Customers are Clipping to Save and Searching for Recipes

Posted to BeefRetail.org in conjunction with February 2010 issue of Retail Beef Blast.

Using coupons has become an art. A simple Google search reveals couponing workshops, like “Extreme Couponing 101.” A number of Web sites are devoted to finding the latest deals. Consumers post information on social networking sites showing how many products they bought and how much money they saved.

Coupon redemption in America peaked in 1992, at the end of a previous recession, when 7.9 billion coupons were redeemed. By 2006, that number fell to 2.6 billion and remained stagnant through 2008.¹ 

3.3 billion Number of coupons redeemed in 2009. This is a 27% increase from 2.8 billion in 2008.

Things changed in 2009. American consumers redeemed 3.3 billion coupons during 2009. This is a 27% increase from the 2.6 billion redeemed in 2008. This is the first time in 17 years the usage of coupons has increased.²

Marketers have also picked up on this trend. In 2009, companies invested more money in coupons than they have in 30 years, issuing 367 billion at an average face value of $1.44.²

While many people in the past were somewhat self-conscious about redeeming coupons, it is now seen as a challenge worth taking on! According to a survey, 57% of respondents who say they were self-conscious about redeeming coupons at the grocery  store in the past said they no longer care as long as they are saving money.³

Now, it seems that everyone is using coupons. Coupon usage among affluent consumers in their 50s and early 60s rose 13% in January and February of 2009, compared with the same months in 2008. Households earning $70,000 or more a year are among the top coupon users.³

In addition to coupons, recipes are also a hot topic. Numerous Web sites are devoted to providing recipes for all different types of dishes. These sites are ranking near the top in terms of visitors. Allrecipes.com became the most visited site in the food category with about 7.3 million unique visitors in March 2009.⁴

As a retailer, how can you capitalize on the increase in coupon usage and searches for recipes online? That’s where we come in to help!

Several beef checkoff-funded promotions are lined up for 2010:
• From January through September, Kraft^® A.1.^® Steak Sauce will offer an in-store promotion with $1 off beef coupons with the purchase of A.1. Coupons include beef recipes.
• In March, Heinz’s^® Classico^® and New York Brand^® Texas Toast will offer a recipe promotion with the Beef Bolognaise recipe. A full page FSI will drop on March 14 with a circulation of 45 million. The coupon is for $1.50 off beef with the purchase of 2 Classico pasta sauces.
• In May, Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser^® will offer a Memorial Day promotion with in-store tearpads on Bud Family displays. Customers will receive up to $10 mail-in rebate offers for beef in 20,000 stores. Promotion rebate includes $6 off beef purchase only, and $10 off beef and beer purchase in states where allowed.

These are just a few of the promotions slated for 2010. To view more details and other promotions, take a look at the 2010 Promotional Calendar.

Here are a few other ways you can give your customers savings:
• Offer tear pads with beef coupons by the meat case.
• Create a coupon book for savings on beef cuts and related items.
• Include beef coupons on your store's Web site.
• Include beef coupons in your weekly circulars.

With so many people searching for recipes online, why not offer them at the meat case also. Here are a few ways to give your customers great beef recipes:
• Provide recipe tear pads and recipe cards in the meat case.
• Post beef recipes to your Web site.
• Direct customers to BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com for easy and delicious beef recipes.

¹A Clip-and-Save Renaissance, The New York Times, September 24, 2009.

²Coupon Use Grows For The First Time In 17 Years, January 26, 2010.

³Survey: More Consumers Turn to Coupons, Supermarket News, February 13, 2009.

⁴Web Recipes Are Cooking With Gas, The Wall Street Journal, May 5, 2009.