On-trade

Staycations present on-trade opportunity

Ireland’s consumers may have some lingering concerns around visiting city locations but CGA by NielsenIQ’s latest research reveals that this hasn’t stopped them from booking staycations – or from adopting a holiday mindset when it comes to on-trade spend.

 

80% of holidaymakers visit the on-trade to eat out every or most days while they’re on a domestic holiday while 71% of this segment also drink out every or most days.

80% of holidaymakers visit the on-trade to eat out every or most days while they’re on a domestic holiday while 71% of this segment also drink out every or most days.

When asked about their confidence in visiting hospitality venues, city centres saw 80% of consumers feeling confident in comparison to slightly higher figures for both suburban areas (82%) and rural areas (85%) – likely due to concerns around Social Distancing where city centres tend to be more heavily populated.
CGA’s latest Consumer Insights report defines consumers’ eating- and drinking-out behaviours in Ireland, the personal impact of Covid-19 and sentiment towards the hospitality sector.

It also examines consumer confidence and the future of the on-trade journey with a look at evolving habits, as well as covering a range of key topics including the staycation opportunity.

Capital cities remain most popular for consumer visits
Despite slightly lower confidence, capital cities remain the most popular locations for consumer visits with Dublin (35%) and Belfast (21%) topping the list followed by Cork and Galway (both 10%). However, these locations are not just popular for on-trade visitors – staycations have also seen an increase in popularity post-pandemic. Some 28% of consumers in Ireland are planning to spend more than they normally would over the next 12 months as consumers look to make up for lost time when it comes to their holidays.
“Covid-19 restrictions led to an increase in popularity for domestic travel, providing a boost for local tourism, with this expected to continue throughout 2022,” predicts the Consumer Insights report, “The research revealed 69% of consumers in Ireland have either been on holiday in their own country this year or are planning to take holidays – of which 24% had not previously considered holidaying in the country they live in prior to the pandemic.
“These domestic travellers provide a key opportunity for suppliers and operators as despite holidaying a little closer to home, these consumers are still in the holiday mindset – 80% of holidaymakers visit the on-trade to eat out every or most days while they’re on a domestic holiday while 71% of this segment also drink out every or most days.
“It’s not just typical on-trade venues that see an uplift either – suppliers should consider incorporating destination stops into their strategies, with consumers typically purchasing food and drink regularly in venues such as airport lounges (29%), airplanes (26%), train stations (15%) and other travel hubs.”
According to CGA by NielsenIQ’s Ireland Client Director Sian Brennan, “Consumer attitudes towards domestic holidays have shifted significantly since the pandemic, which provide a real boost to city centres – particularly with these staycationers looking to mirror the frequency of visitation to the on-trade that we would typically see on international holidays. There’s also a real opportunity for suppliers to consider all touchpoints consumers encounter whilst travelling – and target their strategies accordingly to leverage the holiday and celebratory mindset.”

 

 

 


Sign Up for Drinks Industry Ireland

Get a free weekly update on Drinks Industry trade news, direct to your inbox. Sign up now, it's free