LIMERICK lovers spend the second highest amount on flowers for Valentine’s Day when compared with other Irish counties, according to new data from AIB.
The AIB Spend Trend for February 13 and 14 showed that people from Limerick spend on average €55 on flowers for someone special on Valentine’s Day.
Cavan came in top, spending an average of €57 on flowers for a significant other.
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.
Nationally, according to AIB, men account for 85 per cent of spending in florists, while women account for 79 per cent of spending in beauticians, hair salons, and barbers.
Data from February 2023 showed that, compared to other Tuesdays during the month, spending on cinema trips rose on Valentine’s Day by 86 per cent, while the spend on bowling trips increased by 73 per cent.
Restaurants also showed a 58 per cent increase in spend on the lover’s day, while airports had a 37 per cent increase. Bakeries saw a 35 per cent increase and fast-food restaurants showed a 27 per cent increase.
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, 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.”
