Cavan appears to be Ireland’s most romantic county, with consumers there spending 126% more on romantic items this Valentine’s Day, compared to last year, according to Bank of Ireland’s Spending Pulse.
Details
Lovebirds across Ireland purchased romantic gifts, with spending hikes on spa breaks (+62%), grooming & beauty (+58%), jewellery (+47%), chocolates (+46%), perfume (+13%) and flowers (+3%).
While Cavan led the way in Valentine’s Day spending, the outlay on a selection of romantic items from residents in Offaly (+49%), Wicklow (+38%), Roscommon (+29%) and Sligo (+29%) all rose on a yearly basis. Things were a little more downbeat on the spending front elsewhere in Ireland, with Waterford residents posting a 35% decline in Valentine’s spending, and consumers in counties such as Leitrim (-28%), Kildare (-19%), Kerry (-18%) and Kilkenny (-12%) bringing up the rear in the race to be Ireland’s centre of romance.
Men splashed out significantly more (82%) on flowers than did women (18%), with the outlay on boxes of chocolates evenly split, at 50/50. When it came to jewellery, men also spent more (66%) on 14 February than their female counterparts (34%), while spending on perfume also revealed a near-even split, with men accounting for 52% of the spend in this area.
Commenting on Bank of Ireland’s Valentine’s Day Spending Pulse, Jilly Clarkin, head of customer journeys and SME markets, said, “Forget Paris or Rome – Cavan was the place to be for Valentine’s Day this year. Those claiming that romance is dead need only look at Cavan to know that people were happy to splash out on Valentine’s Day. Whether it was a nice bouquet of flowers, a hotel break, or perfume, consumers proved once more that they’re romantics at heart and they’ll go the extra mile on February 14th.
“Analysis from our digital team also revealed a 3% weekly spike in logins to our digital channels – mobile app, 365 Online – the day after Valentine’s Day, so people are still keeping a close eye on their financial well-being, no matter how Cupid continues to fire his arrow!”
BoI Debit And Credit Card Transactions: 14 February 2023 Vs 14 February 2022
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Up |
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Spa Breaks +62% |
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Grooming & Beauty +58% |
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Jewellery +47% |
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Chocolates +46% |
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Greeting Cards +31% |
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Hotel Breaks +15% |
Read More: AIB Data Shows Average Spend Of €110 On Hotels On Valentine’s Day
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