Sixty percent of consumers plan to celebrate Labor Day this year, shared data and tech company Numerator in a 2023 Labor Day Intentions Preview report. The company sourced insights from 518 people earlier this month.
Although the number of consumers celebrating the holiday is down from 2022’s 75 percent, more than half plan to purchase beer for the holiday. Throughout the summer, beer was the top alcoholic beverage sold with sales up 11.7 percent and share up 1.6 points compared to summer 2022, reports the findings.
Roughly 90 percent of consumers plan to purchase food and over half plan to purchase alcoholic beverages to celebrate the holiday. Insights found that 83 percent shared they will buy hamburgers, 67 percent planned to buy hot dogs, 60 percent intended to buy chicken, and 41 percent indicated they will buy steak.
The consumer sentiment report found:
• Expected inflation impact remained steady throughout the summer with 42 percent of consumers expecting rising prices to impact their Labor Day plans.
• Roughly 86 percent of consumers anticipate taking money-saving measures for the holiday, including buying items on sale (54 percent), preparing more budget-friendly meals (35 percent), using more coupons (32 percent), switching to store brands (23 percent), and visiting dollar or discount stores (20 percent).
• Three-fifths of consumers plan to grill for the holiday, making it the top celebration intention for 2023; plans such as cooking/baking, recreational activities, and traveling all ranked higher in 2023 compared to 2022.
The report also dove into alcohol-related data, revealing ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages were on the rise, with a 1.6 percent increase in sales compared to summer 2022. Gen Z and Millennial consumers accounted for much of the growth in this category, driven by a preference for brands such as Beatbox Beverages, Cutwater Spirits, and High Noon, all of which saw increases in sales and share this summer.
Related: Eggo Debuts Boozy Breakfast Liqueur; Specialty Ecommerce Growth Slows