Extreme Couponing is often described as engaging in extreme and extraordinary coupon techniques, which include purchasing large quantities of items and dedicating extensive time to clipping coupons in order to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. A notable example was a sale worth $2,500 that ultimately cost only $5 with the use of coupons. While some perceive couponing as a recent phenomenon, coupons have been in existence for many years. The surge in coupon utilization has posed significant challenges for retailers and potentially impacted the market.
With the continuous popularity of Extreme Couponing, companies must come up with strategies to safeguard their profits and prevent going bankrupt. Coupons can be traced back to 1887, when the Coca-Cola Company printed and circulated the first coupon, offering a complimentary glass of Coke to every individual. By 1913, the company had redeemed 8.5 million coupons. The utilization of coupons surged during the Great Depression and continued to rise until 1965, when half of all American families used coupons.
Extreme Couponing, which gained traction during the 2009 recession, is a heightened and strategic approach to utilizing coupons. By combining shopping knowledge and precise calculations, it aims to optimize savings. The surge in Extreme Couponing’s popularity can largely be credited to TLC’s television show “Extreme Couponing,” initially broadcasted in 2010. Nevertheless, it is crucial to recognize that the show presents a biased depiction of Extreme Couponing.
There are many people who are not aware of the negative consequences it has on companies and the illegal activities it promotes, all in order to save some money. This does not include typical grandmothers who cut a few coupons from the newspaper on Sundays, but rather those individuals with extensive collections of coupons and who utilize coupon-clipping services. Extreme couponers frequently meet for “cutting sessions” with friends and family, carefully organizing their coupons by category, store, and aisle. Moreover, many people swap coupons or offer guidance on how to become an Extreme Couponer through personal blogs.
On TLC’s Extreme Couponers, one aspect that is accurately portrayed is the need for these shoppers to divide their purchases into multiple transactions. This is done in order to utilize all of their coupons and can lead to lengthy checkout times. Failing to do so may cause computer malfunctions. However, the show only offers a limited perspective on this growing trend. It is incorrect to assume that only lower class consumers use coupons. In fact, it is typically middle class housewives aged 45-54 who are the dedicated enthusiasts.
Extreme Couponers engage in cutting coupons for various reasons. Some do it for the thrill, while others view it as a hobby. Some even see it as a means of benefiting others or contributing to their family’s needs. When deciding where to shop, Extreme Couponers prioritize stores with sales and coupon perks. They also employ tips like shopping in the early morning after restocking shelves.
They also recommend keeping a 3-month supply of products to avoid buying new products until the next major sale, which occurs approximately every 12 weeks. One recent trend in Extreme Couponing is the method of coupon collection. Initially, coupons were cut out of newspapers. Nowadays, people are obtaining coupons through the internet and smartphones. With the widespread use of computers, coupons have become easily accessible. There are coupon sites like couponmom.com, retailmenot.com, and groupon.com where individuals can print coupons. Additionally, many people maintain blogs that provide information on good deals and printable coupons. Some stores are utilizing social networks like Facebook to distribute coupons. Simply liking a store’s page enables users to receive store-specific coupons. The newest trend in Extreme Couponing involves the use of smartphones. Major companies like Target and JC Penny have developed mobile applications that deliver coupons directly to users’ phones.
Businesses are striving to simplify the process of providing customers with coupons as incentives to shop at their stores. Numerous stores use “Catalinas,” which are programs that generate personalized coupons at the register based on a customer’s current or previous purchases. This system resembles data mining, wherein consumer data is analyzed and identified to establish meaningful connections. Nevertheless, the accessibility of these coupons to Extreme Couponers has posed challenges for many companies.
Extreme couponing has both positive and negative effects. On the one hand, it offers perks like enormous savings and carts filled to the brim with discounted items. However, it also presents some negative characteristics that impact marketers, stores, and consumers. One major concern is that extreme couponing promotes a market-savvy consumer base that prioritizes savings over brand loyalty. This poses a significant problem for marketers who heavily rely on coupons to influence consumer decisions. According to Viamari, nearly half of consumers (48%) state that coupons heavily influence their brand choices, with 38% even willing to give up their favorite brands in order to save money. This reliance on coupons has the potential to reshape the marketplace as marketers can no longer solely depend on enticing customers into their stores with enticing promotions and expect them to purchase non-sale items. As a result, marketers are compelled to devise fresh approaches to persuade consumers to buy their products using coupons.
Their new strategies need to persuade consumers to make purchases as today’s market-savvy consumers have learned how to evade traditional end caps and promotional items. Numerous extreme couponers are aware of the deals in advance and exclusively seek out those specific items. Stores also encounter difficulties with extreme couponers as they negatively impact other customers. According to David Fikes, director of consumer affairs for the Food Marketing Institute, “One major issue with extreme couponing is its effect on the availability of products for other customers.”
When individuals arrive and utilize coupons to completely deplete an entire shelf of merchandise, it constitutes an improper approach to couponing. This conduct hinders the stores’ ability to cater to their regular customers who frequent their establishments daily. Furthermore, by depleting the shelves of products, it creates disarray within the retailer’s inventory system and restocking predictions. Errors during the checkout process can dissuade consumers from making purchases, ultimately compelling the store to replenish all those items. In some instances, confrontations over sales and coupons have even been reported, thereby disturbing other customers.
Extreme couponing has impacted individuals and stores, leading to stricter coupon policies. Stores have reevaluated their coupon policies, imposing restrictions on the types of coupons that can be used, particularly on heavily discounted items. Additionally, they now enforce limits on the number of coupons allowed per transaction. Furthermore, extreme couponing has resulted in hoarding as a widespread issue, with individuals accumulating excessive quantities of items and filling entire rooms in their homes.
Some individuals develop a dependence on the thrill of paying at the register, while others resort to extreme measures like rifling through trash bins and taking newspapers from neighbors in order to obtain coupons. These coupons play a crucial role in consumer behavior as they assist consumers in determining where, why, and when to make a particular purchase. Initially, companies employed coupons as part of their marketing tactics to entice customers into their establishments and stimulate them to buy beyond the coupon’s offerings.
Throughout time, coupons have transformed into a practical tool that streamlines the buying process for shoppers. No longer do people have to spend hours hunting for the most affordable or top-notch items, as coupons now offer all the essential details. This has greatly impacted consumer behavior and sparked the phenomenon of extreme couponing, where individuals amass surplus supplies instead of solely purchasing what they require.
