New stats from eMarketer estimate that by the end of 2011, 88.2 million Americans (nearly half the population) will have used an online coupon in the past year. This number is projected to rise to 96.8 million U.S. adults by 2013. The data clearly indicates that “digital coupon usage is now firmly a part of the online shopping experience of millions of US consumers.”
According to data from Experian Simmons, household use of digital coupons has risen from 12% in 2005 up to 22% in 2011. eMarketer reports that most online consumers that are likely to use digital coupons are already doing so; the growth rate for online coupon use will slowly decline over the next few years.
Jeffrey Grau, an eMarketer principal analyst and author of a forthcoming report on online couponing, states that “Today’s online coupon users tend to be affluent, highly educated and over the age of 55.” This information is key for marketers looking to use coupons for product promotion, and seeking the best marketing message to reach the online coupon-using demographic.
