Big Screen Bonanza as Consumers Flocked to Cinemas during Mid-Term Break

• Bank of Ireland’s Spending Pulse analyses debit & credit card spend
• 10% total spending increase recorded during week of mid-term break
• Major spending hikes recorded at cinemas, swimming pools and museums

Cinema spending soared during the recent mid-term break (February 13 – 17) as parents nationwide sought to keep their children entertained. Trips to catch the latest big-screen releases shot up by 69% according to Bank of Ireland’s Spending Pulse, with overall weekly spending rising by 10% when compared to the previous week.

With schools closed across the country many parents looked to fill their children’s’ time off with a range of outings, with spend in swimming pools spiking by 30% and outlay in museums rising by 27%. The analysis reveals that it wasn’t just a case of parents cajoling their kids to museums either, with spending in museums amongst 13 – 17-year-olds ticking up by 23%.

Mayo residents (+47%) posted the highest mid-term spending increase amongst the 26 counties, followed by consumers in Laois (+29%), Cavan (+23%), Roscommon (+23%) and Leitrim (+23%). Spending in Westmeath during mid-term break was completely flat (0%) when compared to the previous week, whilst increased outlay in Carlow (+4%), Dublin (+4%) and Kildare (+7%) was modest compared to many other counties.

The nations theatres were busy during mid-term, posting a spending hike of +16%, and it won’t come as a surprise to anyone to learn that mid-term spending in sweet shops (+14%) and fast-food outlets (+7%) rose higher. Teenagers spent their money (or that given to them by their parents!) in a variety of locations, with sports clubs (+120%), shopping centres (+69%) and swimming pools (+55%) all proving popular.

Commenting on Bank of Ireland’s Mid-Term Spending Pulse, Jilly Clarkin, Head of Customer Journeys & SME Markets at Bank of Ireland said*:* “The age-old question faced by parents trying to entertain their children never gets any easier to solve, but according to our latest Spending Pulse it looks like they gave it a good go recently. People flocked to the cinema in their droves, but it wasn’t just a popcorn fest for mid-term break as museums and theatres filled up too.

“A spending rise in shopping centres and fast-food outlets is to be expected, with teens themselves posting a total spending spike of 51% during their week off, but a 30% hike in swimming pool spend indicates that many children also kept active in their time away from the classroom.”

BoI debit and credit card transactions: 13 – 17 Feb 2023 vs. 6 -10 Feb 2022