Online discount code use spikes 43% in past year, finds survey
The number of people hunting discount codes before making purchases online has grown by almost half over the past year.
The independent survey of 1,000 consumers, commissioned by Voucherbox.co.uk, found those who frequently use discount codes was up from 23 per cent in 2014 to 33 per cent (an increase of 43 per cent) in 2015.
Meanwhile those who ‘always’ use a voucher code when shopping jumped by 70 per cent while ‘regular’ users grew 27 per cent to represent 17 and 16 per cent of UK shoppers respectively.
In line with this rise, the number of people who say they have never used an online discount dropped by 15 per cent while those who didn’t know what a voucher or discount code was also decreased to eight per cent (down from 10 per cent in 2014).
Shane Forster, UK country manager for Voucherbox.co.uk said online shoppers are continuing to demand more for their money from retailers.
“Responding to this growth in consumer culture benefits both parties - sales generated by the incentive of a discount are proven to drive significant extra revenue for retailers,” he added.
A regional breakdown shows the biggest rise amongst Scottish consumers, with a 40 per cent increase in discount code usage over the previous year. Wales saw a 29 per cent overall increase, followed by England (17 per cent) and Northern Ireland (11 per cent).
The research also found that among consumers aged 18-24, hunting discount codes has doubled since last year going from a reported 32 per cent to 63 per cent.
The number of people aged 25-34 using voucher codes has also jumped to 68 per cent from 40 per cent last year.
However, online discount use declined among respondents over 65, dropping from 53 per cent in 2014 to 47 per cent in 2015.
Voucherbox.co.uk works with 1,550 retailers including Debenhams, Argos, Marks & Spencer and Tesco to offer codes and discounts.