Hot weather leads to increased spending on car washes and swimming pools

• Events fever drives biggest day for in-person spending

13 July 2026: Bank of Ireland online spending data for June showed a decrease in consumer expenditure, decreasing by 10% compared to June last year, while in-person card spending remained relatively unchanged.

The Bank’s ‘Spending Pulse’ analysis for June showed that despite flat debit and credit card spending, several sectors still saw strong growth. During the hottest period of weather, (25–28 June) there was a significant increase in spending in florists (87.8%), swimming pool centres (63.6%), camping equipment (61.8%), car washes (39.9%), boat leases (26.1%) and pharmacies (18.8%), in comparison to the same period last year. Somewhat surprisingly, spending in pubs and off licenses during the high temperatures were flat.

The highest amount of money spent in-person was Saturday, 26 June, aligning with the hot weather, traditional payday, and significant events including Pride festival; The Cure in Marley Park, Dublin; Lewis Capaldi in Thomond Park, Limerick; and Paul Weller, Cork.

The Bank’s ‘Spending Pulse’ analysis for June highlights a change in seasonal travel behaviour. In comparison to June last year, traditional destinations for Irish tourists dropped or were relatively flat for spending – Turkey (-7.8%); Spain (-3.8%); France (1.4%); Portugal (0.7%). Nordic countries saw a spike in spending by Irish tourists – Finland (26.6%), Sweden (10.5%) and Denmark (10.3%). Spending also rose in several other destinations including Georgia (67.6%), Morocco (20.2%) and Moldova (11.6%).

Spend in some long-haul destinations also dropped when compared with this period last year – United Arab Emirates (-50.2%), Japan (-29.2%), New Zealand (-46%), Australia (-26.8%) and USA (-15%). While in contrast there was notable growth in spending by Bank of Ireland customers in Argentina (240.9%), Columbia (85.5%), Mexico (37.6%), and Canada (13.9%), with increased value-for-money likely driving stronger activity in parts of Latin America.

Irish hotels are expecting strong demand from the domestic market this summer as higher long-haul travel costs, security risks and ongoing geopolitical issues may tip the scales in favour of an Irish break.

Owen Clifford, Head of Retail Sector, Bank of Ireland said: “While overall card and online spending softened in June, the data shows consumers are still willing to spend on fun, cultural experiences. Interestingly, during the hot spell towards the end of the month, there was a spike in weather-related spending, such as car washes, camping equipment and boat hire. Higher costs of long-haul travel and geopolitical volatility continue to contribute to reduced airline spending.”

In June, Bank of Ireland launched a new EV Marketplace, which aims to make it radically simpler and quicker for consumers to switch to electric vehicles. The launch comes as the consumer drive towards EVs accelerates. This trend was reinforced with spend increasing by 50.1% on EV charging with people travelling all over Ireland during the hottest period of June (25 – 28 June) in comparison to last year.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Bank of Ireland is a diversified financial services group serving more than four million customers across Ireland, the UK, and the EU. Its services span consumer, business and corporate banking, wealth management, life and pensions, specialist finance, and asset finance and contract hire. The Group includes Davy, New Ireland Assurance, Northridge Finance and Marshall Leasing. Bank of Ireland operates a full‑service retail bank in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In the UK, it provides mortgages through the intermediary market and is the largest provider of consumer foreign exchange through its partnership with the UK Post Office.