Coupon Statistics Everyone Should Know About

Most of us will agree there’s something very gratifying about using coupons to save money, but how much do we actually know about them? Even those who use coupons daily probably don’t know that the history of coupons goes back more than a century. 

It all started in 1887 when Asa Candler, an Atlanta businessman and the owner of Coca-Cola, decided to try something new and created the very first coupon. These hand-written coupons offered customers a free glass of Coca-Cola, and although many thought Candler was out of his mind, this marketing strategy made Coke the most popular nonalcoholic drink on the market.

Between 1894 and 1913, about 8,500,000 free glasses of Coke were given out to Americans through this first coupon program. It was the beginning of a tremendously successful marketing strategy. 

Today, we’re so used to coupons affecting our shopping decisions we don’t even notice it. To understand how coupons work and how they worked in the past, we bring you some of the most interesting numbers we’ve managed to dig out.

Key Coupon Statistics for 2024 - Editor’s Choice

• In 2022, around 770 million coupons were redeemed worldwide.
• The global mobile coupons market will reach $1.6 trillion by 2030.
• 42% of shoppers look use Facebook to discover coupon deals.
• 89% of Millennials would try a new brand if they had a coupon for it.
• 92% of shoppers look for special offers and coupons before making a purchase online.
• Online buyers who use coupons spend 24% more than those who don’t use them.

88% of US shoppers use coupons at least once a year.

(Statista)

Based on a survey of 1,000 respondents, almost nine out of ten stated that they used at least one coupon that year, and this number has been highly consistent in the past decade, with the usage hovering around 90% year over year.

The global mobile coupons market is expected to reach $1.6 trillion by 2030.

(ResearchAndMarkets)

According to the October 2023 report, the global market for mobile coupons was worth at $509.7 billion in 2022. It is projected that the market will grow at a 15% CAGR until the end of the decade, and that in the next few years it will pass the $1 trillion mark.

Coupons influence 86% of consumers to try new products.

(Business Wire)

In 2019, Valassis published its annual 2K19 Coupon Intelligence Report, “Empowered Shoppers, Evolving Expectations.” The report contained responses from 1,000 US consumers who were asked to share their shopping behaviors. Based on these statistics, coupons influenced 86% of respondents to try new products.

Eighty-nine percent of respondents said using coupons saved them a lot of money, and 85% of them confirmed they were willing to go to multiple shops looking for the best price.

92% of US shoppers look for special offers and coupons before buying online.

(Statista)

Based on Statista’s report with 1,200 participants, 92% of shoppers search for coupons and special deals before purchasing something online. This survey was conducted among US shoppers, and it showed that only 8% of them rarely or never look for coupons when shopping online.

Online buyers who use coupons spend 25% more than those who don’t use them.

(Blippr)

Blippr’s survey focused on 5,000 online shoppers and 17 online retailers. The results showed that online shoppers who use coupons spend 25% more than shoppers who don’t use them. 

Online coupon numbers from this report also revealed that 81% of respondents used their mobile devices to make at least one purchase, while 53% of online shoppers use physical coupons in addition to digital ones. 

50% of shoppers prefer to get their coupons via mail.

(Valassis)

Even though times have changed, and most people prefer to receive all their mail in a digital format, things are a bit different with coupons. Valassis, a marketing technology company that studies customer behavior, published a coupon intelligence report with some riveting discoveries, which showed that half of shoppers still prefer to get their coupons in the mail. 

Based on the data from the report, 44% of customers wish to receive coupons from a coupon book in a newspaper, and 38% of them prefer to receive coupons on their mobile devices. 

In 2022, 770 million coupons were redeemed.

(Coupons In The News)

Based on the the data from last year, the coupon redemption rate is down 19% from 2021. This was the first time since the 1960s that the total number of redeemed coupons fell bellow a billion mark in a single year.

48% of shoppers decide to buy a product sooner than planned if they have a coupon.

(Fool)

The same data from Fool also indicates that 37% of consumers bought more than they intended to because they had a coupon.

30% of shoppers redeem their digital coupons within 24 hours.

(Inmar)

Another interesting tidbid from Inmar’s study informs us that 82% of shoppers redeem a digital coupon in less than a week. 

One of the things that make coupon shoppers appreciate the whole process even more are personalized offers. 53% percent of respondents confirmed they wanted relevant offers based on their previous purchases, while 51% said they wished to have exclusive offers based on their loyalty to a specific brand.

42% of shoppers look use Facebook to discover coupon deals.

(Statista)

The latest data shows that Meta's platforms are dominating the space when it comes to coupons, discounts and deals, with Instagram being used by 30% of shoppers and Facebook groups by 18%.

The Demography of Couponing 

89% of Millennials would try a new brand if they had a coupon for it.

