Luckily, being Irish may have staved off inflation for this year's St. Patrick's celebration. Party essentials are up, but only a wee bit more than they cost in 2022.
According to new data mined by Datasembly that took a long long at major brands at thousands of retailers across the country, the company’s analysts have determined that the cost of the St. Patrick’s Day basket in 2023 is $83.14 when compared with the 2022 cost of $80.82, an increase of 2.9%.
It’s not the booze that’ll get you, either – it’s those darn potatoes and the corned beef. The largest price difference from 2022 is the price of russet potatoes with a 13.64% year-over-year (YOY) increase, followed by a 12.47% jump in corned beef prices.
Currently, the alcohol category is experiencing very modest inflation and the most popular drink for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, Guinness, is seeing a 3.9% year-over-year increase. Last year, a six-pack of Guinness cost $9.73 and this year, it will cost consumers $10.11. If you want to save some money on alcohol, your best bet is Irish Cream Liqueur which actually decreased in price by 1.75%.
Costs for 2023 St. Patrick’s Day Basket Items (courtesy of Datasembly)
Item | 2022 $ | 2023 $ | Price Change |
Irish Cream Liqueur 750 mL | 28.07 | 27.58 | -1.75% |
Irish Whiskey 750 mL | 28.28 | 29.06 | 2.76% |
Fresh Corned Beef Brisket Flat, 1 Count, 2.0- 5.0 lbs | 7.22 | 8.12 | 12.47% |
Green Cabbage, 1 Head | 1.55 | 1.57 | 1.29% |
Russet Potatoes, 5 lb Bag | 3.3 | 3.75 | 13.64% |
Organic Whole Carrots 2 Lb Bag | 2.36 | 2.62 | 11.02% |
Stout Beer, 6PK 11.2oz Bottles, 5.6% ABV | 10.04 | 10.44 | 3.98% |
| Total | $80.82 | $83.14 | 2.87% |
Update on other grocery prices
Datasembly told ConsumerAffairs that the overall increase in grocery prices for February 2023 was 1.0% which is the highest we’ve seen since July 2022 when prices increased by 1.7%. The increase was driven in large part by the Snacks/Cookies/Chips category which rose 4.4%, almost twice as high as any other category.
The company said that spike was the largest increase it’s seen over the last three years and when it investigated the category further, it found that the subcategory driving this increase was Chips which increased almost 10% in February.
The next largest category increase was Condiments/Sauces/Spices which increased 2.3%; Deli and Baking increased 1.1% and 1.4% respectively; Produce prices, however, decreased by 0.5%.