Consumers look for savings this 4th of July – 27% say they will increase coupon usage, 20% will shop Dollar Stores, 16% will switch to store brands
CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 – Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, has released new data on Independence Day 2023, sourced from verified purchase data and a sentiment survey of over 2,600 consumers on their 2023 holiday intentions. Overall, more people plan to celebrate the 4th of July this year (87% vs. 84% in 2022), and all types of celebrations are up compared to last year.
- Independence Day sees more celebrators than Memorial Day. 87% of consumers plan to celebrate 4th of July, compared to only 75% for Memorial Day. The top celebration plan is watching fireworks (60% of celebrators), followed by grilling/barbecuing (58%) and attending or hosting a gathering/party (46%).
- All types of celebration plans see an increase for 2023. Compared to Independence Day 2022, more consumers plan to actively celebrate the holiday with all celebration plans seeing a boost, including watching fireworks (60% plan to do so, vs. 46% in 2022), cooking/baking (29% vs. 18%), attending a public celebration (23% vs. 12%), and participating in recreational activities (19% vs. 10%).
- Nearly everyone plans to shop for the holiday – and almost half will buy alcoholic beverages. 94% of consumers plan to make a purchase for 4th of July, with food items at the top of shopping lists (83% plan to purchase), followed by alcoholic beverages (47%), non-alcoholic beverages (34%), decorations (22%) and party supplies (20%).
- Classic cookout foods see significant sales spikes in the week leading up to the 4th of July. When looking at purchase data, the week leading up to Independence Day typically shows significant spikes for foods such as beef burgers and patties (+62% for the week of 6/27/2022–7/04/2022 vs. the week of 6/20/2022–6/27/2022), hot dogs (+45%), deli salads (+33%), vegetable trays and mixed fresh vegetables (+28%), and potato chips (+19%).
- Beer is the top alcoholic beverage choice, but spend is shifting for the holiday. Among those planning to buy alcohol, the top choice is beer (68% plan to purchase for this 4th of July, vs. 62% in 2022), followed by wine (35% vs. 31%), ready-to-drink cocktails (27% vs. 23%) and spirits (27% vs. 23%).
- Beer brands like Leinenkugel’s and Busch typically see the largest boosts in the week leading up to Independence Day. When looking at purchase data for the week leading up to Independence Day 2022, beer saw a 20% sales increase vs. the week prior. Top brands that see increases include Leinenkugel’s (+72%), Busch (+45%), Blue Moon (+30%), Coors Light (+30%), and Michelob Ultra (+29%).
- Three-quarters of consumers expect rising prices to impact their 4th of July spending. 34% say they expect a slight impact from inflation, 23% expect a moderate impact and 17% expect a significant impact.
- Two-fifths of consumers expect inflation or a potential economic slowdown to impact their 2023 Independence Day plans, and three-quarters are looking for ways to save money. This 4th of July, 52% of celebrators say they will buy items on sale, 31% will prepare budget-friendly foods, 27% will use more coupons, 20% will shop at dollar or discount stores, 16% will switch to store / private label brands, 11% will buy smaller items, and 9% will travel less.
Numerator’s Q2 2023 Holiday Preview survey was fielded to 2,650 consumers in April 2023 and highlights consumers’ celebration, shopping and spending plans for Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and Independence Day. Purchasing insights were compiled using Numerator’s 150k household Total Commerce Panel, looking at the week leading up to Independence day (6/27/2022–7/04/2022) versus the week prior (6/20/2022–6/27/2022) for beer and food sales.
About Numerator
Numerator is a data and tech company bringing speed and scale to market research. Numerator blends first-party data from over 1 million US households with advanced technology to provide 360-degree consumer understanding for the market research industry that has been slow to change. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Numerator has 2,000 employees worldwide; 80 of the top 100 CPG brands’ manufacturers are Numerator clients.
