Irish shoppers to spend on average €606 this Christmas

Reach Insights Press Release

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19th December 2018

Irish shoppers to spend on average €606 this Christmas

89% feel some extra financial pressure at Christmas time

42% will attend Christmas mass, a drop of 16% from 2017

With 2018 coming to a close and the holiday season well underway, Christmas is very much at the forefront of our minds. To learn more about Christmas plans and spending in Ireland, iReach has recently conducted a survey of 1001 people.

It is estimated that the average shopper will spend just over €606 over the Christmas period, with an enormous 89% of respondents who say there is extra financial pressure at this time of the year. Similarly, 78% of people believe that they may feel the effects of over-spending during Christmas in January.

The most popular Christmas activities of respondents are Christmas shopping (74%), followed by going to Christmas Markets (40%), office parties (29%) and Christmas Mass at 42%, though Mass attendance has seen a sharp decline of 16% from 2017.

Interestingly Mass attendance in far higher among those aged over 55 (58%) than amongst younger adults (33%). Conversely, a far higher percentage of 18-34 year old’s (17%) go ice-skating over Christmas, compared to just 1% of older adults.

80% of Irish people prefer spending Christmas at home rather than abroad and 61% find that they are more charitable at this time of the year.

Only 26% are planning a night out to celebrate the New Year with more than twice as many people (54%) who will stay in on New Year’s Eve and stay up for the countdown. Just under one in four will commit to making a New Year’s Resolution whilst 56% will try to eat healthier after Christmas.

About iReach Insights

iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 6^th December and the 13^th December and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND.

iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne
T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com

Only 20% say the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol would make them buy less

Reach Insights Press Release

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13th December 2018

Only 20% say the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol would make them buy less

44% believe the Government should not interfere in how alcohol is priced

44% say that there are too many sports clubs and competitions sponsored by alcoholic companies

36% of alcohol consumers binge drink

With the festive season in full flow, Christmas parties and other social occasions will be raising a toast to celebrate the holidays. Irish social gatherings so often see alcohol take a central role in meeting with friends and family, and concerns over the impact of drinking have been growing for some time.

Proposals to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol in shops have gained a great deal of traction in recent years, with plans already in place to introduce such measures in Ireland. To discover more about Irish people’s alcohol consumption, iReach has conducted a nationally representative survey of 1001 people. 91% of respondents have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives.

Of those who have consumed alcohol, more than half (59%) began drinking before they were eighteen years old. This number is higher among males at 64% compared to 55% of females.

 It is also interesting to note a generational difference here, with only 34% of those aged 55+ consuming alcohol before eighteen almost doubling to 61% among 35-55-year olds and increasing again up to an enormous 70% of those aged 18-34. 

The top cited reasons for drinking alcohol were listed as curiosity (50%), cultural normalisation (33%) and peer pressure (27%), with fear of missing out (18%) and accessibility (13%) completing the top five.

Additionally, 36% of those who have consumed alcohol binge drink, with binge drinking more prevalent among males (41%) than females (32%). 66% of respondents think that their alcohol consumption is of a normal level.

Only 20% say that the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in shops would make them buy less alcohol, with 44% who believe that the Government should not interfere with the pricing of alcohol.

A further 44% of people say that there are too many sports clubs and competitions sponsored by alcoholic companies.

About iReach Insights

iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 22^nd November and the 28^th November and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

 

iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND.

iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne

T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com

56% never believed Theresa May’s Brexit deal would pass British Parliament

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12th December 2018 56% never believed Theresa May’s Brexit deal would pass British Parliament Ulster and Connacht the regions most pessimistic about May’s ability to pass the negotiated deal Of those predicting defeat, 14% predicted May would be removed as Conservative Party leader before motion reached House of Commons vote In the middle of another chaotic week in the Brexit process, British Prime Minister Theresa May’s leadership hangs in the balance as this evening she faces a vote of no confidence in the Conservative Parliamentary Party. A failure to win the support of 159 Tory Members of Parliament will trigger a leadership contest and spell the end of a much-troubled time as Prime Minister for May. A victory, however, could guarantee her position as leader for another year. Increased pressure on the Prime Minister follows the decision on Monday to suspend a House of Commons vote on the Brexit deal May negotiated with the European Union in order to avoid what was expected to be a heavy defeat. Additionally, the government was defeated in multiple votes last week, including in one particularly embarrassing motion that found Theresa May’s government in contempt of Parliament. To gauge the thoughts of Irish people on Theresa May’s Brexit deal and her future as Prime Minister, iReach has conducted a nationally representative survey of 1001 people. 56% didn’t believe that Theresa May was ever likely to be capable of passing the motion through the British Parliament, with respondents from the Connacht/ Ulster region most pessimistic, an enormous 62% predicting the failure of May’s deal. Of those who didn’t believe the deal would make it through the House of Commons, 30% believed the motion would be defeated amid strong calls for a second referendum. At 33%, this is the most common response of those from Connacht / Ulster. The eventuality that is very much on the table this evening, that Theresa May is ousted as Conservative Party Leader before a vote on the deal is ever taken, was the predicted outcome of 14%. Of those who believed the deal would fail, 25% believed it would do so among a clamor for a General Election. Interestingly, only 6% from Connacht/ Ulster felt the potential defeat of May’s Brexit deal would result in no Brexit whatsoever, which is half of the amount (12%) of the rest of the country. About iReach Insights iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 22nd November and the 28th November and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.   iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND. iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com

