Digital Coupon Users Spend 42% More Annually

Digital coupon users spend 42 percent more per year at supermarkets than the average shopper, a $1,029 differential. This trend reflects a 7 percent increase compared to 2011.

According to a new report from research firm GfK, heavy digital coupon users (defined as the top one-third of redeemers) are among the most desirable shoppers, spending 50 percent more per shopping trip and $3,171 more per year than the average shopper.

“Digital coupon users represent a powerful force in shopping trends and a key target group for marketers in food and personal care,” said Neal Heffernan, SVP, Shopper & Retail Strategy at GfK. “Online coupons remain a key motivator among essential target groups – especially for the digitally savvy heavy coupon redeemers.”

The heightened shopping of digital coupon users becomes more noticeable when examining just “stock-up trips,” or occasions when shoppers spend $75 or more. Digital coupon users make 48 percent more stock-up trips than average shoppers -- 19.5 per year, compared to 13.2. Heavy digital coupon redeemers make 169 percent more stock-up trips annually, for a total of 35.5.

Based on over 120 campaigns run by Coupons.com in 2012, GfK’s National Shopper Lab (NSL) covers six major product categories – including food, beverage, personal care/baby care, household care, health care and pet care – and 49 subcategories. The NSL consists of transaction-based, UPC-level purchase data from over 20 million U.S. loyalty card households.