Spending in cinemas in Ireland surged during the February mid-term break as parents sought to keep their children occupied, according to data from the Bank of Ireland.
Consumer outlay on trips to the cinema shot up 69 percent during the week of February 13-17 compared to 10 percent uplift in overall spending week-on-week.
Similarly, spending in swimming pools (+30 percent) and museums (+27 percent) rose by more than a quarter from the previous, and the study shows spending by 13-17-year-olds in museums increased 23 percent, so it wasn't just parents getting their cards out.
Mayo posted the highest mid-term spending increase of the 26 counties monitored at 47 percent, ahead of Laois (+29 percent), Cavan (+23 percent), Roscommon (+23 percent), and Leitrim (+23 percent). The increases were modest in Carlow (+4 percent), Dublin (+4 percent) and Kildare (+7 percent) and spending in Westmeath (+0 percent) was static from the week prior.
Spending also rose during the mid-term in theatres (+16 percent), sweet shops (+14 percent), fast food outlets (+7 percent), and teenagers specifically increased their spend in sports clubs (+120 percent), shopping centers (+69 percent) and swimming pools (+55 percent).
“The age-old question faced by parents trying to entertain their children never gets any easier to solve, but according to our latest Spending Pulse it looks like they gave it a good go recently," said Jilly Clarkin, head of customer journeys and SME markets at Bank of Ireland.
"People flocked to the cinema in their droves, but it wasn’t just a popcorn fest for mid-term break as museums and theatres filled up too.
“A spending rise in shopping centers and fast-food outlets is to be expected, with teens themselves posting a total spending spike of 51 percent during their week off, but a 30 percent hike in swimming pool spend indicates that many children also kept active in their time away from the classroom.”