Restaurants see 58% increase in spending on Valentine’s Day

On Valentine's Day spending on flowers peaks between 4pm and 5pm, as last-minute lovers make their way home from work, spending an average of €45

Romantic Ireland is far from dead and gone as new data from AIB reveals spending in cinemas and bowling alleys is set to increase this Valentine’s Day. The data was compiled from over 62 million card transactions carried out by AIB customers in store and online during February 2023 and has been anonymised and aggregated. Data provided by AIB features one of the most comprehensive and accurate data sets on consumer spending in Ireland.

When compared with the other Tuesdays in February 2023, restaurant spent increased by 58% on Tuesday 14 February 2023, cinema spend increased 86%  and spending in bowling alleys increased 73%, as lovestruck couples hit the town for Valentine’s dates.

It was also a bumper day for other businesses too, with increases in airports (+37%), bakeries (+35%) and fast-food restaurants (+27%). Spend on cosmetics and women’s clothes also increased by 25% and 24% respectively.

It seems like Cavan men are the most romantic, spending the most on florists last Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day spending 2023 stats:

• The busiest time for spending overall was over lunch between 1pm and 2pm.
• Spend online in florists peaked on 13 February, the day before Valentine’s Day. While spending on flowers in store on the day peaks between 4pm and 5pm, as last-minute lovers make their way home from work, spending an average of €45 (down from €50 in 2022).
• Men account for 85% of spend in florists whereas women account for 79% of spend in beauticians, hair salons and barbers.
• People from Cavan (€57), Limerick (€55) and Carlow (€52) spent the most on flowers compared to people from Donegal (€37), Kilkenny (€41) and Westmeath (€43).
• Spending in jewellery shops increased by 54% when compared with the average spend on the other Tuesdays in February 2023, with the average spend per transaction €124.
• People from Kerry (€157), Galway (€157) and Cavan (€156) spent the most in jewellery shops compared to people from Carlow (€60), Offaly (€62) and Donegal (€64).
• People from Roscommon (€56), Wicklow (€55) and Cork (€54) spent the most getting done up in hair salons, barbers and beauticians compared to people from Donegal (€40), Westmeath (€42) and Monaghan (€44).

AIB’s head of SME Banking, John Brennan said, “Valentine’s Day isn’t just a day where couples look to bowl each other over, as it provides an opportunity for businesses to learn more about the customers’ needs by analysing spending habits data. It’s welcome that spending is set to increase across a number of sectors such as retail and hospitality and AIB’s Spend Trend data can help businesses plan accordingly, for example by having more staff available for that evening rush. AIB’s robust, comprehensive data allows us to better understand our customers and how to support them.”