Consumers Want the Best Deals: New Data Highlights Myriad of Techniques Consumers Use to Save Money

NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

New Scarborough Report Highlights:

• Almost One-Third of Adults Using Grocery Coupons Weekly in their Households; Up 24% Since 2006
• Almost half of Americans Turn to Sunday Newspapers for Household Coupons; More than One-Fifth Use Digital Coupons
• Daily Deal Websites Emerge as Media Channel with Unique Marketing Opportunities for Local Businesses
• Grand Rapids and Detroit, MI, are the Top Cities for Digital Deal Seekers

A new study from the consumer research firm Scarborough Research finds that American consumers continue to actively seek out ways to save money on everyday expenses. Coupon usage for household groceries is up 24 percent since 2006. People are turning to a myriad of resources for their coupons. While more than one-fifth (22 percent) are utilizing digital media such as email, text messaging or Internet sites to get their household coupons, the Sunday newspaper is the category killer. Almost half of all Americans get their household coupons from the Sunday newspaper.

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Leading Sources for Household Coupons

1. Sunday Newspaper: 49%
2. In-store Coupons: 43%
3. Mail: 33%
4. In-store Circulars: 26%
5. Preferred Customer/Loyalty Card: 24%
6. TIE: Weekday Newspaper: 19%, Product Packages: 19%
7. Magazines: 17%
8. Internet Sites: 14%
9. Email or Text Messages: 14%

"As the American economic recovery continues to find a balance, people are utilizing a myriad of ways to save money. From traditional paper coupon clipping to seeking out deals online, consumers are getting creative with finding the best deals," said Brian Condon, executive vice president of commercial development, Scarborough Research.

Digital Deal Seekers Provide Unique Local Business Connections

Daily deal websites are now being viewed as a media channel option for local businesses. Further, local media companies and other media businesses are getting in on the action through their own exclusive daily deal programs. Any company seeking to bolster local business has much to gain with daily deal programs, according to Scarborough. Scarborough finds that Digital Deal Seekers* are more likely than average adults to be patrons of local businesses such as florists, malls, restaurants and day spas. Here is a Scarborough profile of local businesses set to benefit from daily deal websites:

Restaurants

• Digital Deal Seekers* are 36 percent more likely than the average adult to have eaten ten or more times at a quick service restaurant during the past month, and 27 percent more likely to have eaten with this frequency at a sit-down restaurant.
• More than half (53 percent) of Digital Deal Seekers ate at McDonald's during the past month, and almost one-fifth (17 percent) ate at Applebee's.
• Their favorite cuisine is Chinese. Forty-eight percent of Digital Deal Seekers ate at a Chinese restaurant during the past month. Forty percent ate at a Mexican restaurant, and 29 percent went out for Italian.

General Retail Stores

• Groceries: Digital Deal Seekers account for one-third of the population that spends $200 or more on groceries weekly – the highest spending bracket measured by Scarborough.
• Department Stores:  A full 91 percent of Digital Deal Seekers shopped a department store during the past month.
• Malls: They are 16 percent more likely to have shopped at a mall during the past month.

Local Specialty Stores

• Jewelry Stores: Digital Deal Seekers account for 39 percent of adults who shopped at a fine jewelry store during the past three months. They are 44 percent more likely to have done so.
• Bridal: They also account for 41 percent of all patrons of bridal stores during the past three months.
• Day Spas: Six percent of Digital Deal Seekers utilized a day spa during the past three months, but they account for almost half (43 percent) of adults who use day spa services.
• Florist: Digital Deal Seekers are 30 percent more likely to have used a florist during the past three months.
• Dry Cleaners: More than one-fifth (21 percent) of all Digital Deal Seekers used a dry cleaner during the past month, they are 37 percent more likely than the average adult to have done so.
• Pet Supplies: More than half (51 percent) of Digital Deal Seekers shopped a pet store during the past three months.

Health & Fitness Businesses

• Digital Deal Seekers are 47 percent more likely to practice yoga or pilates; 31 percent more likely to enjoy swimming; and 27 percent more likely to go running.
• They are 32 percent more likely to go to the gym.

Automotive Repair/Servicing

• Scarborough measures 13 types of auto repair services, and Digital Deal Seekers are more likely than the average adult to utilize each of them.
• From specialty detailing businesses to parts stores, a wide variety of types of local auto businesses have clientele utilizing Digital Deals.

"Daily deal websites are creating new media channel-like opportunities for marketers, especially at the local level," said Mr. Condon. "Local businesses embarking on digital marketing should consider the Digital Deal Seeker group a good place to anchor their efforts, as they are active local shoppers and consumers. As such, a key issue facing these daily deal sites is how they can differentiate their offerings according to the local needs and continue to evolve business models that create win-win scenarios for local merchants."

Grand Rapids and Detroit, MI, are the Top Cities for Digital Deal Seekers

The study also finds two major Michigan cities – Grand Rapids and Detroit – lead the country for Digital Deal Seekers. Thirty-six percent of adults in these cities utilize Digital Deals. Nationally, 27 percent of consumers engage in this money saving activity.

Scarborough Local Market Ranking: Top Cities for Digital Deal Seekers

* Digital Deal Seekers refer to those adults who live in households that usually obtain cents-off coupons via email, text messages or Internet sites, or those adults who went online for coupons during the past month.

SOURCE: Scarborough Research, Scarborough USA+ Study, Release 2 2010

About Scarborough

Scarborough (www.scarborough.com, [email protected]) measures American life. Our consumer insights reflect shopping patterns, media usage across platforms, and lifestyle trends for adults. Media professionals and marketers use Scarborough insights to make smarter marketing/business decisions on things like ad placement, multicultural targeting, and sponsorship opportunities.  The company's core syndicated consumer insight studies in 77 Top-Tier Markets, its Multi-Market Study and its national USA+ Study are Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited. Other products and services include Scarborough Mid-Tier Local Market Studies, Hispanic Studies and Custom Research Solutions. Scarborough measures 2,000 consumer categories and serves a broad client base that includes marketers, advertising agencies, print and electronic media (broadcast and cable television, radio stations), sports teams and leagues and out-of-home media companies. Surveying more than 210,000 adults annually, Scarborough is a joint venture between Arbitron Inc. (www.arbitron.com) and The Nielsen Company (www.nielsen.com).

SOURCE Scarborough Research