Spend in sweet shops up +14% and bakeries up +13%, BOI card data shows

Spend in bakeries was up +13%, according to Bank of Ireland credit and debit card data for the first two weeks of January

Off-licence spend declined by 8% during the first two weeks of January, according to Bank of Ireland’s January Spending Pulse

Print

Print

News

Bank of Ireland credit and debit card data for the first two weeks of January showed that ‘New Year, New You’ spending in gyms and sports clubs shot upwards compared to last January.

Howevcr, despite this trend, it’s clearly not all about punishment and deprivation in the name of fitness for Ireland’s shoppers. Tasty treats proved popular too with spending in sweet shops (+14%) and bakeries (+13%) rising.

Social spending was up 7% on the first two weeks of last year. Restaurant outlay rose by 9%, fast-food was up 6% and pub spending rose by 4%. It seems that ‘going out was the new staying in’ for many, with off-licence spending declining by 8% during the same period.

Movie-lovers flocked to the cinema, with big-screen spending rising 32% as Irish actors earned international recognition for their performances,

The data shows many consumers are focusing on fitness and health, with spending on gyms and fitness clubs up 17% and spend on sports clubs (e.g. golf, tennis, football) rising by 40% compared to the same period last year.

Nationwide consumer spending rose by 9% overall compared to 2023, with consumers in Galway (+13%) leading the way in the spending stakes, followed by Longford (+11%), Wicklow (+10%), Kildare (+9%), Kerry (+9%), Mayo (+9%) and Westmeath (+9%).

“New Year, New You has definitely taken off for many, with a significant year on year spike in spending on gyms and sports clubs,” said Jilly Clarkin, head of Customer Journeys & SME Markets at Bank of Ireland. “But spending in the first two weeks of January is actually a mixed picture, as consumers also sought to keep the festive spirit alive and enjoyed themselves in pubs and restaurants. It will be interesting to see if the focus on health and fitness turns out to be a marathon or a sprint, and will those best intentions fall by the wayside as the year progresses?”

Related Articles

ShelfLife GMAs 2024 honour the grocery retail industry’s finest managers and more →

Hemp Heros lead to way in sustainability with new B Corp Certification →

Shortcross releases two unique Irish Whiskeys →

Almost €100,000 raised at TWIG 2024 networking lunch →