New Westpac data reveals Wednesday pub and club spend is growing faster than any other day of the week, and more than three times the growth recorded across the week as a whole.
The analysis from Westpac DataX found that while Friday and Saturday remain the biggest days for total overall spend, Wednesday recorded the strongest growth year-on-year, rising 6.1 per cent, suggesting more Australians are embracing a mid-week pub visit.
Over the remainder of the week, pub spend on Monday (+0.7%), Thursday (+0.3%) and Friday (+0.4%) remained largely flat, while Tuesday (+2.3%) saw stronger growth.
The number of transactions is also growing fastest on Wednesday, jumping 5.4 per cent year-on-year. The average Wednesday transaction value rose just 0.7 per cent year-on-year, indicating growth is being driven by more Australians visiting pubs on a Wednesday, and more often, rather than bigger bar tabs.
| Day | Total spend (last 12 months) | Spend growth YoY | Transactions (last 12 months) | Transaction growth YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | $1.51 billion | +6.1% | 45.1 million | +5.4% |
| Saturday | $3.42 billion | +2.4% | 101.3 million | +1.5% |
| Sunday | $2.22 billion | +2.3% | 63.8 million | +0.8% |
| Tuesday | $1.24 billion | +2.3% | 36.8 million | +1.9% |
| Monday | $1.06 billion | +0.7% | 30.3 million | ~0.0% |
| Thursday | $1.71 billion | +0.3% | 50.9 million | +0.3% |
| Friday | $2.76 billion | +0.4% | 83.2 million | ~0.0% |
| Total | $13.92 billion | +2.1% | 411.5 million | +0.6% |
“This points to a potential shift in how Australians are structuring their social lives,” Westpac spokesperson Luke Oxley said.
“Rather than saving downtime for the weekend, Australians appear to be making the most of the middle of the week too, whether that’s to break up the working week or get a head start on catching up with friends.”
“From pub trivia to after-work drinks, or simply wanting to avoid the weekend crowds, Wednesday is emerging as a genuine night out in its own right,” Oxley added.
The trend is consistent across the country, with spend growth peaking on a Wednesday in almost every capital city and territory.
While Greater Melbourne and Greater Sydney remain the biggest-spending regions on Wednesday overall, the ACT recorded the largest year-on-year uplift (+11.5%).
At a local level, venues on the Sunshine Coast (+17.2%) and in New South Wales’ Capital and Southern Highlands regions (+14.8%) saw the biggest uptick of any area in the country.
| Region | Wednesday total spend (last 12 months) | Wednesday spend growth YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | $25 million | +11.5% |
| Greater Brisbane | $133 million | +7.8% |
| Greater Sydney | $251.6 million | +7.2% |
| Greater Melbourne | $289 million | +3.4% |
| Greater Adelaide | $90.9 million | +6.0% |
| Greater Perth | $140.3 million | +4.5% |
| Greater Hobart | $14 million | +3.9% |
| Greater Darwin | $11.7 million | +1.6% |
Carina Leagues Club in Brisbane is one venue seeing strong Wednesday growth, with CEO Adam Wiencke saying efforts to promote the club’s affordable specials to members have helped bring more people through the doors.
“Right now, our customers are looking for genuine value. Our meal specials, combined with our new family-friendly space and full table service, are giving members more reasons to head out mid-week,” Wiencke said.
The Wednesday uplift is also evident across age groups. Spend by 18-24-year-olds rose 12.1 per cent year-on-year, the fastest growth of any age group on a Wednesday and more than three times the rate recorded for this group on any other day of the week.
Australians aged 55 to 74 saw a similar pattern, with Wednesday also their fastest-growing day, up 7.6 per cent year-on-year.
“What’s interesting is this trend isn’t confined to one group or one part of the country – we’re seeing many Australians enjoy the mid-week pub visit,” Oxley said.
“With cost-of-living pressures still front of mind, a midweek catch-up can feel like a smaller, easier option – a possible sign Australians are adapting, rather than stepping back.”
Westpac offers a range of tools designed to help customers keep their finances on track, including:
- Cashflow insights, covering 30+ spend categories, including pubs and clubs.
- Budgeting tools such as Westpac’s Budget Planner.
- Real-time spend notifications and card controls via the Westpac App.
About the data
Analysis covers July 2024 to June 2026, based on more than 80 million consumer transactions at pubs and clubs across Australia.
About Westpac DataX
Westpac DataX is Westpac Group’s data analytics business using de-identified data sourced from across the bank’s operations. If you would like more insights on your sector or business from this and other Westpac data please visit Westpac DataX