(Statista)

A survey Statista published in May 2020 gives us insight into some distinctive Millennial habits when it comes to couponing. According to the survey, 89% of Millennial shoppers in the US are open to trying new brands if offered a coupon.

Baby Boomers are least open to new brands, with “only” 76% of them interested in trying them out. Gen Z is right above them with 78%, and 86% of Gen Xers are willing to give a new brand a chance if they get a coupon for it. 

43% of Millennials share deals through social media.

(Valassis)

Shoppers are often skeptical about new brands and reluctant to try them. Millennials rely heavily on social media for recommendations of new brands and finding promotions and special deals. 90% of Millennials share deals, and 43% of them do it through their social media accounts.

76% of Millennials used money-saving browser extensions when shopping in 2022.

(CouponFollow)

The most recent report has shown that the number of Millennials using these extensions has more than doubled in the past five years, as only 30% of respondents used them in the 2017 survey.

70% of Millennials searched for coupon deals on their phones in 2022.

(CouponFollow)

The world of online shopping is moving more and more toward the mobile market, as the number of Millennials using mobile devices to search for coupons has grown by 8% compared to 2021. In that same period, search from computers dropped by a whopping 20%.

96% of Baby Boomers in the US use coupons.

(Coupon Science)

Based on the results of the Opportunity Health Center’s study, 96% of Americans older than 55 use coupons. 70% of Baby Boomers use old-fashioned paper coupons, 32% confirm they use online coupons as well, and only about 17% of respondents use mobile coupons. 

Things are a bit different with the younger generations. 91% of Gen Xers used coupons in 2019. The paper coupon usage in this category was 63%, 39% of them used online coupons, and 25% used mobile coupons. Last but not least are Millennials, with 87% of them using coupons. 46%of them confirmed they used paper coupons, 48% utilized online coupons, and 33% used coupons through their mobile devices.

48% of women in the US download digital coupons through their smartphones while in-store.

(Retail Dive)

Believe it or not, most shoppers use their smartphones to research products and check product information - while in the store. In fact, some shoppers rather do so than approach an actual sales representative. 48% of women in the US use their smartphones to download digital coupons while in the store. On the other hand, “only” 35% of men do the same. 

When it comes to comparing prices, it seems like men are in the lead. Sixty-three percent of them use smartphones to check and compare prices while in-store, compared to 46% of women doing the same thing.

73% of women use coupons to buy clothing and accessories.

(Statista)

A survey Statista conducted revealed some interesting numbers on how male and female shoppers use coupons for various product categories. These show that 73% of women use coupons to shop for fashion items and accessories, while 61% of men do the same. 63% of female shoppers use coupons for cosmetics and personal care products, compared to 52% of male shoppers in the same category.

64% of men use coupons to buy food and utilize food delivery services.

(Statista)

We’ve already talked about how women use coupons across certain product categories, but what about men? According to Statista’s survey, 64% of male shoppers confirmed they use coupons to buy food or order it through some food delivery service. Electronics are another category men like to spend their coupons on - 63% of them compared to just 41% of women. 

Another thing we learned from this survey is that 48% of men use coupons to shop for household appliances, followed by 35% of women.

80% of Gen Xers used coupons while planning their shopping lists during 2020.

(Valassis)

Thanks to Valassis' report, we found out that 75% of shoppers use coupons when planning their shopping list. Based on the research, 86% of Millenials have this routine, followed by 80% of Gen Xers and 72% of Gen Zers. Baby Boomers are the last on this list with 69%.

Receiving a coupon helps 82% of Millennial parents come to a decision to make a purchase.

(Valassis)

Based on Valassis’s report, 60% of all surveyed shoppers confirmed receiving a coupon or a discount sped up their decision to purchase a particular product. 75% of all parents - participants of this survey - agreed to this, compared to 82% of Millennial parents.

Student Coupon Numbers

64% of students wish to receive student discounts and coupons via email.

(SheerID)

Just like any other age group, students, too, have their specific financial struggles to tackle. Financing university education isn’t an easy task, and many students reach out for private college lenders to pay for their education and cover their living costs. 

And while couponing can’t really help you with financing your education, it can save you some pocket money. So it comes as no surprise that a survey conducted by SheerID revealed that 64% of students want to receive special discounts via email. 

One of the things that show digital coupon trends are booming is that 55% of students think that stores should post their student discounts on their websites, and 82.5% of participants would like to be reached by retailers via Facebook and Twitter.

83% of students would shop in their favorite shops more frequently if offered a student discount.

(SheerID)

Many students don’t have time to visit brick-and-mortar shops and prefer to complete their purchases online. Most retailers know this and understand how important it is to find a way to reach them, which is why they now focus on offering online student discounts and coupons. Students greatly appreciate that, as demonstrated by these digital couponing and shopping behavior numbers. 