Irish shoppers saved a total of €297 million over the Black Friday Weekend

Reach Insights Press Release SIGN UP, TAKE PART in our surveys for free and GET REWARDED! iReach Conversations 6th December 2018 Irish shoppers saved a total of €297 million over the Black Friday Weekend, with the Average Saving at €122 per person 65% of young adults say it was easy to overspend on Black Friday and Cyber Monday Nonetheless, 84% estimated they saved up to €200 during the sales With Black Friday Weekend having come and gone for 2018, iReach has conducted a nationally representative survey of 1001 people which highlights the mixed feelings Irish people have about the ever-growing shopping phenomenon. Of those asked, 51% of respondents shopped over the Black Friday Weekend. For those who did partake, 84% believe that they saved as much as €200 in the sales with the average saving per person estimated to €122. In total, it is estimated that Irish shoppers saved an enormous €297 million over Black Friday Weekend. Black Friday at 72% remains by a large distance the most popular day of the sales weekend to spend money on, with only 27% spending on Cyber Monday. Although this figure is higher as would be expected among younger people at on 34%. Additionally, 65% of young adults say that it was easy to overspend over the Black Friday Weekend, as only 25% felt that this year’s edition was useful for getting good deals on products. Unsurprisingly, as has a been the trend over the last number of years, most shopping over Black Friday Weekend was conducted online rather than in-store (25% vs 16%). However, for over 55s in-store shopping remains the more popular option over online (19% vs 13%), whereas for 18-34-year-olds the reverse is true, with 31% shopping online compared to less than half this number, 14% who shop in-store. 56% of those asked believe that shopping in-store on Black Friday is not worth the hassle. A great deal of scepticism remains around both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with 43% who say they are nothing special for deals, as well only 22% believing Black Friday offers the lowest in-store prices of the year and just 17% who say that Cyber Monday offers the lowest online prices of the year. About iReach Insights iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 22nd November and the 28th November and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.  iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND. iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com

The government announced plans to establish women-only professorships in Third Level institutions, 42% think these plans are not necessary.

Reach Insights Press Release

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4th December 2018

57% think that there are too few women in high political office.

71% think the ideal situation is to have equal numbers of women and men in high political office and business.

41% think that gender quotas are a good way to ensure fair representation. 

41% do not think that gender quotas are successful in ensuring that positions are filled by the most qualified candidate

Gender inequality issues have once again been thrown into the spotlight following the incident during the award of the inaugural Ballon d’Or for women’s football to Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg on 3rd December. Ada Hegerberg gave an empowering speech encouraging more girls to play football, saying that the award is a ‘huge step for women’s football’. Her remarks were however overshadowed when she was asked by the presenter to twerk live on stage. Such gender inequality issues are not isolated to sport and were the focus of a nationally representative survey of 1,000 adults in Ireland which iReach Insights conducted following the government’s recent announcement of plans to establish women-only professorships in Third-level institutions as a measure to tackle structural gender inequality. iReach’s survey was carried out to understand the national perspectives on gender issues in both business and political office in Ireland. When asked about the plans to establish women-only professorships in Third Level institutions 42% of adults think these plans are not necessary and a third (32%) think these plans will be successful in ensuring the proper representation of women in Third-level education. Thinking about politics in Ireland today, 57% consider that there are too few women in high political office. The majority (71%) think the ideal situation when it comes to the number of women and men in high political office is to have equal men and women. Thinking about high political office, 64% believe that it is easier for men to get these roles. In business, thinking about Ireland today 53% think there are too few women in top executive business positions. The majority (71%) think the ideal situation for the gender balance of the business world is to have the same number of men as women. 12% think having more women than there currently are but still not as many women as men. 66% think it is easier for men to get top executive business positions than women. Forty one percent agree that gender quotas are a good way to ensure fair representation but 41% do not think that gender quotas are successful in ensuring that position are filled by the most qualified candidates.

About iReach Insights

iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 22nd November and the 28th November and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND.

iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne
T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com

Despite the announcement of Joe Schmidt’s departure, 48% believe Ireland will win next year’s Rugby World Cup

Reach Insights Press Release

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29th November 2018

• Despite the announcement of Joe Schmidt’s departure, 48% believe Ireland will win next year’s Rugby World Cup

• Ahead of the Euro 2020 draw in Dublin, an enormous 73% agree with Martin O’Neill’s departure as football manager.

