Valassis Takes Annual Dive into Coupons

Regardless of ongoing speculation about the death of print media, the 2016 RedPlum Purse String Survey revealed once again that the use of print coupons is strong. Valassis, which surveyed nearly 9,000 of what it calls value-oriented shoppers on RedPlum.com from May 16 to June 16 of this year, reports that 58% of respondents are using more print coupons than they did a year ago while 52% said they use mostly print coupons (versus digital).

“I think continued utilization [of coupons] was not a surprise but a confirmation,” says Valassis’ Frank Kroger, vice president, shopper marketing. “I would say the surprise is a heavy utilization of print.”

The results show shoppers are utilizing deals across channels, with 38% saying they are using more mobile coupons and 32% saying they are using online coupons or codes more often. Additionally, 51% say they print out digital coupons for use in-store and 35% say they use print and digital coupons equally.

“There’s a growth in the digital element, which [emphasizes] our idea behind intelligent media delivery,” Kroger says.

Diving deeper into the mobile realm, 72% of respondents reported searching for coupons or offers on mobile devices while in a store. The propensity to search for deals on mobile creates what Valassis chief marketing officer Curtis Tingle calls an opportunity for retailers and manufacturers to come together for couponing and “disrupt the journey.”

“This is such an ingrained part of their shopping,” Tingle says. “[Marketers] need to stop looking at coupons as a necessary evil and look at them to drive sales.”

Ninety-two percent of Hispanics surveyed reported using coupons, outpacing the overall numbers in every coupon category identified (direct mail, paperless/digital, newspaper FSIs, in-store and printed from computer). Additionally, 69% of Hispanics reported spending more than two hours a week looking for coupons, savings and deals from all sources.

Ninety percent of Millennials (aged 18-36) say they have looked for coupons in-store via their mobile device, and 61% say they spend more than two hours a week searching for offers.

According to Kroger, the amount of time shoppers spend hunting for deals each week – 55% overall say they spend more than two hours – is reason enough itself to believe coupons, no matter the medium, are here to stay. “For an industry, if you have people who are willing to spend two hours or more a week doing this, and when you factor who’s using them – moms, Millennials, affluents, Hispanics – if you’re a retailer, are those people you want to walk away from?”

Furthermore, 28% of affluents (those with household incomes of $100,000 or more) have increased their coupon use, with 81% of affluents saying they find print coupons prior to shopping.

“The reaction from using coupons is feeling rewarded, or feeling smart,” Kroger says. “It’s certainly better for retailers and manufacturers alike to grow that feeling, help them feel rewarded, especially in a day and age where loyalty is under fire. It’s better to appeal to consumers who are already out there.”

Kroger and Tingle are cautious to draw a connection to the psychological effects of using a coupon, but they do admit that the cerebral associations that come with saving money have been a topic of discussion before. “One of the topics we look into is the desire for events, gratification, and experience,” Kroger says. “The desire for that experience. The hunt, if that is an experience. Our research connected those dots. You could draw a light conclusion that this is part of [consumers’] experience when shopping, whether it’s grocery shopping or dining or otherwise.”

Regardless, the future of coupons remains bright. “Value is everywhere,” Tingle says. “In the survey, the largest categories consumers are utilizing are groceries, restaurants, cosmetics, clothing and household items.

“Consumers are looking for value across all categories. Part of the natural purchase path is finding value and finding new products of interest. It’s a time-tested ritual of behavior, and I don’t see any weakness in that behavior.”