Good weather in May boosts florists and landscapers
- Overall card spending drops slightly in May
- Fun experiences remain a priority, with increase in spend in restaurants and bars
- Travel and discretionary spend weakened, with declines in air travel and clothing
Friday 5 June 2026: Bank of Ireland card spending data for May showed a slight decline in consumer expenditure, falling by 3.6% compared to May last year.
The Bank’s ‘Spending Pulse’ analysis for May showed that despite the overall drop in debit and credit card spending, several sectors still saw strong growth. The run of good weather late in May drove a big jump in spending with florists (61.9%) and landscaping services (+55.9%) when compared to the same month last year.
Electrical goods saw the strongest increase in retail spending, rising 11.8% in May compared to May 2025, while subscription spending surged by 12.8%, highlighting ongoing consumer demand for digital services.
Hospitality performed strongly, with spending in restaurants and bars up 6.9% year on year, and entertainment up 2.8%, with consumers continuing to prioritise fun experiences.
Spend on clothing declined, falling 7.9%, while air travel (-6.4%) and car rentals (-6.7%) showed a softening in travel demand. Charitable donations slipped slightly by 1.8%, pointing to tighter discretionary budgets. There was also a fall in ATM withdrawals, down 7.3% compared to May last year.
Essential spending remained broadly stable – grocery spending saw a modest increase of 0.63%, while spend on health (-0.05%) was largely flat. Smaller increases were recorded in education (+1.2%) and professional services (+2.3%).
Commenting on May consumer spending, Owen Clifford, Head of Retail Sector, Bank of Ireland said: “While overall card spending softened in May, the data shows consumers are still willing to spend on fun experiences, digital services and select retail, even as pressures on discretionary budgets remain. Higher costs of long-haul travel and geopolitical volatility may all be contributing to reduced travel spending. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues and if the summer brings an increase in staycation spending.”