The coupon comeback is continuing.
Forty-eight percent of consumers say they prefer to receive coupons in the mail, up from 44 percent a year ago and 40 percent in 2016, according to a new study by Valassis Communications Inc., a direct mail marketing firm.
Coupon usage is up, too: Ninety-one percent of consumers say they use the coupons they receive in the mail and elsewhere, up from 86 percent in 2017.
“This year’s report proves saving is still a top priority for consumers,” said Curtis Tingle, Valassis’s chief marketing officer.
Postal Service employees are some of the biggest fans of coupons in the mail.
Kiara Diamond, a Paskenta, CA, retail associate, said she and her husband find mailed coupons more convenient than online alternatives.
“I don’t like to have to go online looking for [coupons] and I hate having to print them out,” Diamond said. “While I admit that I’ll use coupons I can download to my phone or account, I will never print them.”
Although mailed coupons are preferred by consumers like Diamond, paperless versions are gaining popularity. Valassis found 36 percent of consumers use coupon apps on mobile devices, up from 32 percent last year.