Kantar Media reports double digit increases across retailer coupons in 2013

Minneapolis -- The distribution of digital coupons on retailers’ websites exploded in 2013, increasing 39.5% over the previous year, according to data released by Marx, a Kantar Media company. The growth of digital coupons was followed by a 25.6% increase in retailer participation in freestanding insert (FSI) coupon promotion pages, and a 12.6% increase in total retailer feature ad pages distributed.



Although total retailer advertising remained flat in 2013 versus 2012, several leading retailers had significant increases in their advertising expenditures including Walmart, Kroger, and Target, according to Marx.



Significant shifts in advertising and promotion activity were observed among leading retailers across the mass, food, drug, and other retail sales channels. For example, Walmart had the greatest levels of actual advertising expenditures and the highest level of participation in retailer FSI promotion pages in 2013, increasing their activity in these areas 32.9% and 30.8% respectively.



Walmart also benefited from a 25.2% increase in digital coupon activity on Walmart.com and a 43.7% increase in retail feature ad pages distributed in 2013. However, Target kept pace with Walmart by also driving double digit increases across all four of these tactics in 2013.



The three leading retailers in the drug sector all decreased their advertising activity in 2013. CVS had the greatest decrease in retailer advertising among the three leading Drug retailers with a 32.2% decrease.



CVS also decreased retailer FSI coupon participation by 37.3% and retail feature ad activity by 9.3%, with digital coupon support on CVS.com receiving the only increase among these tactics, up 10.2%in 2013.