On-trade

June card spend in bars up 273%

Bank of Ireland debit and credit card transactions were up in June as Lockdown restrictions eased further and parts of the Irish hospitality sector reopened.
“No matter what restrictions remain in place people are adaptable, and are still keen to get out and explore the country in new and inventive ways.”

“No matter what restrictions remain in place people are adaptable, and are still keen to get out and explore the country in new and inventive ways.”

Outdoor bar service surged ahead in June as people across the country enjoyed a pint or glass of wine ‘al fresco’ with the sector enjoying an overall spending increase of 273%.

Spending surged by over 370% amongst the 18-25 year-old cohort and by 273% among those in the 26-35 age bracket. In restaurants offering outdoor dining the 55- 65 age group produced a spending increase of 52% compared to 37% from those in the 36-45 bracket.

Though indoor-dining in restaurants remained off the menu many adapted to the outdoor dining options which proved popular in June, with restaurant card spend up by 43%.

Hotels, motels, inns and resorts witnessed a massive spending spike of 212% (hotel spending was highest amongst the 55-plus age group at 260%).

 

Visa’s highest-ever monthly spend levels

Bank of Ireland recorded its highest-ever monthly levels of Visa debit card transactions, with spending levels spiking across the counties. Dublin recorded an overall increase of over 5% while Mayo witnessed monthly spending figures up by 2.1%.

Spending in Cork was up 4.5% and Donegal led the way in Ulster with a rise of nearly 3%.

Not surprisingly the 56-65 year-olds led the way (overall spend up 5%) in June’s total debit and credit card total spend followed by 46-55 year-olds (4.5%) but this was then followed by the youngest group (18-25) who produced a spending rise of 4% for the month.

“June was an extraordinarily busy month for Visa debit card transactions,” commented Christian Pierce, Bank of Ireland’s Group Chief Data and Analytics Officer, “with our analysis revealing it to be the busiest month on record – even busier than December 2020.

“It comes as no surprise to see young people availing of outdoor hospitality in June and families flocking to popular holiday spots across the country while the regional spending data paints an increasingly positive picture nationwide.

“Though it remains to be seen what developments July brings in terms of further reopenings, these data sets show that no matter what restrictions remain in place people are adaptable and are still keen to get out and explore the country in new and inventive ways.”


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