CHICAGO, Jan. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- An exclusive study of over 2,200 moms who primarily buy food for their family at supermarkets reveals that an overwhelming majority (89%) are regularly influenced by coupons to try new food and drink products. Conducted by the popular online community Womensforum.com, the "Womensforum.com Supermarket Moms Survey" also finds nearly half (49%) of grocery-seeking moms see it as a frequent occurrence.

"The power of the coupon hasn't faded in the digital era, but has taken on new life, as women search for savings across a range of channels," said Mark Kaufman, Founder and CEO, Womensforum.com. "The important role of the coupon in moms' lives is a cornerstone of Womensforum.com's own business, as the one of the largest distributors of digital print coupons in the U.S. We generated more than 50 million coupon downloads in 2013 alone, underscoring the numbers in this new study."

When it comes to what kinds of foodstuffs end up in their carts, coupons prompted the "Womensforum.com Supermarket Moms Survey" respondents to make more new product purchases down the snack food aisle (73%) than elsewhere in the store. But, the study shows that coupons still hold a great deal of sway beyond newfangled potato chips and pretzels, heavily inspiring moms to buy new products in other categories as well, including:

• Frozen food (72%)
• Cereal (62%)
• Beverages (57%)
• Dairy (55%)
• Breads/bakery (42%)

This balance shifts slightly depending upon the age of the mom in question, with those over 50 more inclined to purchase a new frozen food item rather than a new snack food.

Pointing to parity between digital and print discovery among supermarket-shopping moms, nearly half of those surveyed (46%) said that they learned about these new grocery products though online advertising – the same number that said they where exposed to new food and drink products through traditional newspaper advertising.

Hometown supermarket circulars and word-of-mouth (65% vs. 51%) are also deemed powerful tools for finding out about the latest products to hit the shelves. And, contributing to the impact of the latter, 33 percent said they heard about new food and beverage items through their social media circles.

Print media and supermarket circulars take the lead when it comes to finding coupons (78% vs. 65%), but more than half of those surveyed (55%) say they often get coupons online, with nearly four in 10 also uncovering them on food or frugal-living blogs that share cost-saving finds.

"Moms are tapping into a variety of sources in order to discover the latest and greatest products to put in their supermarket carts," added Kaufman. "Food and beverage marketers can only ignore digital at their peril, since it is clear that a healthy media mix is necessary in order to capture her attention, and ultimately win a coveted spot on her grocery shopping list."

To see the entire "Womensforum.com Supermarket Moms Survey" report, please visit www.womensforum.com/supermarketmoms.

Methodology:
Fielded in December 2013, 2,243 respondents completed this survey. Each participant met the requirements of being a mother who has at least one child still living at home, and primarily does her food shopping at a supermarket. The study was conducted across the Womensforum.com family of sites, which reaches a worldwide audience of over 51 million.

About Womensforum.com:
Founded in 1996, Womensforum.com (www.womensforum.com) was the first community of sites focused on women. Since then, it has cultivated a targeted, scalable audience of over 51 million globally that appeals to marketers looking to reach women where they spend time and engage online.

SOURCE Womensforum.com