Three-quarters of consumers to celebrate Memorial Day
Most Americans plan to be out and about this Memorial Day -- and plan to make a purchase.
Food tops the shopping list (83% plan to purchase), followed by alcoholic beverages (46%), non-alcoholic beverages (35%), party supplies (16%) and decorations (11%), according to Numerator’s "Q2 2023 Holiday Preview" survey.
Overall, three-quarters of U.S. consumers plan to celebrate Memorial Day, with all celebration plans seeing increases vs Memorial Day 2022. Ninety-two percent of celebrators plan to make purchases.
Eight in 10 consumers (82%) will try to save money this Memorial Day. More than half (54%) of celebrators say they will buy items on sale, 28% will use more coupons, 28% will prepare budget-friendly foods and 20% will switch to store / private label brands. Also, 17% will shop at dollar stores, 12% will reduce their travel, and 11% will buy smaller items.
Other highlights from the Numerator survey are below.
•Compared to Memorial Day 2022, all celebration plans saw an increase in 2023, including recreational activities (up 10 percentage points), attending or hosting parties (up 9 points), attending public celebrations (up 8 points) and watching fireworks (up 6 points).
•More than three-quarters of consumers expect rising prices to impact their Memorial Day spending, with 34% saying they expect a slight impact from inflation, 26% expect a moderate impact and 16% expect a significant impact.
•The top celebration plans include grilling/barbecuing (59% of celebrators), followed by attending or hosting a party (43%), and cooking/baking (23%).
•Among those planning to buy alcohol, the top choice is beer (70%), followed by wine (43%), hard seltzers (30%) and spirits (30%).
•In the week leading up to the 2022 holiday, light beers, IPAs and seasonal favorites were top picks, including Lagunitas IPA (+133% units vs the week prior), Bud Light Next (+122%), Blue Moon Light Sky (+84%), Corona Premier (+76%), Dos Equis (+76%), and Leinenkugel’s (+72%).
•In the four weeks leading up to Memorial Day, unit sales spike for summer categories, such as pools & chemicals (+132%), pool tools & accessories (+121%), sunscreen (+109%), pool floats & pool noodles (+81%), and grills (+54%).
Numerator’s Q2 2023 Holiday Preview survey was fielded to 2,650 consumers in April 2023 and highlights consumers’ celebration, shopping and spending plans for Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and Independence Day.