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Valassis Research : 9 out of 10 consumers use coupons. Make sure your brand is included

UK consumers save £3.2 billion a year as coupon usage climbs to 99 per cent of supermarket shoppers

With coupon usage by UK supermarket shoppers surging to 99 per cent, and coupon redemptions increasing 37 per cent over last year, consumers are saving £3.2 billion annually, according to research by coupon experts Valassis Limited.

Forty-three per cent of consumers save at least £5 a month, a 4 per cent rise on 2014, while 19 per cent of consumers save at least £10 a month, showing the positive impact of coupon redemption on household budgets.

Better off than a year ago

The survey also found that 18 per cent of consumers say they feel better off than a year ago, while the proportion who say they are worse off is 28 per cent, a 2 per cent decline over last year.

However there are notable differences in social classes and age groups. While 22 per cent of ABs feel better off, only 12 per cent of DEs do, and just 14 per cent of the 45-54 age group feel better off compared with 28 per cent of 16-24 year olds. Despite the recent upturn in the economy there are certain demographics still feeling the pinch.

Charles D’Oyly, managing director at Valassis, comments: “The survey findings show an increase in coupon use across British society and the significant savings for shoppers. Consumers see some improvement in their personal financial outlook while continuing to use coupons as a means to stretch their household budgets.

While the amount of consumers receiving coupons through the post or at the till has remained the same, the internet is growing as a source of coupons to consumers, with more than one third of consumers downloading offers.

Consumers’ allegiance and where they shop has been a frequent topic in the news in recent years. The Valassis survey shows an increase of 14 per cent in shoppers who say they ‘will not shop around’ compared with 5 per cent a year ago, while 78 per cent of shoppers ‘will shop around to some extent’.

The survey of 2001 nationally representative adults was conducted by Gfk NOP on behalf of Valassis between 3-5 June 2015.