Supermarkets advise shoppers to be patient

Shopping for groceries on January 2nd could take a bit longer than normal as customers become acquainted with the euro, but the advice is to be patient and don't be afraid to ask for help.

Most supermarkets will have additional staff at the checkouts to assist customers with any queries and on the cash registers to avoid long delays.

The executive chairman of Superquinn, Mr Feargal Quinn, expects it to take customers up to 30 per cent longer to do their shopping in the first few days after the changeover but he said things should get back to normal fairly shortly afterwards.

Tesco will also have extra staff and aims to have all checkouts open to cope with any delays. Tesco's euro programme manager, Mr Peter Swords, is confident the company is well prepared for the changeover.

The big supermarkets will be closed on January 1st with staff working behind closed doors to complete the preparations for the transition.

More than 70 per cent of Tesco's customers pay for their groceries in cash, placing checkout operators at the frontline of the changeover. "We've had a full-time team in place for over three years planning for this transition, working to get it right for customers," Mr Swords said yesterday.

Shopping trolleys have largely been adapted to take both pound and euro coins. Tesco is telling its customers that its trolleys will quickly revert to accepting euro coins only. Customers who do not have euro coins will be able to get a token from the information desk.

All of the company's 9,500 staff have been trained to help customers.

Superquinn has made the euro price the lead price on all of its grocery items since November, which has caused some confusion, according to Mr Quinn.

The Director of Consumer Affairs, Ms Carmel Foley, said inspectors from her office have been making surprise visits to various retail outlets to check for any abuses in terms of increased prices as a result of the changeover. So far there has been a high level of compliance.

Mr Philip Hammill, chairman of the Changeover Board, has urged consumers to be patient and friendly to staff during the early days of the new currency.

"It won't be perfect but the changeover will be reasonably smooth," he said.