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BBC News, Calais

Trade in Calais has been slow, but the booze cruise may not yet be dead. A combination of weak sterling and the recession, keeping consumers at home and pushing shops to cut prices, has made a trip to the cash-and-carry across the English Channel seem uneconomical. Eighteen months ago, the pound was worth just over 1.40 euros. But today you will get little more than 1.12 euros, making the booze cruise 28% more expensive for Brits. Customers have kept away, shop floors are run down to basic stock. Many French alcohol retailers in the port have cut opening hours and some have closed down. David West, owner of Eastenders cash and carry, says sales have slumped dramatically. "It's not just the euro, the recession does not help," he says, "but I'm hopeful that the UK and France will pull out of the recession. Business is business, I just try to stay optimistic." Quantity pays But filling your boot with burgundy may be worth the trek - if you buy in bulk. On a sample shopping basket, including a couple of cases of red and white wine, premium lager and three litres of brand spirits, would cost upwards of £220 in leading UK supermarkets. The Stone family find French alcohol prices too high But the equivalent items cost just over £150 in France: a total saving of £70. Given that a round-trip from London to Calais costs about £38 in fuel and a day return for a car and passengers on a ferry can cost as little as £35, spending any more than £150 in France would make the journey worthwhile. David Mosely, a shopper on his way to Calais, says the choice and quality of produce in French cash-and-carry markets is much better, and buying boxes, rather than the odd bottle, makes sense. "There is a lot of good value certainly around Calais and the wine markets," he adds. "And certain brands you can buy in Britain, you can pick up six bottles for the price that you pay for two in Britain. Four bottles for free? Sounds good to me." Sceptical shoppers But not all shoppers are convinced. Mandy and David Stone, who are taking their two children on a camping holiday, say they will probably not stock up on the way home. "It probably doesn't have the appeal that it once did. With the weak pound, it wouldn't be very good value." Similarly, Stacey and Richard Parker, on their way to recharge their batteries in France, reckon there are better bargains in Britain. David West has seen sterling's value decline for 20 years "We may bring a couple of bottles back, but I don't think it's worth it from a financial point of view," says Stacey. "I think the choice that you have in England now is such that you don't need to bother." Even the ferries have noted a change in customer habits. The number of day passengers on P&O ferries has been in steady decline for years, from more than 125,000 in 2005 to fewer than 95,000 last year. "The day-tripper market is nothing like it was. The main reason for coming now is short breaks and holidays," says Brian Rees, head of public relations at P&O. But the ferry operator notes that total travel - including families staying longer, coach trips and freight - was up from 4.6 million in August 2008 to 4.75 million this year. "The money does not get so densely spent in the Calais area any more, but now it is being diluted across the whole region. The heyday of the booze cruise was about 10 years ago and the day-tripper market will continue to decline." P&O is now even offering a service for passengers to load up on the ferry itself, offering a discounted ticket to drivers who park up, load up and return straight to the UK.



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