Click, Save, Repeat: How Technology Transformed Coupons for the Digital Shopper

For years, clipping paper coupons was a weekly ritual, a staple of Sunday mornings with newspapers and scissors. I’ll admit, I still frequently stick a retailer's paper coupon to the fridge door as a reminder to use it on my next visit. And frequently, I forget to bring it with me! But the advent of digital technology changed the game entirely. As the internet expanded in the late 1990s, the coupon model underwent a digital transformation that revolutionised how brands connect with shoppers and how shoppers find savings. Today, digital platforms like GreenJinn | B Corp? are pushing the coupon concept to new heights with personalisation, engagement, and real-time tracking capabilities, making them a step above older SMS and email based couponing systems.

The shift from paper to digital coupons began in earnest in the early 2000s, with brands exploring online offers, email discounts, and printable coupons from websites. As smartphones became ubiquitous, mobile couponing apps gained prominence, offering brands more opportunities for engagement while giving shoppers convenient, easy access to deals.

App-based platforms like GreenJinn have distinct advantages over SMS or email-based coupon services. Unlike SMS or email, which typically limit users to a single, one-time coupon offer, app-based platforms provide a broad selection of discounts across various categories and products. This model not only increases the potential savings for shoppers but also gives them a reason to return regularly to the app, creating sustained engagement rather than a one-off interaction. Through this broader range of offerings, brands can garner more comprehensive insights into shopper preferences, behaviours, and emerging trends creating a more detailed single customer view across retailers.

With a greater breadth of available coupons, app-based platforms allow brands to make more informed decisions about product preferences and shopper interests. Where SMS or email coupons offer limited data points, app-based platforms like GreenJinn can collect a rich spectrum of information, which enables a deeper understanding of which offers are most attractive and how shopper habits change over time. Brands, for example, use these insights to tailor offers to each shopper’s specific interests, creating a more personalised and engaging experience that helps foster loyalty and repeat usage.

Moreover, apps like GreenJinn can track shopper engagement with an unmatched level of precision and connect it to in-store sales. When a shopper interacts with a GreenJinn coupon, the platform can attribute that interaction to an actual purchase, closing the loop for brands and providing real-world, real-time ROI data that’s difficult to capture with SMS or email. By connecting online engagement to offline sales, GreenJinn’s app-based platform empowers brands with accurate, actionable data to refine their marketing strategies in real-time.

Ultimately, platforms like GreenJinn | B Corp? provide a complete experience that SMS and email-based coupon services simply cannot match. They offer shoppers convenient access to a diverse array of coupons, personalised recommendations based on their shopping behaviours, and a privacy-compliant model that respects shoppers data. The result is a more dynamic, engaging, and informative way for brands to reach and understand their customers, proving that in today’s digital landscape, app-based platforms are leading the evolution of couponing.

In the next post, I'll explore what the future holds for retail coupons.