Around the Net

Online Coupons Surging As Economy Sputters

Coupon usage has surged about 10% in the past four months, according to coupon-processing agent Inmar, and shoppers are increasingly getting them online or having discounts sent to their smartphones and rewards cards. And stores are jumping further into the high-tech end of couponing, Timothy W. Martin reports, with text messaging and other digital-driven programs.

Online coupons account for only 1% of all coupons offered nationwide but redemptions jumped 140% last year, according to Inmar. Manufacturers are attracted to digital-coupon delivery in part because of its 13% redemption rate -- far above the 1% redemption rate for printed coupons.

Still, coupon use has a long way to go to regain its former glory. In 1992, 7.9 billion coupons were redeemed, Inmar estimates, compared to 2.6 billion in 2008. Part of that decline can be attributed to a robust economy. But coupons also lost some appeal after the emergence of supermarket loyalty programs.

advertisement

advertisement

Read the whole story at Wall Street Journal »

Next story loading loading..