November has been a hectic month for Irish sport, from the high of defeating New Zealand in Dublin, to the low of relegation in the UEFA Nations League. Off the field, both the IRFU and the FAI have been busy dealing with coaching arrivals and departures. With so much sport in the news, iReach has conduced as nationally representative survey on Irish sport, to gauge how Ireland supporters are feeling about the current state of rugby and football teams.

It is of little surprise that there is a stark contrast between the sentiments expressed towards the Ireland rugby and football teams.

A resounding 73% of people are happy that Martin O’Neill is no longer in charge of the Republic of Ireland football team and a further 54% do not believe O’Neill was successful during his time in charge. Nonetheless, the current difficulties of Irish football are seen as the responsibility of FAI boss John Delaney, with 49% stating Delaney is most to blame.

O’Neill’s successor, Mick McCarthy, at 30% is the most popular of those who were in the running for the role, followed by Roy Keane (18%) and Stephen Kenny (12%), who will take over from Mick McCarthy following Euro 2020.

The survey results highlight the positivity currently surrounding Irish rugby. Despite the announcement of Joe Schmidt’s departure following the tournament, 48% predicting Ireland will next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan, compared to just 30% who think New Zealand will be crowned champions for the third time in a row.

The contrast between Irish rugby and football are further underlined by other results too, with only 15% of respondents who believe the Republic of Ireland football team are entertaining to watch compared to a remarkable 75% who are entertained by the Ireland rugby team.

There is some room for sympathy for Irish football however, with over half of those surveyed noting that it is easier for Ireland to be successful at rugby than football.

About iReach Insights

iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 8^th November and the 14^th November and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

 

iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND.

iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne
T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com

Veganism is more about being trendy than being healthy, say 40% of young people, as 22% think the idea of being vegan or vegetarian is ridiculous.

iReach Insights Press Release

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21st November 2018

• Veganism is more about being trendy than being healthy, say 40% of young people, as 22% think the idea of being vegan or vegetarian is ridiculous.

• 67% believe the number of vegans and vegetarians is constantly increasing.

• Animal welfare, health reasons and environmental concerns behind drive to stop eating meat.

In recent years the food habits of Irish people have been changing. Far more focus and concern is now placed on what exactly is in the food we eat and where it comes from. As a result, many of us have altered our diets for a variety of causes. To find out what these reasons are, iReach has conducted a nationally representative survey to understand more about healthy eating in Ireland.

The findings demonstrate the increasing prominence of veganism and vegetarianism, with 67% of people feeling that the number of those not eating meat is constantly increasing. Whilst vegetarians for the most part do not eat meat or fish, a vegan refrains from eating any animal products at all, such as dairy.

This November has been World Vegan Month, highlighting just how far the vegan movement has come not just in Ireland but around the world.

59% of respondents have stopped eating meat over animal welfare concerns, including 73% of over 55s. 39% of males stated health reasons as the cause for their switch in diet compared with 30% of females, whereas 30% of females also cited environmental concerns for the change versus just 14% of males.

A recent study in the UK carried out by OnePoll for the supermarket chain Waitrose also found that animal welfare, health and the environment were the top factors in why people became vegans and vegetarians.

Despite research suggesting that plant-based diets are both healthier for individuals and the planet, a great deal skepticism around veganism and vegetarianism remains. 2 in 5 young people believe that veganism more about being trendy than it is about being healthy, with a further 22% who think the idea of plant-based diets as ridiculous.

About iReach Insights

iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 15^th November and the 22^nd November and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

 

iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND.

iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne
T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com

Only 18% are satisfied with the current policies and restrictions for content on social media sites 🔏💻💬

