Old-fashioned paper coupons have enjoyed a resurgence of interest in these difficult economic times, with manufacturer coupon redemption surging nearly 10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to Nielsen.  More than one-third of dollar sales at food, drug and mass merchandiser stores – or $133 billion not including coupons – were sold on promotion.

At the same time, technology is having a measurable impact on retail sales.  In a recent U.S. study, Nielsen measured more than 200 digital ad campaigns and found the following:

• Average of 32% sales increase
• $1.1 million hike in short-term incremental sales
• 157% return on investment
• 18% boost in penetration
• 14% surge in buying rate

In addition to online ads, retailers are using scanning technology to enable consumers to check-out faster, create and retrieve shopping lists and even find and print recipes.  Read more about how technology is transforming both the retail environment and consumer shopping experience in the new edition of Consumer Insight.