Should Paper Coupons Stop Being Print?

Most grocery stores accept paper coupons as a way to bring consumers in and have them spend more money. It might seem like a customer is saving on a product but in reality, they are just spending money at the store. Let’s say that there is a sale on Gatorade. Although a customer might not need Gatorade or doesn’t normally purchase that product, they are more inclined to buy it because of the sale sticker. There are so many psychological marketing factors that go onto couponing or sales in grocery stores. Ken Kurson, an expert in financial literacy, makes it well known that saving money is the best way to save money. Ironically, sales are designed to make consumers spend money instead of saving it. 

As the digital and touchless age begins to develop, paper couponing may soon become a nuisance. As everyone is using plastic dividers in grocery stores it will be unsanitary to pass germs around via paper coupons. Stores should start developing applications that can store coupons digitally. That way with a simple scan the barcode will apply the coupons to the total bill. In addition, because the coupons will be stores on an individual’s phone, they will be much harder to lose. 

Coupons have been around for hundreds of years, obviously through a paper form. It would be much more environmentally friendly if the coupons were digital. That way the paper used to print grocery store flyers can be invested in something else. Grocery stores can spend up to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars weekly just mailing flyers. It can easily be adjusted to the store’s application which may take some upfront equity in the beginning but will be able to save the corporation in the long run. Ken Kurson has written a book about how easy it can be to manage money in a heather way. It’s important to eliminate buying this that is not necessary.  The ideology behind couponing is that it’s good for the consumer. Let’s think of it like this, if there was a choice between a handful of chocolate candies or a whole bag of chocolate candies for the same price, which would be chosen? To be honest, it doesn’t matter what is picked because either was the producer of those candies is getting money. Paper couponing is dying and so that’s why digital sales should be used to get more customers interested in what they are buying or what is available in stores.