Coupons, Store Loyalty Cards Save Significant Money: Poll

YONKERS, N.Y. -- Women who use coupons and store loyalty cards save over 10 percent a year on groceries, or the equivalent of $678 a year, according to the results of a new consumer poll conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, and published in the March 2008 issue of ShopSmart magazine.

"In the past year, the cost of eggs rose nearly 30 percent, and prices of juices and dog food climbed nearly 15 percent, making coupon clipping more important than ever," said ShopSmart's editor-in-chief Lisa Lee Freeman in a statement. "Our survey found that there are big savings to be had, so the 44 percent of women who don't use coupons are certainly missing out!"

The Coupon Poll is part of ShopSmart's feature on hidden savings at the supermarket. The feature also offers four secrets to lowering grocery expenses, the best coupon sites, the pros and cons of online food-delivery services and testimonies from enthusiastic and effective coupon clippers.

Among the additional findings:
-- Over half (55 percent) of female coupon clippers have bought a different brand from their usual because of a coupon offer.
-- Almost one-third (30 percent) of those polled made a special trip to the store just to use a coupon.
--Two-thirds (65 percent) of women have at least one store loyalty card at a place where they shop for groceries, and over half (56 percent) use coupons at least occasionally.
--The most commonly used source of coupons, the weekend newspaper (73 percent), was also considered the best source by women who shop for groceries.

The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a telephone survey over Nov. 15 through Nov. 18, 2007 of a nationally representative probability sample of telephone households, holding 1,014 interviews with women 18 and over.

Launched in fall 2006 by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, ShopSmart offers product reviews, shopping tips on how to get the most out of products, and "best of the best" lists. The publication is available nationwide at such major retailers as Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway, and Publix.
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