The “recession” has been weighing heavily on my heart lately. Everywhere you turn, the newspaper, the TV, online- all news of doom and gloom.
When I started this blog last spring and wrote up my mission statement, I had no idea how much more important these words would mean today. “Save more, and give more, one coupon at a time”.
Families all across the country are being forced to cut back on spending. In the meantime, giving is down. Food pantries are bare. People cannot afford to be as generous as they once were.
In the back of my mind… I started to wonder. What would happen to the coupon industry? Would companies start scaling back on promotions and coupons? If this happens, how will it affect my readers, and more importantly, those that rely on donations to survive?
Then I read an encouraging article yesterday that I want to share. I receive an email each month from The Coupon Sentinel, produced by NCH. In it are current coupon trends and statistics.
The article mentioned that consumers are naturally looking for ways to save money. Because coupons provide a platform to retain and attract shoppers, they actually help retailers fend off competition.
Not surprisingly, the fourth quarter of 2008 saw a huge increase in overall coupon redemption. Couponing is becoming a popular and accepted way to save money. I believe this means “coupon stigma” is fading as well. Given the sudden growth of my blog and other frugal/deal bloggers on the interwebz, it’s easy to see how couponing may soon become mainstream.
Overall, the retailer channel with the largest increase in coupon usage last year was… can you guess? Drugstores. Up 14% over 2007! Drugstores are increasing the variety of products offered, and expanding the availability of in-store coupons. Smart move, in my opinion.
Here is another interesting point from the article:
“As consumers become increasingly promotion-sensitive, manufacturers’ coupons are an important vehicle for retailers to entice shoppers into their stores and defend market share. By making it clear that they support coupon usage, retailers have an opportunity to attract high-consumption shoppers, increase product movement and cushion price increases.”
I also learned that during a depressed economy, manufacturers tend to redirect their advertising dollars towards coupons. Producing and distributing coupons, especially online, costs far less than traditional media like commercials and slick magazine ads.
Essentially, don’t worry about coupons drying up anytime soon. If anything, this economy should lead to more coupons and competition among retailers to provide deals and incentives to consumers.
Take for example, all of the new technology that is popping up for coupon users like us. To name a few:
This is a comforting trend. Smart shoppers will continue to get groceries and other products for little or no money when strategically shopping with coupons.
It is my hope and prayer that shoppers will continue to use these skills to increase giving. Fill those food pantries with Hamburger Helper or Spaghettios! Give what you can, it is always appreciated. Take the extra time to use coupons for things your family would not normally consume, and pass that item on to someone in need.
The money you could be saving with…. COUPONS!
Perhaps you are new to the whole couponing world. Let me assure you it is worth your time and efforts. I am still ever so grateful to the friend who introduced me to it in 2007.
I have recently noticed increased interest in couponing and frugal living among my friends and neighbors. Feel free to share my blog or others with those in your life who may be looking for ways to save money during this difficult time.
Together, we can “save more and give more, one coupon at a time…”
Right on sister! Great post! I told Pauly Shore in one of my cooking segments that coupons are the next “cool thing”! I think I’m right 😉
That’s great! Wonderful article and so true, while I am using coupons to avoid going broke IF something happens financially, I could see how if we were having major money trouble I would need them even more!
Great post! I let my son handle coupons for items we are donating when we shop. He loves helping and he get so excited when it’s time to head to the pantry to drop off our donations because he “bought” the items for someone else. It has been a great way for me to teach him about giving to others, even when we are on a tight budget.
Even though times are crazy, thank goodness God always provides! Coupons have helped us weather a few layoffs, and I agree with you… couponing is so worth it! 🙂
I’m so glad you posted this. I’d still call myself new to couponing, but it’s been about 5 months now. It really started as a hobby, and a challenge to see if I can get the same kinds of deals I keep hearing about others getting. But with the recession I wasn’t sure how that would affect the coupon industry. With that said, I’ve also been feeling like stocking up right now is just a good idea. It gives me peace of mind, should something happen to our income, we’d not have to worry about spending money on anything I can stockpile. I also feel like this is just a blessing from Heavenly Father, and I need to use it wisely, or I wouldn’t be respecting Him.
I am also relatively new to couponing – I started a while back, but it is really only now that I’m getting my head around it and learning how to make it work properly.
I had a playdate with several friends yesterday – two of them very experienced couponers, and three of us newbies – I learned so much! I don’t see a stigma at all attached to coupons – I see it as the smart thing to do – in any economic climate 🙂
All i can say is my daughter thinks I’ve lost it, but at Target tonight the total was $90, then I paid $69 with coupons. I tried to share the excitement with her, but she is a teenager so I guess it’s a lost cause LOL.
So glad to hear this considering that I’m planning on really getting into couponing, huh? 😉
Thanks for this! 🙂
I work at a newspaper. While I don’t have the national coupon big picture …. We’ve noticed that local businesses that put relevant / appealing coupons in their local newspaper ads are getting a good response.
Great post, Alyssa! I am posting a link to this article on my site. I, too, have been worried about the effect of the recession on coupons, so it is so nice to hear that coupons aren’t going anywhere anytime soon (except to the cashiers at my local stores!).
I am very grateful to have come across your post. My husband had just lost his job and was struggling to figure out how we were going to make it. Thankfullly I started to cut coupons and it led to a revolution in my budget. This then led me to look for deals everywhere I go. I began shopping for items that were only on sale at the supermarket, and even on clearance at clothes stores. Now that my husband has a new and better job, I still continue to do coupons and sales and it is going to help us to save some money, something we haven’t sine in years. Even the frugal family fun ideas I have used in my own life. Thank you Alyssa and all the othe bloggers, you have really helped to change my perspective on my shopping habits.
I was just wondering if the FSI redemption rate had finally climbed above it’s historical 3%. Sweet. Now I’m not the nut job mom anymore.
This was a great synopsis of the coupon industry right now – great job!
Alice.com will have some really neat innovations in the coupon area, so be on the look out for that.
PS – We just launched our blog yesterday, blog.alice.com. Would love to know what you think!
Rebecca
Great post. Couponing has changed my life in the past six months. And I can’t believe I am one of those crazy coupon ladies.
http://www.couponkatie.com
follow me on twitter for knoxville deals
http://twitter.com/couponkatie
I’m glad to hear this. Thank you for taking the time to find out and then tell us! I started couponing seriously about three months ago, and it has made such a difference in our budget. Right now money is really tight so my husband and I started a two week “spending freeze”. We’re not even feeling a pinch in our food, because I have the pantry and freezer so well stocked!! 🙂