iReach Insights Press Release

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19th November 2018 Only 7% believe that social media has a solely positive influence on mental health. 53% have adjusted their privacy settings in the last 12 months. Just 18% are satisfied with the current policies and restrictions for content on social media sites The findings of a nationally representative survey recently carried out by carried out by iReach highlights the ambiguity felt by Irish people regarding how their social media usage affects them.   Only 7% of respondents believe that social media has a solely positive influence on mental health, with those suggesting the impact is solely negative far more prevalent on 32%. Furthermore, in the last 12 months almost 1 in 4 have taken a break from social media, and additionally 34% of young adults have deleted social media applications from their phone. Unsurprisingly, given the number of recent and highly publicised data breaches at platforms such as Facebook, 53% of those surveyed have adjusted their privacy settings in the last year. Nonetheless, Facebook remains the most used social media platform across all tested demographics with 73% of people active users. WhatsApp (69%) and YouTube (52%) are the second and third most used after Facebook. Some platforms have a notably higher number of female than male users, for example Instagram (41% vs 24%), WhatsApp (74% vs 63%) and Snapchat (24% vs 15%). Facebook is not only the most used but it also the most popular form of social media (34%). Interestingly however, Facebook is far less popular amongst younger adults than older adults, with 25% of 18-34-year old’s stating it as their preferred platform compared to 47% with over 55s. 42% of respondents believe that there should be greater restrictions put in place to better regulate what content can be posted on social media, with a mere 18% who are happy with the policies and restrictions currently being implemented. Doubts over the content that people see on social media are further illustrated with 24% who state that social media is a reliable way to receive news. Social media users also see the networks themselves as bearing the main responsibility for what  content is posted on their sites (41%), with the author of the post itself the next in line for culpability (38%). Despite the issues already mentioned surrounding privacy and mental health, 69% of young people would find it difficult to give up social media, demonstrating how important networking sites are to young Irish adults. About iReach Insights iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 8th November and 14th November and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level. iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND. iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com

70% believe the Irish Government is not doing a sufficient job in easing the housing crisis.

iReach Insights Press Release

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8th November 2018

70% believe the Irish Government is not doing a sufficient job in easing the housing crisis.

46% don’t think housing and homelessness are a priority of the current Government.

The findings of a nationally representative survey recently conducted by iReach highlight the pessimism of Irish people about the current state of housing and homelessness. The results also demonstrate a lack of faith from the public in the Government’s approach to the issue.

66% of people were not confident that Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy’s most recent plan would be a successful mechanism to combat problems in the housing market. Under the proposal set to come into effect next June, landlords will be banned from renting properties on Airbnb in areas of high housing demand.

Furthermore, only 10% of respondents answered that the Government is doing sufficient work in ending the housing crisis, with 46% of the population who don’t think that housing and homelessness are among the Government’s priorities.

The most popular potential solution to tackle the housing crisis among all tested demographics is that of increasing housing supply building more accommodation (68%), with stricter rent controls (52%) also seen as a viable option alongside more co-operation with local authorities (53%). 

53% of those asked feel that the “Take Back The City” housing protest organisation has been successful in raising questions about the Irish property sector. The Connacht/Ulster the region views this question most favourably, with 62% believing in the group’s success.

Notably, only 28% of people agree with the occupation of private or public property as a form if demonstration, a method used frequently by the organization in recent months. Of older adults, 64% disagree with such occupations as a means of protest.

About iReach Insights

iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 25th October and the 1st November and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND.

iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne
T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com

iReach research shows that only 18% of Social Media users in Ireland believe that they could identify a bot social media account.

iReach Insights Press Release

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7th November 2018

Social media bots can generate convincing internet personas that are capable of influencing real people and directly impacted on the vote for Brexit and the 2016 US Presidential Election.

iReach research shows that only 18% of Social Media users in Ireland believe that they could identify a bot social media account.

58% say bot accounts have a negative impact on social media.

Just 8% think bots are used with good intentions.

As social media grows an ever more powerful force for news, communication and advertising with each passing year, it is important to understand why the content people see appears, and where it comes from. To gain an insight into how knowledgeable Irish people are and how confident they feel about how information is presented to them online, we conducted a nationally representative survey on 1,000 adults in Ireland to find out their thoughts.

Social media is used by 80% of the Irish population, yet the results of this iReach survey show relatively little understanding of how bot accounts are often used to populate profiles with content. These bot accounts are used to automatically generate social media posts, sometimes advocating ideas and supporting campaigns for well-known brands, as well giving information in emergency situations.

Social Media bots are often seen as a source of misinformation that can be used to manipulate facts and manufacture false narratives. There has been a greater focus on the potential problems posed by bots on social media since the 2016 U.S Election and in the run-up to this month’s U.S mid-term elections, Twitter has intensified its crackdown of online spamming activities

.

Despite widespread use of social media across ages and locations (88% amongst 18-34 and 72% by over 55s), only 43% of people have even heard of social media bots. Furthermore, a staggering 78% of older adults and 66% of all females surveyed were unfamiliar with the concept.

This lack of familiarity is clear as only 21% of respondents feel that they have heard a lot about these accounts. More remarkable still, is that only 18% believe that they could spot a bot on social media. There is a degree of variance across age groups with younger users (18-35) 24% saying they could spot a bot but of those aged 55+, just 9% felt comfortable that they could identify a bot account with 67% who believed they could not.

In terms of the actual content bots produce, results point to a pessimism across the board. 58% of the total population think that bot accounts have a negative impact on social media, with a mere 14% who say that their impact is a positive one. This adverse outlook is even more obvious as only just 8% believe that bot accounts are operated with primarily good intentions on social media. 

About iReach Insights iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 11th October and the 18th October and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.   iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND. iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com