5 New Ways to Clip Coupons

THANKS TO HIGH GAS and grocery prices, coupon clipping is making a comeback.

Coupon Kiosks

Forget about the Sunday newspaper. Now shoppers can print coupons inside the store. Shoppers at CVS (CVS), Marsh Supermarkets and Giant Eagle stores can swipe their loyalty card at an in-store kiosk and receive coupons based on purchase history and current store specials. At Stop & Shop, shopping carts are armed with mini-computers that tally purchases and offer coupons. And at Mesa Riverview Mall in Mesa, Ariz., recently-installed interactive kiosks enable shoppers to look up coupon codes — like 10% off at the mall pizzeria — and send them via text message to their cellphones.

Loaded Loyalty Cards

"People don't want to take the time to clip the coupons, remember to take them to the store and then, once there, remember to use them," says Alicia Rockmore, founder of Buttoned Up, which offers tools and tips to help consumers get organized. AOL's new Shortcuts seeks to streamline the process. The web site lets consumers load manufacturers' coupons onto their store loyalty card and use them at checkout. Kroger's (and its affiliated brands) currently offer the service.

Shopping Widgets

Last month, grocery chain Meijer released Mealbox, a downloadable computer program that helps consumers prepare shopping lists and find associated deals. The widget alerts shoppers to store sales and automatically attaches any available coupons. Shoppers then print out the list so the coupon barcodes can be scanned at checkout.

Web Coupons

The pitfall of web-based coupons has long been in-store acceptance, says Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org, a consumer advocacy site. For retailers, it was tough to tell the real thing from a fake because there were no barcodes or other authentication measures in place. Now sites like SmartSource.com and Coupons.com use barcode-printing software that helps remedy that problem. Shoppers can easily click on the coupons they want and print them out without too much concern about whether or not the store will accept it. (Still, it doesn't hurt to check with the retailer first.) Just be aware, manufacturers typically limit shoppers to just two printouts per coupon, says Dworsky.

Cellphone Coupons

The next big thing in coupons: cellphones. According to Juniper Research, a U.K.-based market researcher, marketers expect mobile coupons to generate $7 billion annually by 2011.

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