Will the traditional printed circular ever completely vanish?
Not if places like San Diego have anything to say about it.
The city council there recently banned grocers from offering coupons or discounts that are only available digitally – the first successful attempt of its kind, following earlier moves in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington. The aim is to protect consumers who are tech-challenged or otherwise have limited internet access.
While some grocers have dropped printed circulars and coupons for various reasons – including cost, sustainability or evolving media habits – the move is not without its challenges. Retailers that offer exclusively digital deals risk alienating certain customers – usually the elderly or less affluent – who still rely on weekly inserts for clipping coupons and planning their shopping trips.
Grocers have been approaching the issue cautiously. For example, as Grocery Dive notes, Kroger started phasing out mailed circulars nationwide in 2023. But that same year, Pittsburgh-based supermarket chain Giant Eagle reversed course, opting to resume mailing printed weekly circulars in some of its market areas. Scores of other grocers have taken sides or continue to straddle the fence, to ensure they are meeting the needs of their core consumers.
Localities across the country are undoubtedly eyeing San Diego’s move. In any case, printed circulars, coupons and other promotional materials appear to be resisting extinction, even as e-commerce continues to grow.
To that end, Intrics Circular Intelligence by RDSolutions stands ready to help retailers maximize the value of product and brand placement within their inserts.
Every week of the year, Intrics scrapes every ad for the top 77 retail grocery banners in the country, representing more than 42,000 stores and 63% of the entire U.S. grocery retail market. With simple-to-use filters, you can quickly access images of competitors’ circulars and data on the products they feature.
Our team of in-store auditors ensures every UPC associated to an ad block is reported back, even if it was mentioned only as a “select variety” on the ad. With hundreds of flyers being collected every week, and the ability to download images and data, our circular intelligence platform saves you time by leading you right to the circulars that matter most to you.
So, whether you’re all in on digital or your plans still include print, make sure you have complete visibility in your promotional strategy.
