Nearly One-Third of Coupon Users Consider Themselves Opportunists When it Comes to Savings, Finds National Coupon Month Survey from CouponCabin

WHITING, Ind., Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- September is National Coupon Month, and to recognize the holiday, CouponCabin's new survey takes a look at coupon use trends among different U.S. demographics. Nearly one-third (29 percent) of U.S. adults who ever use coupons said they are "opportunists;" they have zero loyalty when it comes to shopping and only buy products that are available with coupons or daily deals. Men are more likely to be opportunists compared to women, at 35 percent and 25 percent, respectively. This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from August 20th – 22nd, 2012, among 2,399 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

While an opportunist is what most U.S. adults who use coupons classify themselves as, others report they fall into the following categories:

• Seasoned pro: I have been couponing for years and know all the tricks of the trade – 25 percent
• Newbie: I'm a coupon rookie who just realized the money-saving power of coupons – 19 percent
• Extremist: I don't pay full price for anything – 4 percent
• None of these – 23 percent

Overall, coupon use is high among U.S. adults. Nearly all, (95 percent) said they had ever used a coupon. Forty six-percent said they use coupons very often or often, while 30 percent said sometimes and 18 percent said rarely. Females had the highest instance of saying they use coupons very often or often, at 52 percent, compared to 39 percent of men.

Sometimes, coupon users get creative. More than four-in-ten (44 percent) U.S. adults who use coupons said they have "stacked" coupons to achieve greater savings, wherein shoppers used both a manufacturer and store coupon on one item.

When it comes to types of coupons, of U.S. adults who ever use coupons, 55 percent said they use printed coupons more often, compared to 11 percent who said they use online coupons most often. More than one-third (34 percent) said they use both types equally. A higher number of U.S. adults ages 18-34 said they used online coupons (21 percent), compared to just 4 percent of those ages 55+.

"While traditional paper coupons are still popular with many shoppers, online and mobile coupons are gaining steam," said Jackie Warrick, President and Chief Savings Officer at CouponCabin.com. "Coupon use via online and mobile is being embraced particularly by younger demographics; those that many might not expect to be coupon users."

Coupon use on smartphones is prevalent. In fact, nearly one-in-five (17 percent) smartphone owners who use coupons said they have an app on their device that is specifically designed for coupons. This number is much higher for men ages 18-34, as 30 percent said they have a coupon app on their phone, compared to 15 percent of women in the same age bracket. Twenty-two percent of 18-34 year olds overall said they have one, compared to just 10 percent of adults ages 55 and up.

In an open-ended question, when asked what the best deal they have ever gotten with a coupon was, a random sample of U.S. adults who use coupons said the following:

• I once used double coupons, online coupons and loyalty bucks to get $100.00 worth of groceries for $12.35.
• My store offers double coupons and had a 50 cents off coupon on bread. The store also had a 50 percent off coupon, so the bread ended up costing around 10 cents total!
• I bought a 19" LCD TV that was marked down to $79.00. Then, I used a manufacturer coupon for $35.00 off $60.00 or more, a $20.00 off store coupon, and a $75.00 mail-in rebate. In the end I paid about $50, less tax and postage.
• I purchased face lotion that costs $21.00 for 2 bottles, and I got $15 off using two different coupons.
• I got 1,000 custom business cards for $4.99 with a 500-free coupon, a 50 percent off coupon and a free-shipping coupon.
• I got coupons for free items off companies' Facebook pages.
• I bought 49 bottles of kids' shampoo for 9 cents each.
• I bought a pair of jeans that were originally $50 for free. The sale price was $29.99, I had a coupon for $15.00 and a cash back reward card for $15.00.
• I bought $20.00 worth of groceries for $6.00 using coupons and waiting for certain items to go on sale to get the best discount.
• I had a coupon that got me a 40 percent discount. Then, I combined with a web site promotion for free shipping and cut down the cost of my new mattress by more than $100.00.
• Bought a Christmas tree on sale for 50 percent off and then use a 25 percent off any purchase including sale items coupon.

http://www.couponcabin.com/blog/press-releases/

Survey Methodology:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from August 20th – 22nd, 2012, among 2,399 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact: Allison Nawoj, [email protected].   

About CouponCabin.com
CouponCabin.com is a leading online destination for coupons including online coupon codes, printables, grocery coupons and more. Shoppers have saved nearly $350 million since 2003 and with the largest selection of coupons guaranteed to work, CouponCabin is the best place to start searching for savings. The average user saves $19 in just 80 seconds on the site. With customized email newsletters, browser savings alerts, new coupon alerts and more, shoppers will never miss out on a great deal with CouponCabin. For more information, please visit http://www.CouponCabin.com.

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SOURCE CouponCabin.com