While the majority of the coupons that are redeemed still take the traditional ink-on-paper form, we're seeing a clear shift into the digital space. And that makes sense. With the rise of smartphones and greater access to the Internet, more and more people have moved most of their shopping online. But that doesn't mean they don't enjoy a good deal.
To lure in shoppers and attract a bigger piece of the market, retailers compete with one another by offering coupons in whatever form their potential customers might want them in, be it paper inserts in the sunday newspapers or emails. In a few years -- by 2014, according to Promotional Codes, which created the infographic embedded below -- the majority of coupon redemptions will take place online.
"The shift to Internet-based coupons is yet another blow to newspaper, which have lost much of their classified ad business to Craigslist and other Internet operations," according to Mashable. "For consumers, though, especially those toting smartphones, redeeming coupons has gotten much easier. If the economy continues on its wobbly course, more people who never considered coupons before will do so, and they'll do it digitally. With any luck that will ease the congestion in those checkout lines as well."