America’s Savings Shift: 2025 Coupon and Deal Trends

82% of shoppers say coupons and discounts help them cope with high prices, transforming deals from perks into essentials.

Key Findings

1. Coupons have become essential for affordability: 82% of Americans say coupons help them cope with high prices, and 46% now view them as a necessity rather than a perk.
2. Deals strongly influence brand behavior: 58% of shoppers try new brands when offered a good coupon (up from 49% in 2023), and 42% say coupons influence them to purchase items they wouldn’t have otherwise.
3. Shoppers overwhelmingly prefer instant savings: percentage-off deals and free shipping remain the top choices, while rebates rank last due to the delayed gratification they offer.
4. Digital shopping fuels spontaneous deal hunting: While 70% seek deals before shopping in-store, 54% of online shoppers look for discounts while browsing or at checkout.
5. Consumers will trade personal data for better savings: Up to 70% will provide retailers with their email address and 39% will download an app when offered a 20% discount.
6. Physical coupons remain surprisingly strong: 82% of shoppers still use paper coupons at least occasionally—nearly equal to digital coupon use (79%).

In an era still shaped by economic uncertainty and a digital-first retail landscape, coupons and deals continue to define how Americans shop. From grocery aisles to mobile apps, consumers remain laser-focused on saving — and their habits reveal how deeply deal-seeking has become part of everyday life.

To understand how discounts influence modern shopping behavior, Savings.com surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. adults in 2025. The findings, combined with recent retail data, shed light on where and how Americans find coupons, which types they value most, and how savings shape their brand choices.

How Coupons Influence Shopping Behavior

Coupons Help Consumers Afford the Basics

As prices remain elevated across categories, coupons have taken on new importance—not just as a way to discover brands, but as a way to make ends meet. In 2025, coupons are less about hunting for a fun deal and more about making necessities affordable.

Our survey found that 82 percent of shoppers say coupons help them deal with high prices, and nearly half (46 percent) now consider coupons a necessity rather than a bonus. This marks a striking shift from pre-inflation years, when couponing was viewed mainly as a savvy shopping strategy.

The data shows that coupons are a lifeline for many consumers. With grocery bills, gas, and daily expenses still high, discounts have evolved from “nice to have" to need to have.

Even as coupons help shoppers save on essentials, they continue to influence brand behavior—58 percent of shoppers say a good coupon makes them more likely to try a new brand, and 42 percent admit that discounts lead them to purchase items they wouldn’t have otherwise. But in 2025, this exploration is often motivated by practicality: shoppers are looking for the best price, not just novelty.

For brands and retailers, that shift represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Coupons can no longer be viewed solely as marketing promotions—they are a key part of consumers’ financial coping strategies. By offering timely, transparent savings, companies can position themselves as allies in affordability, earning both trust and loyalty.

Coupons and Deals Provide Shoppers With Instant Gratification

Just like in our 2023 research, consumers remain drawn to the feeling of saving now rather than waiting for rebates or rewards.

Percentage-off and free shipping deals continue to dominate, reflecting a universal desire for simple, transparent savings. “Buy one, get one" offers remain popular, too, as they add tangible value. In contrast, rebates and gift-card-after-purchase promotions lag because they delay gratification.

External research supports this pattern: digital coupons offering immediate savings now average redemption rates above seven percent, one of the highest in recent years.

Coupons and Deals Encourage Planning and Impulse Buying

Many shoppers plan ahead to maximize their savings: 70 percent of respondents said they look for coupons and deals before shopping in-store. However, online deal-seeking has become spontaneous — 54 percent of online shoppers said they search for discounts while browsing or checking out.

Compared to in-store shopping, online platforms make real-time discount hunting far easier. Consumers can open new tabs, use browser extensions, or copy-paste promo codes within seconds.

Interestingly, women and younger adults remain most likely to hunt for coupons right before checkout — the same pattern we observed in 2023 — showing that instant digital discovery continues to drive conversions.

Consumers Are Willing to Trade Personal Data for Deals

Our findings also highlight the growing interconnection between coupons and customer data. When asked if they’d provide an email address for a discount code:

What Shoppers Will Do to Receive Coupon or Discount Codes

By discount value 

These numbers mirror a growing trend: consumers are more open to sharing personal data when they perceive clear value. This presents retailers with an ethical opportunity — use discounts to create meaningful, transparent exchanges that respect privacy and build loyalty.

As Prices Climb, Coupon Usage Is Nearly Universal

Shoppers’ desire to save is stronger than ever. In our 2025 survey, 91 percent of people said they regularly seek coupons or discount codes, online or in-store.

While clothing remains a top category — more than half look for apparel discounts — other categories have grown dramatically. The table below shows where shoppers most often seek coupons and deals.

Compared to 2023, couponing is more evenly distributed across categories. Once dominated by grocery and household products, 2025’s data show growth in apparel, electronics, and even entertainment — evidence that shoppers expect deals in every part of their lives. (https://www.demandsage.com/coupon-statistics/)

Physical Coupons Remain Surprisingly Strong

Despite the digital shift, good old-fashioned paper coupons continue to play a meaningful role in retail sales. Our survey shows that 82 percent of shoppers still use physical coupons at least occasionally — a figure nearly identical to the use of digital coupons (79 percent).

Where Shoppers Get Physical Coupons

Though digital formats offer convenience, physical coupons remain powerful drivers of in-store traffic and local loyalty. Mailers, in particular, remain the most common offline source, helping brands connect with shoppers beyond screens.

Coupons have adapted through every retail transformation — and 2025 is no exception. In a landscape where shoppers juggle multiple channels and rising prices, deals remain a universal language of value.

They influence what people buy, which brands they trust, and how they engage with retailers. The modern coupon—whether paper or digital—does more than lower prices: it builds relationships, fuels loyalty, and drives smarter shopping across America.

Methodology

In September 2025, Savings.com surveyed 1,011 U.S. adults about their coupon use, shopping habits, and attitudes toward discounts. The survey participants were recruited through a reputable online research platform. Respondents were sampled to be demographically representative of the U.S. adult population.