San Diego Bans Digital Coupons From Grocery Stores
California’s San Diego City Council has passed the Grocery Pricing Transparency Ordinance, a first-in-the-nation policy banning digital-only coupons in the city.
The ordinance was put forth last October by District 9 Council member Sean Elo-Rivera. According to Elo-Rivera, seniors and low-income families who may not be able to access these digital deals as easily unfairly end up paying higher prices, as reported by CBS 8.
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This digital divide also includes consumers who aren’t tech-savvy enough to know how to access digital coupons.
Elo-Rivera's colleagues on the council agreed, voting unanimously in favor of the bill during a March 24 hearing.
According to Times of San Diego, under the new ordinance, grocers in the city that offer digital deals would be required also to have paper coupons available in-store and accessible to all customers. This allows all San Diegans to access the same deals, regardless of whether they have access to smartphones or the internet.
Grocers have 90 days to comply with the new regulations. Before then, the ordinance must go through a second reading that will take place in April.
Some retailers are proceeding with their own resources to bridge the digital divide. In December 2024, northeastern grocery banner Stop & Shop issued a brand-wide rollout of its Savings Station, an in-store kiosk designed to make digital coupons more accessible for all customers. The Savings Station allows customers to quickly and easily activate all weekly circular digital coupons, as well as personalized offers, with no smartphone, internet access or computer required.
“This rollout marks another change we’re making to remove friction and improve the shopping experience for our customers,” said Roger Wheeler, president of Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop, at the time of the rollout. “We heard from customers who felt they were missing out on valuable digital coupon savings, and the Savings Station is our response to that feedback. It ensures that our customers can easily access all of our great deals, especially during the holiday season when savings are top of mind.”
Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA company that operates 350-plus stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. The company's brands are Food Lion, The Giant Co., Giant Food, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop. PG also named the company one of its Retailers of the Century.
