How to capitalize on big St. Patrick’s Day spending

Saint Patrick’s day is an important day commemorating a Catholic saint who is known for being the best snake exterminator in town. Americans celebrate this holy gentleman by getting day-drunk on green beer and pounding shamrock shakes from McDoanld’s. You know…the way religious holidays should be celebrated. And people need to do a wee bit o’ shopping to prepare.

What is a “wee bit,” you ask? Consumers typically spend buttloads of money (6 billion buttloads, actually) on this holiday each year.

Of course, a decent portion of that is put toward food and drinks, so it makes sense that this year that figure is predicted to come down a bit given pandemic restrictions. Even so, the average celebrating consumer is expected to spend about $40, totaling an impressive $5.1B. That’s good news for e-commerce because if they’re less likely to spend it at bars and parades, they’re going to spend it at home where alcohol is cheaper and there’s no pesky bartender cutting people off. Slàinte!

In terms of who’s buying and what, there are some interesting stats out there, but here are some of the more notable ones:

  • 82% of consumers plan to wear green for the big day, making them both trendy and unoriginal.
  • 31% of shoppers will purchase new green apparel. Because new year, new green me.
  • 26% of St. Paddy’s spenders will purchase decorations like these tasteful window clings or these necessary leprechaun hat lights.
  • 100% of Ireland will blush with embarrassment

Your business might not sell leprechaun related products, but don’t worry! There is still a pot of gold out there for ya, you just need to follow the right rainbow.

Get into the holiday spirit. Try incorporating the color green into your marketing like updating your website with a temporary background. Or makeover your copy with fun puns like “It’s your lucky day!” We know this all sounds cheesy, but cheesy works. Consumers like engaging with brands that are staying relevant. Maybe just avoid any “Kiss me” related stuff to keep it socially distant.

Building marketing strategies around non-gift-giving holidays can help boost sales throughout the year. Show your customers you are paying attention and they will thank you for it, hopefully with lots of buttloads.

About the Author

Sam Merriweather

Sam Merriweather is a California native, but has been loving East Coast life for over a decade (we don't get it either). After crushing 7 years in the corporate marketing world, she turned a side hustle of improvising, acting, and writing into a full time job. When she's not doing any of those funny things, you can find her meticulously building a charcuterie board, worshipping her air fryer, or cleaning up a spill...open containers are hard.

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