Coupons.com App Aggregates In-Store, Online, Apple Passbook Discounts
- by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, November 4, 2013
Coupons.com has found a way to aggregate coupons allowing consumers to carry the discounts with them wherever they go. On Monday, the company will launch an application for Apple iOS devices that
combines coupon codes, digital grocery coupons, in-store coupons, Apple Passbook offers and local deals. The free app, available at iTunes, rolls out with Bath & Body Works, JCPenney,
Macy’s, The Home Depot, and J. Crew.
It aggregates thousands of coupon codes and local offers from national and local retailers such as dry cleaners and tree specialists. The company hopes aggregating the coupons will entice consumers to use the discounts, save money and come back for more.
While the smartphone continues to become the tool to access product recommendations
and information while shopping in stores, a recent Deloitte study suggests that only 19% will use the tool to personalize in-store coupons and offers during the holiday season.
Most
consumers think mobile apps are cumbersome and ineffective in finding the best deals. Coupons and promotions will play an important role in influencing holiday spending more so among higher-income
households. In fact, 79% of those with an annual salary of $100,000+ will rely on discounts this holiday season, according to Deloitte's 2013 Annual Holiday Survey.
The Coupons iOS app will allow consumers to tap an offer to save automatically, or drag and drop the code to apply the savings during the online checkout process. Consumers who are shopping in stores need to show the coupon on their mobile device in the physical store to redeem the discounts at checkout, like 25% off one item at Harry & David; or 20% off at Macy's orders, along with free shipping on orders of $75 or more.
The latest version also allows consumers to save coupons, such as 25% off a $40 purchase at OshKosh B'gosh, directly to Apple Passbook. Each Passbook coupon features a scannable barcode and instructions for cashiers on how to process the coupon, including a numeric code they can manually type into the cash register if the barcode is not scanning automatically.
This is kind of cool & most stores currently do match "competitors" deals if you can show them at the checkout via print or online (except ebay stores). So this may back fire on the stores investing in this decreasing their ROI.
I really like the new movement some stores including our salons are doing to be real and fair to consumers without discrimination.
Example: We were on vacation and stopped into a ACME supermarket for our 2 weeks worth of food supplies. While shopping I figured we would spend $600 for our family of 9. At the checkout I asked if we could get a "loyal card scam" for saving. The cashier said we believe all our customers are loyal and do not need to scan or use coupons as we adjust our saving based on the sale item nationally. The $684 bill came to $410 saving $274 just for shopping their with no coupons or loyalty card scanned.
We are seeing this trend and these are the stores I will be loyal to, no coupons, no loyalty reward, no tracking you, no emails, no texts, just plan and simple customer service that rewards you for shopping in their stores.
All stores should switch to this method to elevate their customer service. And when consumers realize that stores are doing this they will have a better understanding of the stores they shop in care about their business.
Recently, stores have been under fire for "unfair practices" and "mis handling customers private information" we will be seeing a major change in the way stores market coupons and deals. As it turns out it is boarder line illegal to adjust some consumers costs and not others. A few cases have popped up and were settled out of court. You see it's illegal to discriminate against shoppers, makes sense to me.
It's a great article but I think the "coupon" error will be coming to a close as soon as discrimination lawsuits force stores to reward all of their shopper honestly. Food for thought......