For years, the weekly grocery store print ads have been a staple in American households. Customers would receive their ads in mail-out flyers or with their daily newspaper subscription. They could then scour each store’s ads for deals, dutifully cutting them out for the next shopping trip. For retailers, weekly ads were one of the most effective promotional sources for their businesses. Retailers could count on those ads to bring customers in each week for their household shopping.
In recent years, the grocery store print ads have started to fade out. Research from Inmar Intelligence found in 2021 that consumers used more electronic coupons than paper ones in 2020, the first time that had ever occurred.This shift shows that customers are willing to use electronic coupons and discounts, even in the grocery store!
As an independent grocery retailer, you may be wondering how you can switch from paper ads to digital ones and compete with larger retailers. Luckily, that’s where we can help you. We offer retail marketing services, which can include digital coupon content. To create this content, we’ve paired up with CoupDog to create a Universal Digital Coupon format. When you partner with UNFI’s digital ad network, you get exclusive content, streamlined coupon processing for redemption and payments, and faster payments for digital coupons! But that’s not all. Here are a few more benefits of our digital coupon tools:
- They work with loyalty programs
- We offer Spanish-language coupons
- You can add in-store funded discounts
- Major POS systems accept them
- They are cheaper to produce and more fraud-resistant than paper coupons
- Using APIs, we can integrate your coupons with your existing digital platforms
- You can provide coupon discounts to your shoppers from leading CPG companies and UNFI brands.
Customers value tools that let them save money. It’s why weekly print ads have been so effective for decades. But times are changing, and it’s harder for retailers to get print ads to customers than it used to be. Adding the option for digital coupons and ads may give your store an extra boost in sales. With our help, you can get the tools and skills to start using digital ads and coupons in your stores. Visit our website to learn more about this service and the many other services we offer for retailers like you!