Valassis notes consumer shift to digital coupons

Research commissioned by coupon and voucher services provider Valassis has suggested that promotional offers continue to have a significant impact on consumer spending habits.

The research also revealed a noticeable shift towards digital coupons and vouchers.

According to the research, 28 per cent of consumers are looking for promotional offers more than they were a year ago, with the price of food (26 per cent), cost of living (22 per cent) and having less money (17 per cent) cited as the main reasons for this increase.

Promotional awareness is highest in the 16-24 age group, with 41 per cent of consumers in this category looking for promotional offers more than they were a year ago and 25 per cent using more coupons than a year ago.

Digital downloads are growing in popularity with 30 per cent of internet households having printed a coupon or voucher found on the internet in the last 12 months.

When Valassis asked the same question in June 2009, only 17 per cent of households surveyed had done this.

Restaurant chains are the most popular type of coupons and vouchers printed or downloaded via the internet (57 per cent), followed by supermarket food shopping (29 per cent).

Days out also featured heavily in people's responses, including theme parks and the cinema.

However, mobile coupons are still in their infancy, with three per cent of mobile-owning households having downloaded a coupon or voucher from a mobile phone in the last 12 months.

Twenty-two per cent of consumers yet to do so said they would be 'willing' or 'very willing' to download a mobile coupon.

Most of the coupons and vouchers downloaded from a mobile phone were for the cinema (47 per cent) closely followed by restaurant chains (40 per cent) and supermarket shopping (18 per cent).

Charles D'Oyly, managing director of Valassis Europe, said: 'Coupons and vouchers are a staple part of shopping in the UK and are increasingly popular among younger people.

'Even though we are officially out of recession, costs continue to rise and consumers are demanding best value from everyone on the high street, from supermarkets to cinemas and restaurants.

'Consumers like to receive coupons and they are an effective way for brands to engage with consumers that are looking for ways to reduce their weekly spend.

'Like consumers in the US, the UK is becoming a nation of "coupon clippers" and digital coupons are now starting to make their trans-Atlantic voyage.

'The research shows a marked increase in the use of internet coupons, and the volume of coupons that consumers are downloading or printing from the internet will continue to grow.

'Conversely, mobile couponing technology is far less advanced in the UK but consumers spend a significant amount of time on their handheld devices and we expect to see a rise in mobile coupons as brands seek to take advantage of this.

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