That’s according to Nielsen CGA which found more than two in five consumers said they spent more on visits to bars and restaurants for Cinco de Mayo (47.6%), the Kentucky Derby (53.1%) and Mother’s Day (43.2%) than they usually would, with no more than 5.6% spending less on any of the occasions.
CGA’s CLIP data shows a 67% and 9% uplift in the value of sales on Mother’s Day and Cinco de Mayo respectively, though sales on Kentucky Derby day were flat.
CGA’s data also reveals:
- Local restaurants, neighborhood bars and casual dining chains were the three most popular destinations for the occasions.
- Beer was the top selling beverage around the Kentucky Derby, while wine was most popular on Mother’s Day and tequila ranked second on Cinco de Mayo
- On all occasions, young adults were more likely to increase their spend than older consumers.
CGA’s consumer research has signs that sizeable numbers will be looking to the On Premise to mark events like these in 2021. Nearly a fifth of consumers are planning to celebrate Independence Day (18.4%) and Memorial Day (18.0%) in bars or restaurants, and nearly a quarter (23.5%) of Labor Day celebrants plan to do so. Between 14% and 16% of those marking the occasions will do so on vacation, during which they may be likely to visit bars and restaurants.
“After months of restrictions, many consumers are ready to celebrate US public holidays and events in a big way in 2021,” said Alexandra Martin, Operator and Analytics Director at CGA. “On Premise operators and beverage brands have a great opportunity to capitalize on pent-up demand and position themselves at the heart of big occasions. To do so, they will need a deep understanding of consumers’ habits and preferences on elements like locations and beverages, which can vary substantially from occasion to occasion and place to place.”
CGA’s consumer research reveals what restaurant and bar operators and beverage suppliers can do to increase the appeal of the On Premise around big events. Two in five (39.9%) consumers say they would be encouraged to visit by special offers on drinks, and more than a quarter would be attracted by drink offers (32.7%), special events (31.6%) or live entertainment (27.0%).