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Dec. 10, 2012: Coupon Use Shows Volatility

Coupon redemption declined by almost 23% in the third quarter of 2012, compared with the same period last year, according to a report from Inmar, a technology company based in Winston-Salem, N.C. The decline was caused by a combination of fewer and less attractive offers being made available, a generally more optimistic economic outlook among shoppers and continued volatility in the marketplace, the company said. The drop in redemption came despite a 7.6% increase in coupon distribution, Inmar said. In many cases, distribution shifted away from methods with high redemption rates, such as on-packs, to methods with lower rates. Inmar projected that the increase in third-quarter distribution, however, coming on the heels of a six-month pullback in distribution, is likely to lift coupon redemption rates in the fourth quarter. Separately, coupon distributor Valassis recently issued reports showing strong interest in mobile and online coupons.

TAGS: Marketing