But that doesn’t mean manufacturers and retailers shouldn’t be looking for ways to make it simpler for households to receive and redeem coupons. 

Writing in the December issue of Nielsen’s “Consumer Insight” online newsletter, Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, Nielsen, outlines what today’s coupon shopper can expect as new technologies revolutionize couponing methods and mediums.

1. Reduced reliance on paper-based feature and coupon circulation.
A race for dominance is taking place with computer-based Internet applications, mobile phones, credit cards, frequent shopper cards and in-store applications. Global positioning systems (GPS), radio frequency identity tags (RFID), eye movement tracking cameras and similar devices will enable location- and interest-specific promotional offers to be delivered at actionable sites.

2. Electronic or store entrance coupon delivery.
Instead of tagging consumers as they leave the store post-purchase, next generation systems will deliver coupons via mobile phones, via Internet or via in-store devices when shoppers enter the store or are in the mood and in the aisle, ready to buy.

3. Smart appliances provide in-store shopping assistance.
What’s for dinner tonight? Visit the produce or meat department and allow your personal chef avatar to generate some electronic menu suggestions and automatically create a shopping list with aisle and item locator cues.

4. Stores offering engagement and entertainment opportunities.
Look for personal shopper holograms to guide you through the store or shelf talkers activated by your cell phone to offer up special discounts. Walmart has pledged to invest $10 million and two years of testing to determine the optimal placement of in-store screens and special shopper programming.

5. One-to-one personalized promotions.
Stores will become increasingly interactive and consumer-specific, marrying data from multiple sources to deliver an involving shopping experience that reflects individual interests and buying preferences. Social networks based on shopping proclivities will be formed to build demand and drive sales.

6. Integrated strategic promotional planning.
Shopper marketing comes of age, dominating the retail landscape, displacing product-centric marketing planning. Technology enables a holistic planning approach that puts the consumer front and center while “benefitting the brand, the consumer, the shopper and the retailer”.

Read the full article.

View the latest issue of “Consumer Insight.”

Private label dollar sales are being driven primarily by higher commodity pricing — especially in staple categories that are dominated by private brands. But in recent weeks, private label unit sales have also grown — a sign that consumers are starting to shift away from established brands in search of better deals.

Among private label food brands, flour (+35%), baby food (+33%), and fresh eggs (+28.2%) showed the largest dollar percent change during the 52 weeks ending September 6, compared with the prior 52-week period.  Unit sales for those products remained flat during the same period: flour was up 7.2%, fresh eggs dropped 0.9%, and pasta grew by 0.6%.

Among non-food private label products, soaps and bath products (+23%), cough and cold remedies (+18%), and hair care products (+18%) showed the largest dollar sales growth during the period.  Paper products, like paper plates, paper towels, and toilet tissue, and aluminum foil were the top-selling non-food private label items. 

Across categories, health and wellness-oriented private brands also showed significant growth, according to Nielsen.  Products claiming to be “natural” (+11.4%) or “organic” (+22.5%), lacking in trans fat or saturated fat (+30.5%), or containing “multi-grains” (+16.6%) or “antioxidants” (+15.8%) showed the largest dollar sales growth during the period.  Products that claimed to contain no calories (-0.6%) or to be caffeine free (-2.2%) showed the only negative growth. 

Among organic private label items, milk, eggs, and produce – like mini carrots and salad mixes — were the top-selling items.

View in depth private label sales data from Nielsen.

Learn more about private label sales in convenience stores.

Read more about overall private label trends in Nielsen’s “Consumer Insight” newsletter.