BEYOND REDEMPTION: Putting Hard Numbers to the Coupon Phenomenon



America's coupon blizzard continues apace, with the number of manufacturer-issued coupons reaching 310 billion last ye

Nonetheless, consumers managed to redeem $4.5 billion worth of coupons in ’92. The top category for coupon issuance in ’92 was cereals & breakfast foods (also tops in ’91), followed by candy & gum (No. 4 in ’91) and medications, remedies and health aids (No. 2 in ’91). And if you feel the pace of life has become more hurried, perhaps it’s due to the decline in average period of validity for coupons with expiration dates – from 4.4 months in ’91 to just 4 months last year.
CLIPPING OR NON-CLIPPING?
Have you recently used in-ad coupons?
Northeast 79%
Midwest 71%
South 47%
West 62%
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Does the availability of coupons affect your choice of where to shop?
Often 32%
Occasionally 18%
Never 50%
Copyright Adweek L.P. (1993)