Return to socialising fuels rise in monthly spending

Spending in pubs grew by almost a third in February as the end of Dry January and the Six Nations led to increased socialising 

Saturday February 1 was the busiest day for spending so far this year in pubs, which was also the day of the Ireland versus England rugby match in the Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Spending in pubs rose by almost a third in February as customers returned to socialising after a quiet January, new data from AIB reveals.

Publishing its spend trend report on Friday, the lender found that spending in restaurants up 16% in February when compared with the previous month, with the rise likely driven by the St Brigid’s Day long weekend, the Six Nations rugby matches and the end of Dry January.