Sonic Boom! - Record card transactions as Metallica fans nab tickets
Added to this were hotel room bookings, the staging of the Bloom festival in the Phoenix Park and a spell of sunny weather, which also boosted the pub spend by 10% during the month. AIB's Adrian Moynihan said: 'Consumer spending continued to grow in May.
'It was a record month for card transactions. Overall, spend was up 9% year-on-year. Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo of Metallica. Pic:'In particular, May was a busy month for concert ticket transactions with the Metallica concert going on sale towards the end of the month.'
Total spending from January to May was up 9% on last year, showing consumer confidence remains strong.
Heavy metal fans helped spark a surge in concert ticket sales on May 30, as tickets went on general sale for Metallica's two Aviva Stadium concerts in June next year. Ticket sales were 76% above average on the day, thanks to the band's devoted fan base.
The release of movies Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Lilo & Stitch helped push cinema ticket sales up 17% year-on-year, while hotel spending was up 8%. Pic:for Paramount Pictures
The data was compiled from 80 million card transactions carried out by AIB customers, both in-store and online, last month.
Spending in pubs was up 10% month-on-month, with the largest increase in Limerick, where it was up 16%. Louth and Longford both saw increases of 15%, while the smallest increases were in Wicklow, Roscommon, and Carlow, at 7%.
Mr Moynihan added: 'The good weather and events such as the Women's Mini Marathon also had a positive impact on pub and hotel spend, with the hotel sector having its busiest day of the year so far on May 31, the day of the race. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
'Grocery spending continues to rise, with an 8% increase year-on-year, and people are enjoying spending time at home and in the garden, as DIY and hardware spend continues to stay strong, with a 6% increase on the same month last year.'
The spend on hardware increased 6% year-on-year and 3% month-on-month. The electric vehicle charging spend also increased, up 83% year-on-year, while the clothing spend rose 8% month-on-month.
Grocery spending increased 8% year-on-year and 4% month on month, with the largest monthly increases in Longford, Monaghan and Galway.
'This information shows consumer confidence remains strong and is vital for businesses, enabling them to plan for both peak and off-peak periods throughout the year to effectively meet their customers' needs,' said Mr Moynihan.
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