Despite single currency, European prices vary

by Rick Perera

January 14, 2002 —

Attention European shoppers: if you're looking for computer equipment, you might want to do some cross-border comparison shopping.

Two weeks after the final introduction of the euro, the single currency for 12 member states of the European Union, the variations in price between countries on the continent are becoming clear. That's part of the goal of the euro: to create more transparency and encourage vendors and shoppers to think of Europe as one market.

But that ideal is still far from at hand. Manufacturers, when they even offer the same products across the region, often do not price them uniformly. Different tax and regulatory policies in each country contribute to the confusion. And some consumers say they are devoted to their local retailers and have no interest in ordering products from abroad.

We sampled prices and talked to shoppers in three major euro countries, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, and found a mixed bag.

Take an item like the Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) printer Deskjet 940c. It ranges from a low of

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