Labor Day may need to start campaigning if it wants to remain a staple of end-of-summer celebrations, particularly with the youngest legal-drinking-age (LDA) consumers.
Nearly two-thirds of consumers plan to celebrate Labor Day (Monday, September 1) this year, according to survey results shared by market research firm Numerator. Of the 1,023 consumers surveyed, 64% said they plan to celebrate the holiday, down from 67% in 2024.
However, the youngest consumers, including Gen Z and millennials, are less likely to celebrate, according to the report.
Fifty-nine percent of Gen Z and millennial respondents said they will celebrate Labor Day, while 23% said they will not and 19% were unsure.
Gen X consumers are the leading celebrators, with 66% planning to partake, while 18% will not and 16% are unsure. Similarly, 65% of baby boomers plan to celebrate Labor Day, while 17% said they will not and 18% were unsure.
While the youngest LDAs may not all be in the celebratory mood, those who are are more likely to head to the on-premise for the occasion, according to a recent survey by CGA, the on-premise arm of market research firm NIQ.
About 41% of total survey respondents said they plan to visit bars and restaurants for Labor Day, up from 37% in 2024. That percentage increases to 60% when including only 21- to 34-year-old consumers, and 53% when only 35-54 year olds. Less than one-fifth (19%) of 55 and older consumers said they plan to visit the on-premise for the holiday.
Diving into other demographics, Hispanic and Lantino consumers had the largest percentage of consumers planning to celebrate (68% yes, 17% no, 15% unsure), according to Numerator, followed by Black consumers (66% yes, 17% no, 17% unsure), White (63% yes, 19% no, 18% unsure) and Asian (61% yes, 22% no, 17% unsure).
The holiday is most popular in the Northeast, with 68% of respondents in the region planning to celebrate (18% no, 14% unsure), followed by the South (64% yes, 18% no, 18% unsure), the Midwest (62% yes, 19% no, 19% unsure) and the West (59% yes, 24% no, 16% unsure).
Among total celebrators, 47% plan to purchase beverage-alcohol, Numerator reported. That percentage rises to 55% when including only Northeast respondents, and falls to 39% when including only respondents from the West.
Beer is the No. 1 choice among consumers planning to purchase bev-alc, with nearly three-quarters (74%) intending to purchase offerings within the category. That percentage remains relatively consistent across generational groups: 76% of boomers, 75% of Gen X and 71% of Gen Z and millennials.
Spirits and “spirits-based drinks” were the second most popular choice (44% of respondents). The category had a higher popularity with Gen Z and millennials, as nearly half (49%) plan to make a purchase in the category over the holiday.
Similarly, 43% of total celebrators buying bev-alc plan to purchase hard seltzers or “canned cocktails,” increasing to 52% when including only Gen Z and millennials.
Both spirits and hard seltzers/canned cocktails underindexed with baby boomers (40% and 37%, respectively). The generation’s purchases are more likely to go to the wine category, with 50% planning to buy wine for Labor Day, compared to 39% of total respondents, 36% of Gen X and 29% of Gen Z and millennials.
Just over one-third of respondents (34%) plan to purchase non-alcoholic beverages, rising to 36% with consumers in the Midwest and South and falling to 31% and 29% in the Northeast and West, respectively.
The majority of celebrators plan to purchase food for the occasion (82%), with higher percentages in the Midwest (89%) and South (83%) and lower percentages in the West (69%) and Northeast (76%).
Most Labor Day shopping is expected to occur in grocery stores, with 56% of respondents planning to do their shopping at retailers such as Kroger, Publix and other grocers. The channel is even more popular with consumers in the South (62%) and Midwest (59%), while underindexing with respondents in the West (47%) and Northeast (44%).
The next most popular outlet is big box stores, such as Walmart, Costco and Target, which 48% of respondents plan to visit, increasing to 52% in the Midwest. About one-quarter (27%) plan to visit liquor stores, overindexing in the Northeast (39%), followed by discount and dollar stores (16%), local shops and small businesses (14%), restaurants, bars and food delivery services (10%) and online retailers (8%). The latter increases to 18% with consumers in the West.
According to CGA, consumers planning to visit the on-premise are most likely to celebrate at casual dining chains (28%), followed by fine dining restaurants (26%) and sports bars (25%).
Among the consumers who plan to buy bev-alc in the on-premise, beer is the drink of choice (43%), followed by whiskey (26%), cocktails (26%), vodka (25%) and tequila (21%).