Hy-Vee Offering Paperless Coupons

Regional independent Hy-Vee grocery is now offering its shoppers the ability to redeem digital Coupons through a new keytag available at all Hy-Vee customer service desks.

The grocer is working with Waltham, Mass.-based digital coupon solution provider SavingStar on the eCoupon service. SavingStar eCoupons are fully digital, and Hy-Vee shoppers can save at all Hy-Vee stores with exclusive offers at savingstar.com as well as by using SavingStar’s iPhone and Android apps.

"In today’s digital world, many shoppers want to save on groceries but don’t have the time or desire to print or clip paper coupons,” said David Rochon, CEO of SavingStar. “SavingStar makes it easy and convenient for people to save money on groceries with a service that fits their lifestyle. Hy-Vee shoppers can now get additional savings from SavingStar by selecting eCoupons online or through their smartphones -- even while walking the aisles in the store.”

According to SavingStar, the eCoupon service has attracted over 500,000 users in the three months since it went live, and SavingStar customers have activated more than 5 million coupons to date.

To use the service, shoppers register their Hy-Vee keytags with SavingStar and choose which eCoupons they want. When they scan their keytag at checkout, the value of each eCoupon is automatically added to their SavingStar account (rather than being deducted at checkout in the store). SavingStar then lets consumers choose how they get their savings: After accumulating $5 in savings, users can pick their payout from a deposit to their bank or PayPal account, an Amazon gift card, or a donation to the charity American Forests to help plant trees. More payout options will be introduced in the coming months.

West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation that operates 230 retail stores in eight Midwestern states.