Did You Post That Black Friday Coupon?

When Black Friday hits, shoppers will be combing their favorite stores for the best bargains in an effort to save money during the pricey holiday season. Exclusive online sales, door busters and coupons are also ways to save, roughly a third of coupon users now cite the Internet or email as a source of coupons, according to Mintel.

Compared to five years ago when 19% of consumers said they got coupons from the Internet or had them sent to their email account, the figure has increased to 32% in 2010, according to the market research firm.

Mintel reports that 71% percent of respondents say their coupons come from leaflets inserted in newspapers, while 55% use coupons found in or on packages they’ve purchased.

“Consumers report that they’re budgeting less than they did a year ago in
regards to food, transportation and clothing, but coupon usage is as popular as ever,” saod Fiona O’Donnell, senior analyst at Mintel. “While the percentages of coupon users who cite traditional sources like newspapers have held relatively steady over the past five years, the incidence of obtaining coupons from the Internet and email has risen sharply.”

While 59% of those surveyed say they usually use coupons, that’s not the only way consumers save money. An equal percentage say they seek out sale products advertised in store flyers and 57% watch for sales via newspaper ads. Just 6% say they listen for sales on the radio.

“The self-discipline required for a strict monthly or weekly budget can be difficult for some consumers to maintain for an extended period of time,” adds Fiona O’Donnell. “Opportunistic savings like coupon clipping and sales ads take relatively less effort.”