Cork shop defends decision to sell antigen tests at unusually high price online

The Beer Garden in Turners Cross, Cork city, sells antigen tests that can be delivered straight to your door through Deliveroo.

However, they're are on the pricey side, retailing at a pack of five Floxfew tests for €50 online, despite selling the same pack of five tests over the counter for just €30.

Speaking to sundayworld.com, Adam Greene of The Beer Garden explained that Deliveroo take 35pc of orders placed through the delivery service, which means the shop have had to hike the price up so as not to lose money.

“On Deliveroo they’re 5 for €50 because of the 35pc fee that they charge,” he said.

“If I sold a can of Coke for €1 on Deliveroo, I’d have to give them 35c. That’s the way they work.

“If you want to sit in your home and press a button and have a fella cycle up to your door and give it you, that’s your own business. But there will be a fee for it.

“We have them on sale for €6 each in the shop, so 5 for €30. The chemist up above us sell them for €7 each and the chemist below us sell them for €8 each.”

Mr Greene said that only one customer has asked for the antigen tests to be delivered to them so far

“We had one customer asking us if we could get [the tests] for them so we put them on sale [online].

“He’s probably doing the right thing sitting at home thinking he has [Covid] and getting someone to drop [tests] to the door as there’s no contact with anyone. Maybe that’s the way it should be.”

He added that thousands have been dropped on antigen tests in recent weeks to be given to shop staff for free as a “prevention measure.”

“Initially we bought antigen tests for the staff as a prevention measure to detect Covid before it’s too late.

“The staff use them for free. Every second day we have different staff members testing. They bring them home. They’ve been very good at doing it and they’ve been honest. You could easily test positive and not say anything. I have no problem giving them to them.”