New Valassis research points to a rise in print and digital coupon use. With more than one-​third of survey respondents using print and digital coupons equally, brands must embrace an integrated media strategy.

With September being National Coupon Month, Valassis, announced the results of its 2016 Purse String Survey. The findings, produced by an online survey of nearly 9,000 value-​seeking consumers, reveal insights about today’s shoppers, including their habits and preferences for saving. Results indicate that savings-​oriented consumers today are driven by and utilize deals through all channels, including print, online and mobile.

In the past 6 months, 23% of U.S. adults have used smartphones or tablets to redeem or download a coupon, according to AudienceSCAN data.

When asked about their increased couponing behaviors over the past year, 58 percent of respondents reported using more print coupons, 38 percent said the same about mobile coupons and 32 percent are using online coupons or coupon codes more often. Nearly half of the respondents indicated they use six or more coupons per shopping trip with 27 percent using 10 or more coupons. By using coupons, 42 percent of those surveyed save $30 or more each week and 21 percent save $50 or more.

During the past 6 months, 29.3% of Digital Coupon Users uploaded a grocery or shopping receipt for cash back on a mobile app (like Checkout 51 or SavingStar), according to AudienceSCAN research.

“Shoppers today are savvier than ever before, using all available resources to research products and find the best price,” said Curtis Tingle, Chief Marketing Officer, Valassis. “Our research indicates that consumers will continue to adopt new methods to shop and find deals. For this reason, brands must cater to the evolving, multi-​tasking shopper, providing an integrated couponing strategy that crosses print, digital and mobile channels.”

During the past 30 days, 76% Digital Coupon Users have used the internet via browser, tablet or smartphone to find coupons or discount codes, the AudienceSCAN study reveals.

Additional key findings from survey respondents point to several critical attributes marketers should consider:

• Proximity: More than half of shoppers say they have visited a store, restaurant or other business after receiving an offer on their mobile device when they were near the business location.
• In-​store mobile: 72 percent of consumers say they have looked for coupons or offers while in-​store via their mobile device; millennials (90 percent) and affluent shoppers with $100K+ household incomes (81 percent) are much more likely to do so.
• Print relevance: 35 percent of shoppers use print and digital coupons equally while 51 percent say they print out digital coupons for use in-store.
• Digital engagement: More than one-​third report feeling “rewarded” by the number of deals/​savings received in a given day via email, text, social and app notification.
• eCommerce gaps: Over half would be more likely to shop for groceries online if they could use more coupons, with 66 percent of millennials agreeing.

AudienceSCAN data is available as part of a subscription to AdMall for Agencies, or with the SalesFuel API. Media companies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall.