The unofficial start to summer is this weekend and people are ready for it. Whether they’re hitting the road for the holiday or sticking close to home, 57% of Americans are planning to celebrate Memorial Day weekend, according to a new survey from Numerator.
The tech company’s poll of over 55-hundred adults finds:
- The most popular ways to celebrate the holiday include gathering with family and friends (57%), grilling/barbecuing (52%), cooking/baking at home (29%), hosting others at home (17%), and attending public celebrations (13%).
- People also plan to do a little shopping, with food purchases topping the list (83%). Alcoholic beverages are second (44%), followed by non-boozy drinks (33%), decorations (17%), party supplies (14%), candy (9%) and games or activities (9%).
- Of those buying alcohol, beer is the top choice (76%), then wine (42%), spirits (36%) and hard seltzers or canned cocktails (35%).
- Gen Z is most likely to go with hard seltzers or canned cocktails (88%), while boomers are most likely to buy wine (51%).
- Overall, two-thirds (68%) expect to spend less than $100 on their Memorial Day supplies.
Data from Memorial Day 2023 reveals:
- In the week leading up to the holiday last year, beer saw a 19% increase over the week before and 30% of U.S. households bought beer in that time frame.
- In the week before Memorial Day 2023, those who bought hot dogs were 13 times more likely to also buy chili, eight times more likely to buy combo condiment packs, and four times more likely to buy shelf-stable sides and refrigerated sides.
- In the weeks ahead of Memorial Day weekend last year, sales of bug repellent spiked 130%, pool tools and accessories were up 103%, sales of pool floats and noodles increased 96% and sunscreen sales were up 41%.
Source: Numerator