AIB’s spend trend report reveals that over €210m was spent on airlines in January and February 2024, marking the highest airline spend for the start of a year.
Kilkenny, Mayo, and Longford experienced the largest increases in spending on flights, while Leitrim, Wicklow, and Kerry had the lowest increases.
Electric Vehicle (EV) charging spend increased by almost two-thirds over the past year, with a majority of spend by men between 45 and 54 years old.
Spending in pubs rose by 27pc in February, coinciding with Ireland’s Six Nations rugby campaign, with the busiest day for pub spend being when Ireland beat Wales. Grocery spend increased by 10pc following a decline in January.
Sligo saw the biggest increase in overall spending at 7pc in February, with the largest spend increase in pubs seen in Sligo, Waterford, and Tipperary. Restaurants recorded the highest spending increase in Donegal, Sligo, and Wicklow. Clothing spend remained static but increased in Sligo, Mayo, and Offaly. Online spending fell by 3pc while spending using digital wallets increased by 12pc.
John Brennan, Head of SME Banking at AIB said “many AIB customers kicked off their year with a focus on travel, with airline spend at its highest level ever in January and February of 2024. It was also a strong month for the hospitality sector, particularly for pubs with spending up 27pc in the month, likely driven by rugby fans cheering on Ireland in the Six Nations. The increase in EV charging is to be welcomed as an increasing number of customers are seeing the benefits of lower carbon emissions and cost efficiencies. It’s interesting to note that spending in February was strong in the north west of the country, with the biggest increase in overall spend in Sligo, which also featured in the lists of top three counties for increases in spend when it came to pubs and restaurants and clothing. Digital continues to be the method of choice for customers with the majority of spending online and a 12pc increase in digital wallet spend. These data insights are crucial in allowing us to continue to support both our business and personal customers in their choices.”
