Shopping in Jersey

[Redcap]

Not much info around about this, that I can find anyway.  Does anyone have any useful info/tips?  We are planning to go on a day trip to get some items from B&Q there, very little info on the net aprt from mention of a shopping arcade not far from the harbour.

I understand there are many of the UK stores there, including a new large co-op store.  Not that bothered about stocking up on Marmite etc, but it would be nice to have a look around!

Regards,

Bob

[Ian 56]

There is a M & S which sells without VAT I believe, W H Smith and Woolworths. They are all near the ferry terminal. Don't know about B & Q. Carrying your purchases is the problem.

ian

[Redcap]

[quote]There is a M & S which sells without VAT I believe, W H Smith and Woolworths. They are all near the ferry terminal. Don't know about B & Q. Carrying your purchases is the problem. ian[/quote]

Thanks Ian, B&Q is the main reason for the trip, after an electric fire complete with surround and hearth, they are on sale at present.  Can't get much like that in France, not that we have seen anyway.  Got a good set of roof bars too if it does not fit inside the break!

Regards,

Bob

[Alexis]

I go across a couple of times a year for a shop but I don't take the car as they drive like loonies.  You can walk to the shopping streets in about ten minutes.  It would probably be best for you to go to B&Q first then when you are ready, leave the car at the harbour and walk in.  They have all the shops down King Street...Woolies, M&S, Boots etc.  Also a Co-op which seems to have everything.

I believe there is a large Safeway somewhere and a M&S just for food.  Try looking on google under supermarkets in Jersey.

The only trouble is carrying all the booty back.  I am now the proud owner of a shopping trolley.  Wonderfull it is!

I only go for half days if I am by myself as it is a long day to leave here at 5am and not get back until 10pm.

The ferry can be a bit bumpy sometimes if it is windy...

[Russethouse]

>>I go across a couple of times a year for a shop but I don't take the car as they drive like loonies<<

Thought they had a very low speed limit in the Channel Islands ?

[Redcap]

We'll take the car this time, where can you park the car at St Malo, if you go as foot passenger? As for driving like loonies, I can handle that as I'm a bit loonie too!!

Regards,

Bob

[Alexis]

I don't know what the speed limit is Gay.  They all seem to rush about!  There are so MANY of them too!  You know I don't like traffic

The car can be left in the big car park at the ferry terminal.  Winter it is free but they charge in the summer.  There is another car park a short walk away...if you are going into the terminal, you will see a road going up left.  This could be payable in summer too.  Otherwise, there is a free car park on the roundabout!  Go right on the roundabout  as if you are going to St Servan and it is on the right.  I think it is a swimming baths/sports hall.

I had a little look on the Condor site this morning and planned to both go tomorrow but we are having the fosse emptied and it could be tomorrow....  There is always something to stop me spending!

[Freyjabear]

We went just before xmas. There was a Safeways, but is now Morrisons, to the north side of St Helier. There are dozens of Spars, 2 Boots, a Smiths, Ottacars, a couple of charity shops, British Home Stores, a place called Checkers that sells some Waitrose products, M & S (and an M & S food hall in St Clements). Didn't notice a B & Q, but we weren't really looking. Only found a Co Op food place. Oh and a huge Woolies. Few other clothes shops from the UK, Dorothy Perkins, Next, Etams etc. I did ask in the tourist board if there was a list of shops or a Jersey Yellow pages. There wasn't! Tesco have a shop advertised on their website, but I forgot to take the address, and when I asked people, no one had heard of a Tesco. TOH liked the fact that there was a Pizza Express and loads of Indian restaurants. We did find the choice in some of the shops limited.

There is a low speed limit, but they still cut you up. Everyone seems to be going fast as the streets are narrow and there are a lot of people concentrated in one place. If you get out of  St Helier it gets better and is very pretty in parts.  Tip on parking, they sell scratch cards for 49p per hour (I think). You scratch them and put them on the windscreen. You can get them on the ferry, I believe, if not in most of the shops. The parking in St Helier was limited to 4 hours, so you have to change car parks and they are quite strict. We saw loads of Wardens.

Tip for searching on the web, use St Helier or the Channel Islands, as Jersey throws up American sites, no matter what you do. I enjoyed it, although it wasn't what I was expecting.

 

[BJSLIV]

Before you go too mad with the credit cards, I suppose there is a slight risk of being landed with Customs & VAT charges if you spend more than €170 per person, just like on expeditions to Andorra.

[Redcap]

Thanks for the info everyone, we went yesterday. The B&Q store was in a mess as they were refitting, and as usual we had a hard time getting anyone to assist us, they always seem to be rushing around and when you ask for help it's always,' oh sorry I'm just doing this or that'.

as for St Helier, well what a madhouse! The place is totally congested, mind you so was the other parts of the island we drove around, I dread to think what it's like in summer.  as we were so long in B&Q, we never got to the shops and that scratch card system for parking, crazy! All in all,we were not that impressed, think we'll stay in France for our shopping.

Regards,

Bob

[AcornEmma Robertson (Vet Nurse)<br>Acorn Kennels<br>E-mail:[email protected]]

[quote]Thanks for the info everyone, we went yesterday. The B&Q store was in a mess as they were refitting, and as usual we had a hard time getting anyone to assist us, they always seem to be rushing aro...[/quote]

I moved to France from Jersey 4 years ago and don't regret it at all! I first moved to Jersey in 1995 and in the 6 years I was there I couldn't believe the rate it was changing. Back then the population was 89,000 which, for an Island measuring 9 miles by 5 miles is rather alot! You can safely add a few thousand more to this in the summer with the tourists. I feel the Island is getting itself into trouble though becuase it is SOOOO expensive and the tourists are staying away. The reason why there are so many cars there is because the bus system is pretty awful (and expensive) ... if you want to go from St. John in the North of the Island to St. Ouen in the West you have to catch a bus into the town centre first and then another one out (each trip £1.40)Also, since there is no raod tax or MOT in Jersey most people can afford to buy and run cars. Car insurance is also fairly cheap. By the way, the speed limit is 40mph on the only dual carriageway section (which runs for about a mile!), 30mph for main roads and 20mph in built up areas, although try telling that to the wealthy Ferrari, Porsche, and Lotus owners!

Give me the laid back life in France any day (mind you the drivers HERE are more prone to lunacy than in Jersey!)