In its ubiquitous receipt-comparison ad campaign, Walmart targets dozens of regional supermarkets and national drug store chains, in an effort to show that the typical shopper can save more by shopping at Walmart. But have you ever seen Walmart compare itself with Target? It hasn’t happened. Perhaps that’s because a new study shows that Target may be winning the “Walmart[Read More…]
The last thing the world needed, and the last thing Mary Potter Kenyon wanted to write, was another “how-to” coupon book. Because it’s not the “how”, but the “why” that has long fascinated her. Why did coupons first come into existence? Why do some marketers have a love-hate relationship with them? And why are some people drawn to, even obsessed[Read More…]
Those looking to buy and sell coupons online have one less option on where to do it. Shortly after eBay announced new restrictions on the sale of manufacturer’s coupons (read: “eBay Cracks Down on Coupon Sales”), the online shopping site eCRATER decided to ban the practice altogether. The lesser-known shopping site suddenly became popular among eBay coupon sellers last week,[Read More…]
When coupon use declined sharply last year, many observers (some, gleefully) declared it was the end of the era of extreme couponing. It was just a fad, a phase, and we would all just go find a new hobby. But perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the coupons themselves last year were lousy. Manufacturers don’t print[Read More…]
Pity poor RadioShack. The past-its-prime electronics chain has tried rebranding itself (remember when it tried to act cool and call itself “The Shack”?). It’s trying to refresh its product assortment, eliminating gadgets that might have seemed high-tech decades ago (like VHS tape rewinders – yours for just $23.99!) Now, RadioShack executives are trying to explain away another terrible quarter by[Read More…]
Do you live in a “pre-coupon tax” state, or a “post-coupon tax” state? Do you even know, and would you notice if your store charged you tax on things it shouldn’t? One Pennsylvania man knows, and he isn’t happy about what he found on his Walmart receipt. So he’s suing the multi-billion dollar company, for overcharging him by 21 cents.[Read More…]
(UPDATE: This article is from 2013 – check out the 2015 version here!) It’s normally the time of the week when we look ahead to the coupons you can expect to receive in your Sunday newspaper inserts. Unless it’s a holiday weekend, there’s always something to look forward to. Just not this week. Give your scissors a little summer vacation,[Read More…]
In a move that’s annoying buyers, infuriating sellers, but delighting manufacturers and industry professionals, eBay is cracking down on the sale of coupons. In the first major revision of its coupon policy in several years, eBay is severely restricting the number of coupons that sellers can offer, and banning the sale of free-product (including “buy one get one free”) coupons[Read More…]
Seller beware: You may not have created the coupons you’re hawking on eBay, but if they turn out to be counterfeit, you could be the one in trouble while the actual counterfeiter gets off scot-free. That seems to be the case so far in the federal lawsuit that snack maker Link Snacks filed earlier this year. The search for the[Read More…]
Four decades ago, inflation was rampant. Food prices were on the rise, but coupons became easier to find, and use. Add promotional gimmicks like double coupons, and what happened? Couponing became cool! As we wrap up the first anniversary commemoration of Coupons in the News, a weeklong series on the 40th anniversary of “couponing” now concludes with a look at[Read More…]
