More than 90 million US consumers (78% of retail shoppers) currently use newspaper coupons, and 40 million (40% of shoppers) say they are likely to use coupons accessed online, according to a new coupon use and interest survey from Platform-A and Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) (via MarketingCharts).
The study, which polled adult shoppers about their current usage of newspaper coupons and their potential interest in digital ones, also found – perhaps not surprisingly – thatregardless of whether the shopping is being done online or in brick-and-mortar stores, the type of coupon a consumer favors varies by age. The younger the consumer, the more comfortable they are with the idea of accessing coupons online.
Nearly one out of every four newspaper-coupon clippers are likely to be age 65+.
The youngest market segments are the most receptive to online coupon offers, with 51% of 18-24-year-old shoppers indicating they would be very likely to use coupons presented to them online.
While historically ambivalent to traditional coupons, younger couples are the most likely life-stage group to use online coupons, indicating an opportunity to influence product choices within this segment.
Young couples without children are most likely to use a coupon they found online, followed by shoppers with younger children.