It’s not quite Black Friday – that annual bonanza for US retailers – but the spend by Americans on St Patrick’s Day does constitute a (shade of) Green Thursday.

Research by the Washington-based National Retail Federation (NRF) conducted last month found that more than 125 million Americans planned on celebrating St Patrick’s Day with an average spend of $35.37 per person, down slightly from last year’s $36.52.

The retail group predicts that total spending for “the March 17th holiday” is expected to reach $4.4 billion.

The NRF has conducted St Patrick’s Day research for several years, not because of any Irish bias but because our national saint’s day is about the time retailers change over to spring offerings and when buyers might be prepared to shake off winter and come out of shopping hibernation.

Celebrations

“Retailers expect to see a nice boost in sales as consumers head to stores looking for apparel, decorations, food and beverages to help make their St Patrick’s Day celebrations special,” said NRF chief executive officer Matthew Shay.

“With the winter holidays behind us and spring flowers starting to bloom, St Patrick’s Day provides a perfect opportunity for Americans to get together to celebrate with friends and family.”

According to the survey, 82 per cent will wear green to show their Irish pride, 31 per cent plan to make a special dinner, 28.7 per cent will head to a party at a bar or restaurant and 21 per cent will attend a private party.

In addition, 22.8 per cent plan to decorate their homes or offices in an Irish theme.

The survey found that marking St Patrick Day is most popular with younger people – 70 per cent of those celebrating were aged 18-24.

However, the biggest spenders were older, with those aged 25-34 averaging spending of $42.