Coupons | Loyalty Programs | Footwear Buying Trends

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1. Consumers are turning to coupons for food and groceries much more frequently than in years past.

With economic anxieties on the rise, consumers are looking for ways to save money where they can, and one time-tested method to save when shopping is using coupons. According to CivicScience tracking data, coupon usage is up compared with ten years ago. However, this doesn’t mean more people are using coupons. Rather, existing coupon users are relying on them more frequently, particularly when it comes to food and grocery purchases. While coupon use for non-grocery items has also risen since 2015, it has declined both in frequency and overall usage compared to just last year.

Among coupon users, 56% have used digital coupons and 48% have used buy-one-get-one-free offers in the past six months. When non-users were asked why they don’t use coupons, 39% said finding coupons is too time-consuming, while 36% simply forget to look for them.

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2. Loyalty programs are increasingly influencing where consumers shop for groceries.

Another common means of saving money while shopping is through customer loyalty programs. Compared with 2018, shoppers in 2025 say that loyalty programs are playing a bigger role in where they choose to shop for groceries. Fifty-six percent of grocery store loyalty program members say they do most or all of their shopping at stores where they have a loyalty program membership, up from 43% in 2018. The trend is especially pronounced among younger shoppers, who are more likely to avoid retailers that don’t offer loyalty benefits.

Use this Data: CivicScience clients leverage real-time data like this to monitor and stay ahead of shifting consumer mindsets, allowing them to remain proactive in today’s uncertain economic climate.

3. American shoe buying intent is trending up this year, led by athletic and casual shoes.

According to new CivicScience data, consumers are more interested in buying shoes than they were this time last year. Compared with 2024, respondents in 2025 are 4pp more likely to plan on buying a new pair of shoes in the next three months, especially casual shoes (+6pp) and athletic shoes (+6pp), likely influenced by rec sports participation.

Athletic shoes in particular are a yearly purchase for 43% of U.S. adults, including 21% who purchase multiple new pairs a year. City-dwellers are the most likely to buy new athletic shoes on a regular basis, while those in rural areas tend to wait until the old pair wears out.

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