Newspapers Still Primary Source for Discounts, Coupons

Consumers are living in a digital era, with a variety of things readily accessible to them via different channels. However, when it comes to finding discounts and coupons, newspapers are their primary source.

According to August 2015 research by CreditCards.com, 37.7% of female coupon users and 30.1% of their male counterparts said newspapers were the primary source where they found discounts or coupons.

Reliance on coupons found in newspapers increased with age. For example, 18.9% of 18- to 34-year-olds mostly used newspapers to find coupons. That percentage was higher for 35- to 49-year-olds (30.2%), even higher for 50- to 64-year-olds (42.2%) and highest among those 65 and older (53.2%).

Income, however, was a different story. The more money US discount and coupon users made, the less they relied on newspapers to find deals.

A separate August 2014 study by Valassis also explored the popularity of paper coupons. Among all US internet users, 89% used paper coupons vs. 63% who used paperless ones. And although the use of paper coupons is clearly still relevant, marketers are trying to reach coupon clippers via mobile.

When it comes to looking for deals, both men and women partake in this activity—although the latter uses coupons more frequently. In fact, CreditCards.com reported 30.6% of female internet users often use discounts and coupons for day-to-day shopping, including digital shopping and dining at restaurants, compared to 16.8% of males who do the same. Additionally, older age groups use discounts or coupons more often compared to the younger generations.

Courtesy of eMarketer