Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, has published new findings on St. Patrick’s Day consumer behavior, sourced from verified purchase data and a sentiment survey of nearly 1,600 consumers who plan to celebrate the holiday. Overall, nearly half (44%) of US consumers expect to celebrate the holiday this year—an increase of 14 percentage points from St. Patrick’s Day 2022—and their celebratory alcoholic beverage purchases have a significant effect on household penetration for beer brands.
Key Findings Include:
- Almost half of consumers plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Among the 44% of consumers who plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, 28% intend to gather with family/friends and 27% intend to go out to eat or out for drinks.
- Over one-third of St. Patrick’s Day celebrators expect to raise a glass this year. 36% plan to purchase alcoholic beverages for the holiday, with beer the most popular choice (70% of those planning to buy alcohol), followed by spirits (34%) and wine (29%).
- Younger consumers are more likely to forgo traditional beverage options. Gen Z and Millennial celebrators are nearly twice as likely (29% vs 17% for all consumers) to say they will buy hard seltzers for the holiday.
- Half of St. Patrick’s Day celebrators will drink American lagers and one-third will choose stouts. 50% of St. Patrick’s Day beer purchasers plan to drink American lagers (Budweiser, Coors Original, Miller High Life) during their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. 31% will opt for stouts (Guinness, Imperial), and 21% will choose international lagers like Corona Extra, Heineken and Red Stripe.
- Regional differences show themselves in beer preferences. Western consumers are 53% more likely to opt for international lagers, Midwestern consumers are 35% more likely to choose pilsners, and Northeastern consumers are 23% more likely to choose IPAs.
- Three-quarters of consumers will do their St. Patrick’s Day shopping in-person. 42% of St. Patrick’s Day celebrators will purchase their holiday items at a grocery store, followed by a mass retailer (29%) or liquor-specific retailer (19%). 76% expect to shop in-person.
- Younger consumers are more likely to opt for convenience. Compared to all consumers, Gen Z and Millennial consumers are twice as likely to say they will buy St. Patrick’s Day supplies at a gas station / convenience store or through a delivery service like Instacart or DoorDash.
- Irish beers see increased household penetration thanks to St. Patrick’s Day. According to Numerator purchase data, Irish beers like Guinness and Smithwick’s double their household penetration in March compared to the average month. Guinness also rises from the #17 beer annually to the #9 beer in the month of March.
- The entire beer category benefits from St. Patrick’s Day. According to Numerator purchase data, beer sees a 2.3-point boost in household penetration in March versus February (from 44.5% to 46.8%, respectively)
Numerator’s 2023 Holiday Preview survey was fielded to 5,263 consumers in January 2023 and highlights consumers’ celebration, shopping and spending plans for 14 key holidays through the end of the year. 1,598 shoppers shared details on their St. Patrick’s Day plans
