The flood of shoppers across the border shows no sign of abating and is creating longer lasting employment in the North, it emerged today.
While people may no longer be rushing out to buy presents, the everyday staples of life - food and drink - will
continue to be bought and for the southern shoppers a trip across the border is saving money as times get harder and the recession bites - especially for those looking for wine, beer and spirit savings.
They are stocking up on petrol and diesel while in Northern Ireland as well - a real cross-border reversal on the
situation just a few short months ago.
Temporary staff taken on to cope with the Christmas rush are being kept on to help deal with what one supermarket chain at least believes will continue to be one-way shopping traffic throughout 2009 - or for as long as the pound remains as weak as it is against the euro.
Sainsbury's employed more than 550 extra full and part-time staff at its 10 Northern Ireland outlets to help with the Christmas rush.
Dozens are now being kept on to help cope with the increased business.
David Davidson, regional operations manager for the supermarket said they were delighted to have given so much additional employment and to now be keeping people on.
He said: "An upsurge in shoppers coming across the border has benefited a number of our stores - especially in border areas such as Newry, Armagh and Derry.
"We offer an attractive euro exchange rate alongside our product offering to southern shoppers which makes it
worthwhile to come north to shop." The company is also trying to stop its local shoppers suffering the frustration of being stuck behind long queues of southerners with trolleys stacked high with drink.
Mr Davidson said: "At the Newry store for example, along with creating additional employment Sainsbury's has added seven self check-out counters to accommodate local shoppers.
"These tills don't accept euro and cannot be used to purchase alcohol."
The Quays Shopping Centre in Newry has just had its busiest year on record with busiest day and busiest week records broken continually throughout the year - and much of it is down to cross-border shoppers.
Centre manager Cathal Austin said: "Footfall figures are up on average 20 per cent year on year while the UK and Republic of Ireland high street figures are generally down 2-3 per cent".
He said there were a variety of factors contributing to the boom but added: "Part of our catchment area has always been in Southern Ireland due to our border location.
"However with the increasing gap in the cost of living in the north and the south we are seeing more southern trade than ever.
"This coupled with the attractive euro exchange rate, including euro for pound in many shops, has made shopping at the Quays ever more appealing to people from the south," said Mr Austin.
The influx of southern shoppers had resulted in "significant job creation" at the complex, he added.
There had been an unprecedented investment in the local economy extending to other sectors including the hospitality sector, he said.
PA