With the alcohol ban on Good Friday lifted, Nielsen reported a 5.3% surge in alcohol sales this year, compared to 2018.
Irish shoppers spent €34.6 million on alcohol in the week leading up to Easter, the report showed.
The recent data showed that cider sales increased by 33.4% and spirit mixers saw an increase of 64.8% during the period.
Good Friday And Warm Weather
This year marks the second year that the alcohol category has benefited from changes to the Intoxicating Liquor Act.
The law had previously been in place in Ireland for over 90 years and prohibited the sale of alcohol in pubs, supermarkets and convenience stores on Good Friday.
Warm weather can also be attributed to the increase in sales with Easter 2019 reportedly peaking at 22.9 degrees, making it the hottest weekend of the year so far.
“A year into the lift on alcohol prohibition on Good Friday, coupled with the first taste of warm weather, shoppers in Ireland were looking at every opportunity to enjoy the sun with friends and family, spending more freely on alcohol than in the previous year," said Karen Mooney, Ireland market leader at Nielsen.
"With this in mind, retailers should keep an eye on the weather forecast and ensure that when the sun shines, shelves are well-stocked; particularly with beers, ciders, sparkling wines and pre-mixed drinks.” she said.
Other highlights
This also shoppers to spend more on food associated with warm weather such as take-home ice-cream, where sales increased by 20.7% to €3.7 million compared to the same period in 2018, according to the report.
This was in contrast to a drop in sales for Easter eggs – the data showed sales decreased by 12.8% to €22.4 million in the two weeks leading to Easter 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.
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