On the other hand, it is likely that huge amounts of money can be saved on cleaning and other non-food products with coupons. Stores benefit by bringing in customers who save money and may even feel a bit triumphant about it.
Coupons are really hot these days because times are tough economically. Coupon sites like Valpak offer a smorgasbord of promo codes that save customers an average of $15 per item. There is a generally positive attitude towards cellphone-based coupon marketing as well. As long as everyone remembers to buy what they need, and not make purchases just in order to get a discount, buyers and sellers can profit. Some may have discount thrills, and others like Cathy and Monica will have a fabulous business.
One new high tech discount system is offered by Google Offers Beta. It is geographically oriented and can be trained to look in specific areas for the types of products you’re interested in. Discounts on anything from haircuts to theatrical performances are available. One of the most fabulous offers in my area is 50% off a dolphin watching, catamaran trip. That’s a lot of fun for $11 per person.
These days, many others are joining Monica and Cathy in their use of coupons to get by. Since 2008, usage has increased by 35 percent. In 2011, 3.5 billion coupons were used by shoppers nationwide. Coupon bloggers have increased substantially too. They are also very influential in supermarket marketing. When bloggers post negative reviews of products, the effect can be immediate and devastating. So much so, that many supermarkets employ social media coordinators to create a positive social media impact for their business, by working with these bloggers.
It appears that hi-tech discounts and eCoupons (along with traditional coupons) are here to stay for a while. They have already become a traditional marketing mechanism.
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