The Olympics was a factor in boosting spending as sports clubs saw an increase in August, Owen Clifford, head of retail at Bank of Ireland.
Figures such as Kellie Harrington and Daniel Wiffen brought a “greater awareness to keeping fit”, said Mr Clifford. Spend in sports clubs increased by 50 per cent in comparison to a similar period last year.
Spending also rose across cinemas and spas in the same period , according to a report published on Monday.
The Bank of Ireland spending pulse survey looks at debit and credit card spending andshowed leisure activities occupying the two top spots for spending between between August 5th and 18th.
Jilly Clarkin, head of customer relations at Bank of Ireland said that the length of the summer holidays meant that parents must find ways to keep their children entertained.
“It is not surprising to see spending in sports clubs and cinemas spike during August, and the general uptick in consumer outlay provided a welcome boost for businesses across Ireland,” she said.
Beauty spas and family clothing stores were other sectors in the economy that saw a boost in spending rising by 25 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively. The increase seen in clothing stores could be explained by parents buying school uniforms for their children, given the time of year.
Movies releases such as Kneecap and Deadpool & Wolverine brought crowds to the cinema increasing the spend there by 10 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Areas such as boat rentals and campsites also saw an increase in spending despite the rainy August weather this year. Spending on boat rentals increased by 23 per cent, campsites were up by 14 per cent and amusement parks increased by 9 per cent.
Ms Clarkin said the lack of sun did not stop people from setting up their tents away from home as long as they had a change of scenery.
The food industry also felt the impact as spending rose by 6 per cent in fast-food restaurants and by 20 per cent in bakeries.
Spending rose in retail by 3 per cent over the period, however, Mr Clifford said spending on alcohol has come. .
Overall, spending rose by 3 per cent year-on-year across the economy.
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