St. Patrick’s Day, which commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, gives millions of Americans of Irish descent an opportunity to celebrate their culture and heritage; according to the 2013–2017 American Community Survey, 10.1% of the US population in 2017 (32.6 million) said that their primary ancestry was Irish. St. Patrick’s Day, on March 17, will be widely celebrated in many cities with large Irish populations, such as Boston, Chicago, New York and Pittsburgh. In this report, we take a look at consumer spending and shopping trends in the run-up to St. Patrick’s Day, based on an annual survey conducted by the NRF in conjunction with Prosper Insights & Analytics. Average Spending Expected To Grow 6.9% over Last Year This year, nearly 143 million Americans indicated that they plan to celebrate the traditional Irish holiday in some way. Those who plan to celebrate expect to spend an average of $42.96—up 6.9% year over year—on green garb, festive food, decorations, greeting cards and gifts. Total spending is expected to hit a record $6.16 billion nationwide, up from $5.61 billion in 2019. [caption id="attachment_104962" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Source: NRF/Prosper Insights & Analytics[/caption]   Average Spend per Person Will Be Highest in Northeast The Northeast of the US will see the highest proportion of residents celebrating the holiday (59.8%), followed by the West (56.4%), South (55.9%) and Midwest (54.7%). Consumer spending patterns among those planning to spend follow the same pattern by region: Spend per person is highest in the Northeast again, followed by the West, South and Midwest (as shown in Figure 2). This is not surprising, as the majority of Americans who claim Irish ancestry are concentrated in the Northeast region of the country, according to the 2014–2018 American Community 5-Year Estimates conducted by US Census Bureau. It also stated that the top three metropolitan areas in the US with the highest Irish-descent populations are in the Northeast. [caption id="attachment_104963" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Source: NRF/Prosper Insights & Analytics[/caption]   Holiday Spending Varies by Age Group Although St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by people of all ages, consumers aged 25–44 years will drive the majority of spending for the festivities in the US this year. Among those expecting to spend for the holiday, the biggest spenders will be those aged 35–44, who say they will spend an average of $52.65, followed by 25–34 year olds at $50.95. The lowest average spenders are those aged 65 years and older. [caption id="attachment_104964" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Source: NRF/Prosper Insights & Analytics[/caption]   Food and Beverages Top the List of Most Popular Purchases Of those planning to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, 49.2% said they plan to buy food, while 39.4% said they will spend on beverages. Some 30.4% indicated they plan to buy apparel or accessories, while 24.4% will buy decorations. Other top purchases include candies, greeting cards and gifts. Breaking these numbers down by gender, the survey found that men are likely to spend more than women on St. Patrick’s Day. [caption id="attachment_104965" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Source: NRF/Prosper Insights & Analytics[/caption]   Grocery Stores Are the Most Preferred Shopping Destination Given that food and beverages top the list of purchasing preferences for both male and female consumers in the US (as shown in Figure 4 above), it is not surprising that 35.4% of Americans who plan to shop said that they intend to pick up goods at grocery stores. The survey found that women are more likely to shop for St. Patrick’s Day items at grocery stores than men—39.3% versus 31.3%, respectively. As such, grocery stores are selling themed items in preparation for the holiday on March 17. Aldi, for example, has rolled out a St. Patrick’s Day-themed cheese lineup, including green-tinted Pesto Gouda and English Sage Derby, as well as alcohol-infused Irish Cheddar. Some 29.4% of celebrants said that they will head to discount stores, while 20.7% said that they will shop for Irish-inspired products at department stores. [caption id="attachment_104966" align="aligncenter" width="700"] *Specialty store include greeting card/ gift stores and electronics stores
Source: NRF/Prosper Insights & Analytics[/caption]   According to the survey, 79% (113.3 million) of celebrants will wear green to show their Irish pride, 27.9% (40 million) plan to make a special dinner and 26.7% (38.3 million) will head to a party at a bar or restaurant. Some 24% (34.2 million) will decorate their homes or offices in an Irish theme, and 18.6% (26.7 million) will attend a private party. In addition, 14.8% (21.3 million) are planning to attend a St. Patrick’s Day parade, especially those living in the Northeast (22%).