Nielsen reveals China's world-leading love of coupons

The 'Shopping and Saving Strategies Around the World' report, by Nielsen, found that even in tough economic times, consumers did not necessarily choose their goods by the lowest price. Rather, they look to get the best value from their purchases, even if these come at a higher price.

In Mainland China and Hong Kong, coupons - from offers connected with other purchases to deals published by group marketing websites - provide a key savings strategy for consumers. Of the 51 markets (and 25,000 consumers) surveyed, Mainland China had the highest proportion (67 per cent) of respondents indcating active use of coupons in purchasing decisions. Consumers in Hong Kong were not far behind - with 65 per cent having the same affinity with coupons.

Oliver Rust , managing director of Nielsen Hong Kong, said fast-moving consumer goods attracted the most coupon-discounted sales in both markets. "Coupons have become the mainstay for consumers to get a better deal for their regularly-used brands," he said. "In addition, for marketeers, they have been effective in driving trial from competitor's brand users as well in getting consumers to try new products".

The interest in these sorts of discounts has even created a new verb for market researchers.

" 'Couponing' is gaining in popularity as people look to cut their expenses under the inflationary pressure," Rust says. "It is therefore important for retailers and manufacturers in this highly competitive market to adopt the coupon strategy to drive cautious consumers to spend and also to upsell them to more expensive items."

Like, much of the rest of the world, Chinese consumers are keen to maximise value, rather than minimise price. This gives marketers a unique opportunity to develop brands with a range of selling points, Rust says.

"Consumers think that sales and promotions that the retailers offer also matter. Value maximisation is the ultimate goal for every single dollar they spend on shopping, on top of just price reduction."