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Shoppers Embrace Coupon Clipping 2.0

Digital discounts improve buyer tracking, make coupon use easier

By Ambreen Ali, Newser User

Posted Feb 25, 2009 4:27 PM CST

(Newser) – The recession has more Americans clipping coupons, sort of. While coupon use has jumped 10% since October, more of those discounts were downloaded to smart phones and supermarket rewards cards—not cut out from the newspaper. And digital advertising, still a 1% sliver of the discount pie, seems to benefit buyers and sellers alike, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Customers find online bargains easier to find and use, while manufacturers enjoy higher redemption rates and faster turnaround on ads. Some stores have also joined the action by handing out scanners that customers can use to ring items as they shop, and discover discounts in the process. The shopping trip is shortened, and stores end up with a goldmine of buying data.

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A customer holds onto coupons as she shops at the Costco in Pennsylvania. Coupon use has gone up during the recession. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

More customers are going online for coupons instead of clipping them out. Those discounts can be downloaded to smart phones or grocery loyalty cards.

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People are looking for every opportunity to save money. There are a lot of potential savings that people have not taken advantage of.
- Jim Hertel, a supermarket consultant

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Shoppers Embrace Coupon Clipping 2.0