Despite the plastic bag levy, I am willing to bet that almost everyone has a plastic bag collection somewhere in their house consisting of those carriers bought every time we forget to bring the
re-usables to the supermarket. Amongst my collection is a heavy contingent of infiltrators. They are big and strong and orange... and they come from Sainsburys in the north.

To be the owner of Sainsburys bags was not such a bad thing until we suddenly realised we were in an economic pit. Now, to admit that you go north of the border to shop is akin to high treason; an admittance to a charge that we have no regard for state or country and that we're quite willing to take the food from the mouths of those who work in retail in the Republic.

I came out quite strongly on this issue last week, saying that shoppers are entitled to buy groceries wherever they get the best value. It is my honestly held opinion that in this country we have been seriously ripped off for years by grocery chains – who have been profiting on the lack of any effective competition in the market.

Tesco Ireland has consistently refused to release a breakdown of their profit margins for the Irish markets, providing instead an overall figure which wraps up the bottom line for all of their stores in the UK and Ireland. Every year, their profits have risen exponentially at the same time as their stores proliferated in every part of the country. But why won't they tell us what they make here? Is there a dark secret in the profit margins they gain from Irish consumers which might shock us when compared to what they make in the UK?

Something happened towards the end of the week though, to force me to rethink my logic. Simon Burke, the CEO of Superquinn, has said that shoppers heading to Newry to buy groceries is one of the factors which is likely to result in major job losses in retail in the New Year. This is serious and worrying.

In the UK, staff at the retail chain Woolworths were certain of their jobs only until last Friday. If the chain goes under, 30,000 people will be out of work. Their predicament draws a vivid picture of what could happen here if one of our large retailers hits the wall.

So is it unpatriotic to shop in the north? The truth is, it's a difficult temptation to resist, with the draw of fair prices more than attractive. And now, with the devaluation of the pound and VAT reductions on non-food items, that attraction has increased.

Perhaps if our grocery chains had provided decent value over the past 10 years, we might not now be so cynical about their attempts to guilt-trip us into shopping at home.

The exodus of shoppers to both the German multiples and the north has resulted in some change for consumers, but it is so long overdue that jaded shoppers see no issue with heading elsewhere to shop.

There is a valid argument in staying local to support smaller shops, which struggle against the might of the larger stores. I will continue to visit the local butcher and fruit and vegetable shop – but the moral dilemma of shopping at Irish supermarkets still exists. The threat that we are putting jobs at risk is a good ploy from the retailers and it does make you stop and think, but where was their concern for Irish workers in the run-up to this crisis, when they were raking it in? The reality for those who go north to shop is that they are saving money and a lot of it – 50% and in some cases even more.

It's undeniable that retailers in the Republic are up against it – the exchange rate and VAT have copper-fastened their predicament. On the consumer side, however, there is a compelling argument in favour of seeking out good value.

When we had lots of money, we willingly handed it over for overpriced groceries to companies which reaped in the benefits. The tables have turned and the lesson might well be that supermarkets in Ireland should treat their customers with respect and caution in good times and in bad.