Why Do Stores Like Walmart Love Coupons

As a frugal living expert I sometimes hear consumers saying that they “hate to shop.” For some, shopping brings feelings of anxiety because of a tight budget, the embarrassment of going over your cash in pocket and putting things back at the checkout counter, and becoming frustrated at the“sale game” that stores play from week to week. I always suggest couponing to those individuals to maximize their savings. However, I’ve found that some people just don’t understand coupons and how they benefit stores and consumers.

Stores like Walmart (and other discount stores and grocery stores too) love coupons. Coupons benefit consumers and discount chains like Walmart for example. Let’s 1^st look at coupons in general so you have a better understanding of them. Coupons are a promotional tool used by manufacturer’s to promote a product by enticing a consumer with a special discount price printed on a piece of paper that is referred to as a coupon. From a legal perspective, a coupon is a loose contract with a manufacturer, a consumer, and a store for the purchase of discounted goods.

As a frugal consumer, we just read the part that says the cents off the purchase, like 45¢ off of 6 yogurt cups. To the store, like Walmart, those coupons once multiplied mean an increase in the profit of each Walmart. That’s right! Each coupon, in very tiny print, has an address of where to send the coupon once accepted by the cashier at check out, so that stores can be reimbursed for the coupon discount offered to the consumer. Plus, the coupon states that the store will receive an additional 8¢above and beyond the face value of the coupon.

Let’s think about that for a moment now! If your local Walmart accepts 1,000 coupons per day and there are 50Walmart stores (there are more than 50 Walmart stores in the United States but we wanted to keep numbers simple for this article) then let’s do the match together! 1,000 coupons X 8¢ X 50 Walmart Stores X 365 days in a year = $1,460,000 – WOW!All You magazine!  I just keep popping up in there! ;