How Cool Would This Be?

Check out this piece telling how coupons could be used in the future:

Electronic coupons are posted online. Shoppers point and click to select the ones they want, and link them with their loyalty cards from their grocery store. When their card is presented at check out, the coupon discounts get applied to the bill.

I would LOVE this!!!!

Looks like it's only being "tested" in a few places now, but I'm sure it will be a hit with the coupon-clipping crowd. Then again, maybe that group is too cheap to pay for web access in the first place, so maybe it won't help them.

One issue I'll face: my grocery store doesn't have a loyalty card. And they're such a big part of the market here that there's really no one forcing them to be more competitive. Plus, we're not in the biggest market in the world, so stores don't have as big of an incentive to invest here. Like usual, we'll probably get this service about ten years after everyone else.

On a separate note, we are getting movies much faster. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" just came to my hometown -- what a GREAT movie! ;-)

Comments

[rdub98]

Yeah? Rumor has it that you will be getting Microwave ovens next week.

[FekketCantenel]

If Walmart did this and integrate it with their 'we'll match competing grocery prices' policy (assuming they still have it), I'd get one of their member/credit cards in a second, and so would my parents.

[PartialExponent]

Upromise just started something like this, but instead of the discount showing on your bill, it gets added to your Upromise account.

I haven't tried it yet to see what all is involved and how well it works, but it seems like a pretty neat idea.

[Mark]

The user would have no proof at time of checkout that they scanned the coupon to their loyalty card unless there is some sort of printout that they can bring along with them. If that's possible, I think it's a great idea.

[Christopher]

I think this would be awesome. As the poster above said, though, it'd be hard to prove that you did actually put the items on your card.

I've long thought that grocery stores should take your email address with the loyalty card, then design a system that tracks your purchases (based on customer number on the card) and auto emails you coupons on items you purchase the most. For stores this would drive traffic in by selling people the items they're used to buying and use week in and week out. Rather than taking what amounts to a crapshoot on an ad every week.

That said, i don't think the electronic coupons would take the place of the weekly paper ad for a while. Some items do drive traffic to stores. Like soda. A sale on pepsi/coke/7-up drive people to stores very quickly...then they buy more than just soda.

[Emily]

I shop at Kroger and they already provide this service. From their website you can access P&G and Shortcuts, two companies that allow you to register coupons on your loyalty card. There is also a website - cellfire.com that allows you to register coupons to your cell phone for various retailers (text messaging fees may apply according to your plan) and coupons to your Kroger loyalty card. The great thing about these - you can combine them with paper manufacturer's coupons for an even better price!

[Kevin @ The Money Hawk]

Whatever they do, they've got to find a way to make this stuff more organized. Unless you shop at ONE place, it's like a second job trying to find, collect, and use coupons to an extent that it really makes a difference in your grocery bill.

I'd really love someone to consolidate this.

[Aya @ Thrive]

This would be great, but like with your local store, I can imagine that smaller stores that don't have loyalty cards or stores that can't set up this system will suffer immensely. Those big chain stores may have it all figured out and a lot of customers will indeed be happy, but I still feel empathetic towards the businesses that will be negatively affected.

[Greg]

Wow. This is the first time I have seen an idea that even remotely justifies the "Loyalty Cards."

[Pat]

This would be fantastic for me! I shop at Vons and they do have loyalty cards. If I could get all of my coupons online, I could dump the paper. I never read it anyway.

[Jason]

I think as they make coupons more convenient, they would have to lower the actual value of the coupons. I'm sure retailers offer lots of coupons banking on the fact the most people will not use them.

[Richard]

Smith's in Utah has had this for at least the last 8 months. The coupons so far aren't that good.

How it works is you log in, and add whatever to your account, which is tied to your Smith's loyalty card. All that's actually on the card is a barcode number of course. At the cash register, they scan your card, the cash register looks up your number on their network and sees if anything you bought had a coupon on your card.

We used it a tiny bit, but the store brand stuff was almost always cheaper than the name brand, even with the coupons. The coupons were only available for name brand products.

[Jess]

I'm surprised nobody took you to task for saying the coupon-clipping crowd is 'cheap'! I would have preferred 'frugal' or 'thrifty.'