Bank of Ireland debit and credit card spending in Donegal in July was fairly flat, with a 1% total monthly fall recorded.
However, nationally, teenagers increased their spending by 17%.
There was an uptick in social (+2%) spending throughout July, while spending in pubs (+4%), restaurants (+3%) and in fast-food outlets (+1%) all recorded positive figures – having all posted negative spending stats in June.
The improved July weather also saw a spending hike in cinemas of just +5%, a stark drop from June’s cinema spending rise of +25%.
Overall spending in the Retail sector was down 3% in total, with outlay on clothing (-10%) and groceries (-1%) both dropping.
Spending on petrol (+5%) rose as forecourt fuel prices levelled off somewhat nationwide.
Consumers were also evidently not keen to forego their sweet treats in July, with spending in bakeries (+5%) also rising.
Commenting on July’s spending data, Jilly Clarkin, Head of Customer Journeys & SME Markets at Bank of Ireland said: “The sun was shining in July and we were doing less shopping and more socialising.
“This spending restraint was not just in a small number of counties, it was nationwide – and while the overall drop was small, it will be interesting to monitor over the coming months to determine if it’s becoming a trend.
“Another interesting element in July was that spending among teenagers soared, with a notable monthly increase of +17%, which was similar to May and June trends and perhaps reflects a less cautious attitude than the rest of us”.
