San Diego would make digital grocery coupons available to seniors

A new proposal in San Diego, Calif., aims to help seniors gain access to digital coupons at grocery stores that might be out of reach.

 A new ordinance under consideration targets digital-only coupons and would require grocers to offer the same specials to seniors who might not have access to smartphone technology, according to a NBC 7 San Diego report on Friday.

That could take the form of displaying the coupons on shelf tags or by making paper coupons available.

"Every nickel is precious, and so saving a few dollars at the grocery store can literally mean the difference between having the rent on the first and potentially facing eviction," Paul Downey, the president of Serving Seniors, said at a press conference covered by NBC 7 San Diego.

New York state lawmakers are considering a similar proposal in the New York Assembly. Senate Bill S8864 was submitted in March by Sen. George Borrello that would similarly make coupons available to customers ages 65 and over.

“Inflation is hurting the budgets of people across the spectrum, particularly those on fixed incomes,” Borrello said in a statement. “In the past, senior citizens could count on being able to reduce their grocery bills by using coupons from the newspaper or by taking advantage of weekly sales on produce, meat and dairy products. They could also obtain discounts by presenting physical loyalty or rewards program cards.” 

According to the New York Assembly website, that proposal was referred to the Senate Consumer Protection Committee but appears to have remained there since March.