86% of students confirmed they would shop in their preferred store more often if offered student coupons and 73% of them said they would rather purchase from a business that offers online student discounts than from one that doesn’t.

69% of students would stay loyal to a retailer that offers student discounts.

(SheerID)

Customer loyalty is one of the most critical factors for any serious business. Attracting new customers isn’t easy, but keeping them coming back is even more challenging. The same report by SheerID found that 61% of students would stay loyal to that company even after graduation if it offered them student discounts.

Restaurant and Food Couponing

Couponers visit restaurants seven times a month, while non-couponers only do it 4.8 times a month.

(Valassis)

The whole idea behind couponing is to save some money and then use it to buy some other products or enjoy some nice activity with your family and friends. Based on the restaurant coupon data we’ve analyzed, coupon users visit restaurants seven times a month on average. On the other hand, those who don’t collect coupons enjoy the same activity just 4.8 times a month.

Another important tidbid from Valassis’s research is that 77% of consumers admit to using coupons in restaurants. 54% usually visit the same restaurants, but 20% of them are willing to switch to a different place if offered a coupon.

80% of Millennials use a grocery store savings app at least once a month.

(Valassis)

According to the latest data by Valassis, 61% of consumers have used a savings app from a grocery store, mass merchant, drugstore, or supercenter at least once a month since the beginning of 2021. Millennial parents are the dominant group, with 90% of them using such savings apps, followed by 86% of parents and 80% of Millennials who have similar habits.

Groceries are the top category for which Millennials seek coupons.

(MediaPost)

The majority of Millenials - 93% of them, to be precise - were most interested in grocery coupons. The next categories on their wishlist were cosmetics (69%), clothing (62%), household items (60%), and restaurants (57%). 

Other Coupon Data

67% of shoppers made a purchase they initially didn’t intend to make because of a coupon.

(RetailMeNot)

Coupons can trigger purchases we initially didn’t intend to make. Based on a survey by RetailMeNot, 67% of consumers made an unplanned purchase just because they had a coupon for it.

Four out of five shoppers would feel comfortable enough to make a first-time purchase with a new brand if it offered them a coupon. And based on the data, nearly a half would avoid brands that don’t offer any.

71% of shoppers look for coupons on store websites.

(Valassis)

There are a lot of places to find coupons these days. You don’t necessarily have to buy newspapers and browse through coupon books to find good deals. Nowadays, customers usually turn to various websites and mobile savings apps when looking for coupons and special promotions.

According to the report by Valassis, the majority of customers - 71% of them - check store websites for coupons. 68% of them check coupon websites while 50% hunt for coupons on social networking websites. 

Household are the most searched online coupon category in the US.

(Statista)

48% of respondents confirmed they were looking to find coupons for these types of products. 

Unsurprisingly, the next category on the list was restaurant delivery options, with 41% of shoppers interested, and grocery delivery options with 40% of them. Together, these three categories paint a clear picture of digital coupon usage in the US.

In 2022, more than 145.3 million Americans used couponing apps.

(RSA America)

It looks like in the past couple of years digital coupons have taken over the old-fashioned ones. And although paper coupons still have a higher rate of redemption, more and more Americans embrace digital coupons and turn to couponing apps instead of coupon books.

There are plenty of possibilities when it comes to finding coupons online, and some of the top coupon apps available are Honey, Rakuten, and Ibotta.

Six out of 10 adults with a household income of $100,000 or more redeemed a coupon in 2010.

(MarketingCharts)

Contrary to popular belief, coupons are not reserved for those with low income. According to a survey by MarketingCharts from 2010, 61% of adults with a household income of $100,000 or more redeemed a coupon. This was for the period of six months before the survey was published.

There are also some numbers that show that adults with a college degree were almost as twice as likely to use coupons than those who didn’t graduate from high school. 

55% of shoppers favor grocery stores that offer coupons over those that don’t.

(IndoorMedia)

There’s plenty of research that confirms how coupons at the back of receipts have a positive effect on a particular store or a brand. Coupons and loyalty points are marketing tricks probably no shopper is immune to, and they can greatly benefit any business and help it improve customer retention.

Judging by a survey conducted by IndoorMedia, an astonishing 96% of respondents were most likely to recall coupons they received at the back of receipts. The categories they remembered the most were oil change, pizza, and other fast food products. 

Conclusion

Nowadays, coupons can be found everywhere around us, in the newspapers, at the back of a receipt, as well as on numerous coupon sites and coupon apps available to us. There are various statistics that convincingly demonstrate how beneficial they can be both for businesses offering them and consumers.

Saving-centric customers who have a savings account and similar financial habits are most likely to be drawn by a coupon campaign, although the numbers we have gathered here indicate that generally speaking, all categories of consumers react well to coupons.