Recent figures show that coupon use is on the rise lately, amid concerns about higher grocery prices. But who, exactly, is using those coupons?
A new survey finds that coupons haven’t suddenly become popular among people who never use them, but those who are inclined to clip coupons are clipping a lot more of them.
“With economic anxieties on the rise, consumers are looking for ways to save money where they can, and one time-tested method to save when shopping is using coupons,” the consumer analytics firm CivicScience wrote about its findings.
49% of survey respondents said they “often” use coupons when shopping for food. That percentage has been steadily rising since 2020, when only 39% said so. Notably, though, over that same time period, the percentage of shoppers who said they only “occasionally” use coupons has steadily declined, from 39% to just 31%. And the percentage of shoppers who said they “never” use coupons has held relatively steady, at just over 21%.
So if the same number of people are not using coupons at all, while more people who “occasionally” use coupons now “often” use them, “this doesn’t mean more people are using coupons,” CivicScience concludes. “Rather, existing coupon users are relying on them more frequently.”
If everyone is concerned about higher grocery prices, then, why aren’t noncouponers becoming couponers? 39% of those who don’t use coupons said looking for them is simply too complicated or time-intensive. 36% said they just don’t ever get around to looking for coupons. 32% aren’t aware of any available coupons for what they want to buy. And another 32% said they intend to use coupons, but just forget to.
Compare those responses to those of more committed couponers, who are adjusting to new ways of couponing. More than half of coupon users said they typically use digital coupons, while a third use coupons they get in the mail. Whether it’s due to lack of availability or lack of interest, the types of coupons that require more effort to seek out and use, like insert coupons and print-at-home coupons, are not as common anymore – they’re used by only 17% and 12%, respectively.
While coupon use is up, it’s not the only way that shoppers are looking for savings. Nearly half of coupon users say they take advantage of buy-one-get-one-free sales, and a third utilize buy-one-get-one-half-off deals.
And shoppers of all types are increasingly relying on stores’ loyalty programs. 56% of grocery loyalty program members say they do most or all of their shopping at those stores, up from 43% when CivicScience asked the same question back in 2018. “The trend is especially pronounced among younger shoppers, who are more likely to avoid retailers that don’t offer loyalty benefits,” CivicScience noted.
With digital coupons and loyalty program discounts, retailers and manufacturers in recent years have been trying to make savings more seamless and simple. But when more than one in five shoppers say they never use coupons, because it’s too complicated or they just forget to, maybe it’s not quite simple enough.
That hasn’t stopped coupon users from seeking out more of them, though. And the more that noncouponers avoid them, the more coupons there will be for the rest of us.
Image source: Big Y
