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More About Coupons
Coupon
Codes assist the user in locating the coupons from their many
sources.
OL CI 7/23
SL SS 7/23 - 15
The first set of characters
provide the name or local of the newspaper or vehicle of
delivery.
OL =
Online
SL = Salt Lake
Papers
MC = Allentown Morning
Call
The second set of characters provide the
coupon source or provider.
CI = Coupon,
Inc.
BO =
Boodle
SS =
SmartSource
V =
Valassis
SA = Store
Ad
PL =
Pillsbury
BC = Betty
Crocker
GO =
Gorton's
TR = Target Online
The third set of characters provide
the distribution date or in the case of Online coupons the date
the coupon was indexed. Please note online coupons may be
removed from a web site without notice and may not be available at
all times.
7/23 = July
23
The fourth set of characters indicate the
page on which the coupon may be found. Page numbers are not
applicable for most online coupons and the notation OL os used
instead.
15 = page
15
OL = Online
Coupons
have been saving consumers money for over 100 years. Each year,
manufacturers and retailers distribute over $267 billion worth of
coupons! About 75% of American consumers use coupons when they shop.
So where did coupons come from, and where are they going?
| 1894 |
Coupons are born!
Asa Candler, the druggist who bought the formula for Coca-Cola
for $2,300, gives out handwritten tickets for a free glass of
his new fountain drink. |
 |
| 1895 |
Next stop, the
local grocer! C.W. Post distributes the first grocery coupon
worth one cent towards his new health cereal, Grape
Nuts. |
|
| 1930's |
Coupons are a
staple in American households because of the Depression.
Everyone needs to save money wherever possible, and clipping
coupons clips weekly grocery bills. |
| A Coca-Cola
coupon from the
Depression | |
|
| 1940's |
Supermarkets sprout
across the country and continue the coupon tradition that had
begun in neighborhood groceries. |
|
| 1957 |
The Nielsen Coupon
Clearing House becomes the first clearinghouse devoted to
coupon redemption. Coupons have created a new
industry. |
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| 1965 |
One-half of
Americans are now coupon users. |
|
| 1972 |
Valassis
revolutionizes the coupon industry by introducing the Co-op
Free Standing Insert (FSI). By 2003, it will account for 87%
of coupon distribution. |
|
|
| 1975 |
Coupon popularity
continues to grow. Over 35 billion coupons are distributed and
65% of American households clip! |
|
| 2002 |
Nearly 350 billion
coupons are distributed, ten times the number of a generation
ago. Shoppers save $3 billion dollars by redeeming 3.8 billion
coupons. |
|
| 2003 |
77% of consumers
report using coupons, making it one of the most popular
shopping activities in America. |
|
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Who Uses Coupons?
The
majority of consumers in every age group say they use coupons at
least some of the time when they shop. On average, 77% of consumers,
or about 90 million households redeemed
over 3.5 billion coupons and saved about
3 billion dollars on their
purchases.
|
Did You Know?
|
- The
average face value of a coupon is now about 94 cents.
- 26% of
coupons require purchase of more than one item.
- On
average, coupons expire 12 weeks after they are distributed.
- The top
three categories for coupon distribution are Household
Cleaning Products, Pet Food and Treats, and Frozen Prepared
Foods.
|
The future of
coupons is on the Internet. Consumers are going online to find
coupons, which can be easily accessed through manufacturer and
retailer Web sites or third-party coupon distribution sites. They
enjoy the savings and 24/7 availability of coupons, resulting in
increased product sales for manufacturers and retailers. Such a
win-win scenario is driving more companies to integrate
consumer-printed coupons into their overall marketing strategies.
| Growing Popularity! |
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- Over
200 million Americans are online and their numbers are
increasing. Consumers have always enjoyed savings using
coupons, and now they are going online to find them. One of
the traditional ways to distribute coupons has been the
Sunday newspapers, whose circulations are decreasing.
- The
savings generated and the convenience of using
consumer-printed coupons continues to draw an increasing
user base. This is evidenced in the dramatic year-over-year
increase in consumer-printed coupon distribution and
redemption (365% & 134%
respectively), despite a general decline in overall coupon
distribution and redemption (-5.6% &
-3.0% respectively).
- Not
only are manufacturers aware of this trend but retailers are
too. In a Supermarket News survey, 43% of retailers said they featured
online coupons on their websites.
- Consumer-printed coupon users represent a very
desirable audience for marketers. Internet users spend $120/week on groceries as compared to
non-users who spend $104/week.
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Sources:
PMA Coupon Council:
http://www.couponmonth.com/pages/allabout.htm
CMS Trends 2004
NCH
Marketing
Valassis Communications, Inc.
Coupons,
Inc.
Scarborough Research, Multi Market Release 2, 2003
Database.
Ads & Bargains, L.L.C.
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