Overall though, the figures show that spending levels were down 2% in April compared to the previous month.Certain areas did see an increase in spending during the month, with a 65% jump in spending on tourist attractions and exhibits and a 24% rise in cinema spend."April's spending painted a mixed picture across the economy," said Jilly Clarkin, Head of Customer Journeys and SME Markets at Bank of Ireland.
"We can see from our research that spending was flat or down in April across every age group, except amongst teenagers who posted an 8% spending spike," she said. Ms Clarkin said the figures show that in-store spending is continuing to grow in popularity, following the lifting of Covid restrictions. "A clear pattern over the past 3 months shows us that the 'in-person’ percentage of overall spend continues to climb , leading to continuous drops in online spending.
"It’s a positive sign for retailers across the country, that people are getting out and about again to visit their neighbourhood shops and putting more money back into their local economies," she said.