A world without coupons

[scadeau]

Is it possible that with people bombarding manufacturers so much that ALL manufacturers, etc. will entirely stop making coupons? There has already been mention of a few manufacturers that have stopped distributing coupons for this reason.

I hope that is not the case, but I was just wondering what everyone's opinions/thoughts are.

[Lunamoth]

Coupons are part of a marketing campaign. Tv ads and ads only do so much to make consumers want to purchase items. Promotions and coupons make you look at products that are new or you might not have thought about trying. The show Extreme Couponing stated that only 3% of coupons are used and I would say that in Canada it would be lower but it is still a percentage if people who are buying a product based on coupons.

[Pamela30]

I think that if product manufacturers want me to be a customer, and want to keep me as a customer, it should go both ways. Say I've been buying a certain product for years, because of that loyalty towards the product, I should get something in return for my money, i.e., coupons every so often. Considering the amount that I have paid towards buying their specific product, using a coupon here and there in the grand scheme of things, is such a small fraction of their entire profit margin anyways, so I don't think that manufacturers will stop issuing coupons. Especially in the competitive world we live in, they need to keep something in place to retain their customers. I think it would hurt their brand image to discontinue coupons and/or promotions.

[cheekysaver]

Do you know how many millions in advertizing a company saves by getting their product on extreme couponing? the shows play over and over and so many watch it.. run over a quick list in your head of products you have seen on that show...

quantum finish, windex, body washes, purex laundry soap, tide, tons of soda's, hot sauce (they must put that crap on everything with the amount they purchased), mustard, pastas, pasta sauces, razors, diapers, antacids, pain relievers, hand soaps, hot dogs turkey bacon, tooth brushes, and lets not forget toothpaste... and so many more.

Not only did the show let us see the product... we saw it by a ecstatic consumer unpaid to show us they have the product on their shelves at home. That kind of advertizing is worth a fortune and as soon as companies figure this out... we could see a big increase in coupons on our store shelves. I for one think this could be insanely awesome for us in the future. If a company was going to spend 5 million on marketing... the show extreme couponing has made our coupons a viable option for advertising

[Ratsy]

I find when I'm on sites like this I start to wonder that as well, but think of all the people you know who don't use coupons at all. Crazy!
Companies are still getting an extreme amount of money from people who don't take advantage of couponing.

[Lunamoth]

Not only did the show let us see the product... we saw it by a ecstatic consumer unpaid to show us they have the product on their shelves at home. That kind of advertizing is worth a fortune and as soon as companies figure this out... we could see a big increase in coupons on our store shelves. I for one think this could be insanely awesome for us in the future. If a company was going to spend 5 million on marketing... the show extreme couponing has made our coupons a viable option for advertising

I have to agree. They get free advertising on the show. Your not suppose to see the labels on the show and the people on the show will say dishwasher tabs and not the brand name but as soon as you see the box you know the product. It has opened up peoples thinking when it comes to couponing.

[wildfirejessi]

If anything, I think it will show both the need and consumer loyalty.....fingers crossed, anyway. Good question, tho! Will love to keep up with this thread.

Giving you a Rep +! Thanks for posing the Q!

[guccigoo22]

I'll take it a a step further!

Even stores, that we are often fretting here on SC about coupons strategically know what they are doing!
An easy on one in the US at least is Safeway. Have you noticed that all EC shows are taped in a Safeway? Even though some recent reprts have shown that stores are changing policies (again US) and barcodes, i'm sure they have seen a large influx of shoppers, and new couponers, soley because of the show.

In Canada, we've had quite a few Walmart concerns, in respect to the P&G coupons in particular. Last night I watched a WM commercial, that made no personal mention of P&G, but ALL products shown were made by P&G, and had coupons found in the Brandsaver.
It's a typical "Save money on everyday products" commercial. The announcer says "save money on laundry" (Show Tide) Save money on skincare (show Olay) save money on the latest makeup (Cover Girl lash Blast mascara) There were a couple more, but I forget.

Also, the recent Smart Source insert, that came in my weekend paper (it varies slightly from the insert found in the more local papers) had a full page ad for Walmart.

When the Brandsaver flyers come out, we see in store ads asking us to "Use your Brandsaver coupons here!"

In short (well kinda long lol) I think that no, I don't believe we need to worry that manucaturers will make less, or stop putting out coupons. In fact, i've seen the opposite happen!

[katie333]

I hope it only encourages companies to think of coupons as a valid and helpful marketing tactic. I do think though, that some of the other methods of obtaining coupons such as writing/emailing/calling manufacturers may go by the wayside as manufacturers may be struggling to meet increased demand.

I also think the fervor will die down over time, especially in Canada when people realize it takes a very special shop to save 90%+.

[blueeyetea]

Is it possible that with people bombarding manufacturers so much that ALL manufacturers, etc. will entirely stop making coupons? There has already been mention of a few manufacturers that have stopped distributing coupons for this reason.

Coupons have been around for ever and will continue to be around forever.

1 - Yes, some people do take advantage and may shop with only coupons, but it's a very small percentage and the manufacturers aren't likely to go bankrupt. They would have stopped already if it wasn't profitable.

2 - a manufacturer redeeming a coupon to a store is an expense just like any other cost. It's the cost of doing business and tax deductible. The potential of snagging a customer for life to part with their money in exchange for their product are much higher.

3 - Competition. It's not a coincidence that coupons exist for Tide, Sunlight Laundry Detergent and Purex, or for toothpaste from Colgate, Crest and Sensodyne. They want to sell product. If coupons achieve that aim, they'll continue doing it.

When you think about it, it's no different than someone going into a store just to buy loss-leaders. Not that many people manage to actually walk out of the store without buying something else. Just myself, last night I went into RCSS to buy laundry detergent to take advantage of a FPC coupon and I walked out with bagels, margarine, yogurt, and frozen blueberries.

[miss__brittany]

I don't think that they will ever discontinue coupons, because it really gets their products noticed. There are SO MANY things that I would never have bought without coupons. They've also convinced me to switch brands a couple of times, or to tell others about the products.

HOWEVER, they may decide to stop giving out coupons when "requested", because they are being bombarded. What was once for "good will" when someone had a compliment or questions has now changed a bit... I find that people are asking for "reasons" that others got coupons. So it almost seems like people are making up experienced instead of telling actual events that have happened... or just making simple requests.

IF they do stop sending out coupons on request, I'm sure that the coupons will just be found on tearpads instead - like the Jane's chicken one. Everyone was told they are no longer available to be ordered, so instead people were finding them in stores... nothing wrong with that, but it does suck for those of us who can't find any!

[KellyC]

The day they stop is the day I go back to buying store brand everything. So I think the answer is...NO!

[abbasgirl]

No. I don't think they'll stop. Hopefully they'll find strategies to limit shelf clearing and coupon fraud. But I've personally found that coupons are just continuing to increase in number as more and more companies realize how well they work for increasing sales. And since they are more popular, stores are talking about them and coming up with consistent policies. And, like someone said, sites like this one provide valuable information for companies on how to market their products and encourage customer loyalty.

[abbasgirl]

The day they stop is the day I go back to buying store brand everything. So I think the answer is...NO!

That, in a nutshell is why they will not stop offering coupons.