Are you a coupon clipper? Two thumbs way, way up. There are some great savings to be found out there hiding in those little pieces of paper. But are you really saving as much as you think you are?
You might be surprised.
Coupons Are Good For Everybody
You have probably wondered why stores so cavalierly hand out numerous coupons every week from various manufacturers. What rewards can the store possibly reap by this practice? Why do they waste all that time and money printing and distributing those small slips of paper?
There is something about the coupon industry that you may not know. Stores don’t print those coupons to save you money. They print coupons so you will spend money and keep coming back to spend some more.
Here’s how it works. Everyone’s feeling the pinch of today’s economy. Cutting back. Looking for ways to save money on the things they have to buy and functional alternatives to the things they don’t, but want anyway. So where do you think they’re going to shop? The place that’s going to save them the most money, right?
Consider for a moment that you are in a store that distributes mega tons of coupons and runs weekly specials ad infinitum. Let’s use grocery stores as an example as they are a coupon clippers best friend. You go into a store a week before Thanksgiving because that store has a terrific sale on turkeys. You happen to have a coupon for a turkey so that big tasty turkey is almost free. You also have coupons for pumpkin pies, whipped cream, rolls and cranberry sauce, how convenient.
You certainly don’t want to waste your precious time running from store to store in search of an item here and an item there. Since, you are already in the turkey store you are going to buy the pies…and maybe some napkins and yams and spices and a ham for those who can’t abide turkey. And, oh yes, those yams and gravy and maybe some eggs, and so on.
You see where I’m going with this. That store just made far more from your extra purchases than they lost by honoring your coupon. And that, my friend, is why coupons are good business.
There’s Even More
As a customer, how often do you get to the store and buy only the specific item you stopped by for? My guess is you probably do so one out every five or six times you stop at a store and never if you got your kids in tow.
Why? Because stores know there are key staples people shop for. Grocery stores are famous for it. Why do you think the milk and freezer sections are as far away from the cash register as they can get? Why you find the fancy-schmancy baked goods before you come across the loaves of regular bread? Because they know you have to go past them to get what you need, and if they play their cards right they can talk you into adding just one more purchase to your shopping list.
And you will come back every time you need bread and milk and do the same thing.
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