Is it too late to make it three in a row? After a dozen years of declines, coupon use has been rising for the past two years. But newly-released numbers show that trend is at risk of reversing – and not for lack of interest among shoppers.
Inmar Intelligence has taken its regular mid-year look at coupon facts and figures for the year so far. It found that coupon distribution in the first half of 2025 is down, again, as it has been for years. 26.4 billion coupons were available, down 30% from the same time last year, and fewer than half the number available just two years ago. Nothing to be alarmed at, Inmar says, since the downward trend is almost exclusively due to the decline in the availability of Sunday insert coupons – especially after one stopped publishing altogether.
Notably, though, coupon redemption is also down. 394.4 million coupons were used in the first half of the year, 6.4% fewer than the same time last year. This mid-year drop marks the first time since 2022 that coupon use has declined.
So are shoppers losing interest in coupons? Hardly. When you consider the overall redemption rate – the percentage of available coupons actually used – the 1.5% rate is far higher than usual. So that, together with the concerns expressed by consumers who spoke with Inmar, indicates that shoppers are a lot more interested in using coupons than the raw numbers might suggest.
83% of shoppers surveyed told Inmar they are concerned about grocery prices, and 87% “have adjusted their habits to manage their budgets.” Some are buying less, buying cheaper brands, or doing without.
And others are turning to coupons. Or, at least, they’re trying to.
88% said they have used coupons at some point this year, up from 76% this time last year. And as more coupons go digital, deal-seekers are going digital, too. Two-thirds of shoppers said the availability of digital coupons influences where they choose to shop, and more than half said they feel more loyal to brands and retailers that offer digital coupons.
But many others feel frustrated with brands and retailers that they say aren’t doing enough to help them save. 28% of shoppers told Inmar they’re discouraged by a lack of available savings. 23% said brands and retailers are “out of touch” with shoppers’ concerns about prices. And half of all shoppers were willing to give brands and retailers only half-credit, for providing “some support but not enough.”
Inmar surmised that the lack of coupons, and the lackluster appeal of many that are available, is likely “a temporary indicator of market pressure on brand budgets.” Brands and retailers are feeling pricing pressures too, as they navigate inflation and the impact of tariffs. That’s partly reflected in coupons’ average value, which has declined 6% to $2.51 per item, as many brands are keeping similar face values but increasing purchase requirements, by offering coupons for, say, a dollar off two items instead of a dollar off one.
“Shoppers recognize external price pressures but still expect help,” Inmar stated. So it advised brands to “use pricing, promotions, and incentives” strategically, and “deliver the right offers at the right time, before, during, and after the trip” to the grocery store.
And lately, they can do so most effectively with digital offers. Two years after digital redemptions first surpassed paper coupon use, digital coupons now represent 57% of all coupon redemptions so far this year, cementing their status as the most popular coupon format. While just over half of shoppers said they typically look at the weekly ad before heading to the grocery store, two-thirds said they will look for digital coupons. 41% will continue searching for digital coupons on their phone while browsing the aisles. And more than half said they have redeemed a digital coupon that they discovered in the store, by scanning a shelf tag or QR code.
Despite the dip in coupon redemption figures, “more shoppers are looking for and depending on coupons,” Inmar concluded. Prices, promotions and the availability of coupons have prompted a third of shoppers to switch their primary grocery store, and two-thirds shop at multiple stores to get the best deals. So not only do brands and retailers that offer more coupons stand to attract more shoppers, those that don’t do so, stand to lose them.
As sellers face increasing pressure from inflation, tariffs, discount retail competitors and store brands, they may not be able to afford to offer as many coupons as they used to. But, given shoppers’ frustration – they may no longer be able to afford not to.
