Use of Coupon Web Sites Grows

People using coupon Web sites is on the rise. In a surprising find, most of these coupon downloaders are people among the highest education and income brackets.

And the coupons they find is now a deciding factor for a growing number of people in the purchases they make, according to a new survey from RetailMeNot .com, an online consumer destination for coupons and other discounts, and conducted by Harris Interactive.

In a sign that consumers are still very wary of economic conditions, the survey also found that 45% of online adults plan to spend less money on gifts this holiday season compared to last holiday season, the same percentage as in 2008, indicating a consistent, significant downward trend in spending.

To make ends meet, 62% of respondents reported searching for coupons for online stores, and 12% never make a purchase without checking an online coupon Web site first, a notable jump from 8% last year, the survey said.

“Consumers are more aware of their spending than ever and are very active in trying to find the best deals. Coupon websites are still growing rapidly in popularity, with nearly two-thirds of consumers checking for coupons when they shop online,” said Guy King, co-founder of RetailMeNot.com, in a release. “As a result, we are seeing more and more merchants embracing coupons as a way to connect with their budget-conscious shoppers. Clearly, retailers that don’t offer discounts not only jeopardize customer loyalty but could take a significant hit to the bottom line, especially as we head into the holiday season.”

The survey also found:

*Coupon use is on the rise across nearly all demographics, but is highest among the employed and educated (college graduated)

• 29% of college graduates use coupon Web sites to find good deals, compared to 24% of those with some college and 20% of those with an education level of high school or less; in 2008, these numbers were 23%, 20% and 20% respectively
• 27% of online adults that work full time or are self-employed use coupon Web sites (up from 22%)
• 22% of online adults that are unemployed use coupon Web sites (up from 18%)
• 25% of students use coupon Web sites (up from 23%)
• 18% of retired online adults use coupon Web sites (up from 14%)
• 30% of online adults will not make a purchase at an online store if they can’t find a coupon for that store, up from 27% in 2008
• 22% of online adults will go to a different store to make that purchase, up from 20% in 2008, while 8% will wait until a coupon is available to make the purchase (same in 2008)
• Large families and homes with children are also one of the fastest growing demographics to use coupon Web sites
• 30% of online adults in households with children use coupon Web sites (up from 24% in 2008)
• only 22% of online adults in households with no children use coupon Web sites (up from 20%)
• 31% of online adults in households of five or more use coupons (up from 15%)
• only 15% of online adults that live alone use coupon Web sites (down from 17%)
• The largest age group to use coupon Web sites is 35-44, with 41% of these online adults who use tools or Web sites to find good deals when shopping online, including 47% of these women and 34% of these men, using coupon Web sites
• Married online adults who use tools or websites to find good deals when shopping online, are significantly more likely to use coupon websites, at 39% compared to 29% of these single or never married online adults and 21% of these divorced online adults

The survey polled 2,175 U.S. online adults 18+.