. Dual pricing was carried out by staff using 2 bar pricing guns and pocket size euro converters, the latter being handy when moving around the shop. Dual pricing at News 'n' Choose caused no problem and very little additional work.
Goods have to be stocked and priced in any case.
Customers made little comment with regard to dual pricing and there has been no mix-ups between IR and euro prices. Leo McGuinness, proprietor is glad that he has carried out dual pricing at an early stage. It is one euro preparation job out of the way. Where he feels it has been most valuable is in the area of staff training. Once staff commenced dual pricing, not only were they familiar with the conversion rate but they began to visually recognise the relationship between euro and IR .