2010 Largest Coupon Redemption Year in History While 2011 Hits a 21-Year Food Price High - Coupon Sense

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, March 02, 2011 (Press-News.org) Americans set a record in 2010 for a total redemption of 332 billion coupons for a total savings of $3.7 billion. It is visible there is a growing trend towards saving money and as a result, coupons are growing in popularity.

NCH Marketing released a report in January of 2011 that retailers and manufacturers once again distributed more coupons for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) in 2010 than in the previous year. The grand total of 332 billion coupons was the largest single-year amount ever recorded in the U.S., eclipsing the 2009 record by 6.8 percent, or 21 billion coupons.

The availability of online coupons continued to grow last year, as marketers and users alike became more comfortable with this high-tech distribution method. NCH tracked a 37-percent increase in total digital coupon offers, the largest increase across all varieties of coupons. Merchant willingness played a large role in this change, as an ever-increasing number of stores accept printable and paperless coupons, also known as IP (Internet Printable) coupons.

According to the report, consumer frugality also rose, with one-third of respondents saying they used more coupons in 2010 than the prior year. In fact, 78.3 percent of consumers said they regularly used coupons, up 14.7% from the start of the recession.

The vast majority of coupons -- 87.7 percent -- were still distributed via newspaper inserts and direct mail. The second-largest share of coupon distribution was through in-store handouts, amounting to 5.2 percent of the 2010 total. This classification includes coupons available in on-shelf distribution systems as well as those you receive with your receipt at checkout (known as Catalina coupons).

CPG marketers also estimated coupons were worth more than before. The face value of coupons they distributed increased by an average of $1.46 each. To balance out the books, marketers reduced expiration by generally a week and a half, for an average expiration period of roughly nine weeks.

Nearly 75 percent of 2010 coupons required shoppers purchase one item and 26 percent required consumers purchase two or more items to receive the discount.

"We expect expediential growth as well going into 2011, people are getting real about saving money and living with-in their means," said Jeremy Lovett, CouponSense.com.

The global food price index produced by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reached 231 points in January 2011, higher than the previous peak of 213.5 reached in 2008. It's the highest value recorded since FAO first developed this index in 1990, the UN said on its website.

In 2008, the increased prices were driven partly by high oil prices that peaked at more than $150 a barrel, the UN said, adding the cost of oil affects the cost of fertilizers and transportation -- both key factors in food costs.

Experts believe the high prices are likely to persist in the months to come.

Locally, inflated food prices have hit the pocketbooks of households, grocers and health food stores.

CouponSense.com is one of the largest independent paid coupon user membership sites in the United States. Currently serving over 9,000 members nationally.

Coupon Sense makes saving money through grocery shopping quicker and easier by doing the legwork for you. The program gathers the large majority of all available coupons and specials in each region and allows its members to access this information through their own personal shopping list. Instead of taking hours to locate and match coupons to store prices and specials Couponsense.com makes it as easy as inputting your shopping list and receiving a list of coupons to print and clip. The program's most popular perk is that there are "expert" shoppers posting their detailed shopping lists, usually with savings of 80% or more, that often act as a starting point for new members while they learn to take advantage of the program to its fullest. Even new members can save over 50% on their very first trip and are often posting their trips of 70-90% within the first month or two.

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