Survey Reveals: Online Coupon Sites Remain Top Consumer Choice for Deals

Consumer Traffic to Coupon and Deals Sites Continues Despite Strong Economic Outlook; Businesses and Consumers Alike Demonstrate Value of Discounts

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The results of a recent Study of Online Shopping Habits commissioned by RetailMeNot.com, the web’s leading consumer destination for coupons, discounts and promotional codes for merchandise, groceries, travel and services, were released today. The survey, conducted online in March 2011 by Harris Interactive, found that coupon usage among online shoppers in the United States remained strong in Q1 2011 despite signs of an economic recovery and that businesses providing regular discounts are likely to see increased customer loyalty. The survey, which polled 2,045 United States adults aged 18 and over, measured online shopping and coupon usage.

The past few years have seen a boom in the availability of online coupon codes and daily deal websites. Once considered a way to cope with the recession, coupon use remains prevalent among online shoppers living in the United States, despite an improved job market and strengthened economy. In fact, among women ages 18–34, four out of ten (41 percent) online shoppers use coupon sites to find deals when shopping, while almost one third (31 percent) use daily deal and group-buying sites. For the general population, these numbers are 27 percent and 22 percent, respectively.

The usage of these online coupon resources is not only prevalent but frequent: of women ages 35–44 who use coupon sites such as RetailMeNot.com, 78 percent use deals on these sites once a month or more, and 51 percent of women ages 35–44 who use deals found on daily deal websites use them with the same frequency. This number is also impressive among coupon website users with one or more children in their home, as 76 percent of them use these sites once a month or more; for daily deal site users with one or more children in their home, the number is 67 percent.

The results clearly indicated that online shoppers use daily deal sites and coupon sites differently. For instance, 68 percent of daily deal users reported using daily deal sites for impulse rather than planned purchases, compared with 39 percent of online coupon website users. For discounts on everyday purchases, coupon sites win out: 82 percent of coupon site users believe that coupon sites are best for these items. In addition, 76 percent of those who use both coupon sites and daily deal sites believe they save more money in the long run with coupon sites than with daily deals.

Regardless of how online shoppers find their discounts, however, one thing is clear: discounts remain an effective tool for businesses to endear customers to their brand. Consistency is the key: 82 percent of online shoppers reported that they are more loyal to businesses that offer regular discounts than businesses that offer an occasional discount.

“These results, along with the fact that RetailMeNot.com alone has seen an upwards of one-third increase in traffic in the past year, indicate that the so-called ‘coupon craze’ is far more than a passing fad, even as new types of discount sites emerge,” said Cotter Cunningham, the CEO of WhaleShark Media, parent company of RetailMeNot.com. “As consumers and retailers alike discover the value of a good discount, they are ushering in a new era in online shopping and the retail experience in general.”

Survey highlights can be found at Tips.RetailMeNot.com. For complete survey results and methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].

For the latest coupons and shopping tips, follow RetailMeNot.com on Twitter, www.twitter.com/retailmenot, or become a fan on Facebook, www.facebook.com/RetailMeNot.

About the Survey

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of RetailMeNot.com from March 9–11, 2011, among 2,045 online adults ages 18 and older, of whom 1,783 are online shoppers. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

About RetailMeNot.com

RetailMeNot.com is the top consumer destination for collaborative coupon, deal and promotional code hunting and sharing. Our mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience. Since November 2006, our users have shared millions of deals at more than 65,000 retailers. Coupons are rated and ranked by users, ensuring that the best deals rise to the top and expired coupons drop down the list. RetailMeNot.com is a division of WhaleShark Media, Inc., the world's leading marketplace for coupons and deals.

Other WhaleShark Media properties include:
www.Deals.com, www.Deals2Buy.com, www.CheapStingyBargains.com, www.CouponSeven.com, and www.CouponShare.com.

www.RetailMeNot.com is a registered domain of WhaleShark Media, Inc. All other domains, names and trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective owners.

Schwartz CommunicationsMiranda Coykendall, 415-512-0770
[email protected]

Source: RetailMeNot.com