Why coupons, not points, will define grocery media in 2026
Opinion
Shoppers don’t want to wait months to feel rewarded. They want value now, at the till, in real time.
For decades, loyalty points and long-term rewards have been the heavyweight champions of grocery marketing; designed to lock shoppers in, smooth over price sensitivity and reward patience. But the economic context that made loyalty schemes effective has fundamentally changed, and with it, shopper behaviour.
Rising grocery prices and tightening household budgets mean that a promise of future value is no longer enough. Shoppers don’t want to wait months to feel rewarded. They want value now, at the till, in real time.
That’s why coupons, not points, are fast becoming the defining force in grocery media.
From future value to instant relief
Coupons offer something loyalty points can’t: immediate financial relief. In a climate where shoppers are increasingly tactical about their weekly spend, an instant discount is more powerful than a points balance that may not be redeemed for months, if at all.
The impact is decisive. Our research shows that nearly three-quarters of UK grocery shoppers say money-off coupons have the greatest influence on what they buy, outpacing loyalty points and cashback. So much so, more than half of UK shoppers say they would switch supermarkets if a coupon wasn’t accepted, rising to 76% of Gen Z consumers.
Brand loyalty is proving just as fragile. Seven in 10 UK shoppers say they would try a new product if offered a coupon. Where coupons were once seen as detrimental to brand value and long-term loyalty, they are now fast becoming the most influential promotional mechanic available to brands because of the clarity and immediacy of the savings they deliver.
In today’s high-cost environment, it’s savings, not sentiment, that is winning over shoppers.
Coupons have become a media format, not a promotion
Despite the continued growth of e-commerce, the high street holds firm, and grocery shopping remains overwhelmingly physical. More than half of UK consumers still shop predominantly in-store. What has changed is the role of mobile phones within that environment.
Shoppers want to see, compare and control their spend, and mobile has become central to how they unlock value.
Convenience is the critical driver. Shoppers are far more likely to use coupons if they can be redeemed via smartphone, and ease of use is the single biggest factor influencing redemption. This reinforces the need for seamless, frictionless digital experiences within physical retail environments.
Our research found that nearly three-quarters of UK shoppers have redeemed a coupon on their smartphone in-store, with almost half doing so repeatedly.
Among 25–34-year-olds, regular usage rises to more than 60%. For this audience in particular, mobile isn’t a bolt-on; it’s central to the shopping experience. Almost half say that being able to redeem offers on their phone actively improves their time in-store.
Shoppers are also highly responsive to smartphone-delivered experiences such as ‘spin-to-win’ and ‘unlockable’ rewards.
Almost nine in ten consumers say they are more likely to enter a prize draw or play an online game when they are guaranteed a special offer or free item. By turning the ‘coupon hunt’ into an interactive mission, brands can drive significantly higher conversion rates whilst capturing zero-party data, essential for the post-cookie era.
At this point, coupons stop being a promotion and become a media format: high-attention, permissioned, and embedded directly in the path to purchase.
The regulatory advantage hiding in plain sight
As advertising restrictions tighten, particularly around Less Healthy Food (LHF) products, many traditional routes to reach shoppers are becoming increasingly constrained.
Mobile coupons sit outside much of this pressure and remain one of the few fully compliant ways for brands to put LHF products directly in front of consumers without relying on conventional advertising formats. Rather than pushing messages at audiences, coupons operate as an explicit value exchange: shoppers opt in because they want to save money.
The HFSS opportunity no one’s talking about: Why coupons could rewrite 2026 media strategy
This shifts the role of media from persuasion to utility. When the experience, not the product, is the hook, brands can maintain visibility and relevance without breaching regulations. In that sense, coupons don’t just solve a performance problem; they also solve a compliance problem, offering a future-proof way to stay present in an increasingly restrictive media landscape.
Why grocery media will be defined by value, not loyalty
Taken together, these shifts point to a bigger truth: grocery media is no longer built on patience and promises. It’s built on immediacy, convenience and measurable value.
Where loyalty points leave shoppers waiting for future rewards, coupons prove value in the moment. And in today’s economic climate, that distinction matters more than ever.
Brands and retailers that fail to offer seamless, smartphone-based savings introduce friction into the shopping journey. And friction is now enough to send shoppers elsewhere.
As our research shows, many won’t hesitate to switch brands or even supermarkets if value isn’t instantly accessible.
Coupons, once dismissed as tactical or brand-diluting, are fast becoming the most influential media format in grocery. Not because shoppers love deals more than brands, but because in a high-cost world, value has become the most persuasive message of all.
Steve Smith is the chief commercial officer at savi