A new national study dares to ask the toughest questions about America’s most flag-waving, beer-drinking and charcoal-grilling end-of-summer holiday:
Barbecuing vs. movie watching: Will more Americans light the grill or hit the theaters? Hamburgers vs. hot dogs: Will burgers or wieners take top billing in 2016? Domestic vs. Imported Beer: Which brews will quench thirsty Americans? And South vs. Midwest vs. East vs. West: What U.S. region will bring their BBQ A-game?
Based on a representative survey of 2,000 Americans (ages 21+) conducted by Learndipity Data Insights, Budweiser asked respondents about their eating, drinking and leisure plans for Labor Day 2016.
BARBECUING VS. MOVIE WATCHING:
- A big win for barbecue lovers: 214 million Americans (67%) plan to fire up the grill this year while 115M Americans (36%) plan to watch a movie at a theater or at home.
- Other top Labor Day activities include having some quiet time (35%), doing an outdoor activity like hiking (27%), attending a party (26%), and shopping (23%).
HAMBURGERS VS. HOT DOGS:
- Across the U.S., 150M Americans (70% of barbecue-goers) expect to bite into a juicy burger compared to 109M hot dogs eaters (51%).
- New trend: Barbecued chicken (40%), now edges out steak (37%) and ribs (32%) on Labor Day plates.
DOMESTIC BEER VS. IMPORTED BEER
- 98M Americans (44% of barbecue-goers) will drink an ice-cold domestic beer, while only 49M (22%) will drink an imported beer.
- At a Labor Day BBQ, those drinking domestic beer are perceived as more “genuine and approachable” (70% agree for women, 59% agree for men) compared to those drinking imported beer (36% and 29%, respectively).
BARBECUE LOVE: SOUTH VS. MIDWEST VS. EAST VS. WEST
- Surprise! Eastern states have the highest percentage of Labor Day barbecue plans (70% of all residents).
- The Western U.S. (67%) tops the South (65%) and Midwest (63%) for second place (email us for state results).
Source: Budweiser Labor Day USA Survey (conducted by Learndipity Data Insights)
