The number of coupon purchases grew by 17% in 2024: American brands earn big on this trend

Photo bysaad aziz

The use of coupons across the globe is growing every year. According to TakeAds, a native advertising platform, the number of online purchases using coupons grew by 20% in 2023 and by 17% YoY in the first half of 2024. American shoppers follow the same trend - this year they applied coupons 22% more often and increased the amount of such purchases by 24%. Brands are taking advantage of the trend and are actively developing this technology. 

In 2022, 177.9 million American adults, or 68.2% of the adult population, redeemed digital coupons. This indicates a strong consumer preference for savings, further emphasized by 86% of online shoppers being more likely to try a new business due to a coupon. The trend only becomes stronger and stronger by the year. 

The AOV of a purchase with an applied coupon in 2024 is 55.8 USD worldwide, in the US it is significantly higher - about 92.6 USD. The top 3 cities in terms of active use of coupons and the value of these purchases are Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Houston. 

The real virtuosos in the use of coupons are marketplaces - they account for the lion's share of such orders. For other brands this is a big growth point, because in recent years the presence of a favorable coupon or promo code has become not just a call-to-action, but a factor that determines where the customer will order. Users now often find themselves in a situation where they have multiple coupons, and they choose the most advantageous and targeted one, and don't even take the time to search for other options on their own accord. 

Moreover, Amazon has expanded its targeted coupon categories, providing more opportunities for brands to connect with consumers through tailored offers. For online publishers, integrating coupons into content can attract a broader audience and drive higher engagement, leveraging these growing trends in consumer behavior.

Products most often bought using coupons in the US according to TakeAds's calculations:

Electronics - 24.7%

Clothing, shoes and accessories - 23.3%

Home & Garden - 15.8%

Toys & Hobbies - 11.4%

Beauty & Health - 6%

Sports & Entertainment - 4.5%

Automobiles, Parts & Accessories - 4%

Tools - 3.2%

Other - 7.1%

Among the Ecommerce categories that show significant growth in coupon sales in 2024 are electronics, sport goods, car parts and home goods. 

Apart from these, there are several other major trends in the coupon industry that are largely driving its growth. 

The growing popularity of coupons in online services and games

While coupons are already commonplace for Ecommerce, they are still less popular in the online services industry, and their usage is only beginning to gain momentum. For example, sales of games using promo codes and coupons grew by 20% in the US in 2024. Buying e-books and online educational courses with coupons has shown similar growth rates. Movie and music streaming services increased coupon usage by more than 50%. 

Automation and affiliate engagement

Coupon traffic is one of the most effective sources of sales for brands and recently - one of the fastest growing revenue streams for publishers. The boom in coupon sales is positively affecting their earnings - in 2024, their affiliate profits in the US grew by more than 15%. But simply offering your audience coupons in a newsletter or on a special offers page is no longer enough. 

Browsers, search engines and content platforms are actively searching for new technologies that increase the nativity and relevance of coupon offers to users while monetizing each and every free space on pages. For example, one the most sought-after solutions among TakeAds publishers in 2024 is a tool that analyzes links to products and services on a page (e.g., in a product review article) and automatically selects appropriate coupons for users. The demand for such solutions will continue to grow in the coming years. 

Mobile tools are a major growth point

One of the powerful global trends, which is driving sales on the American market, is mobile coupons. Global brands are actively using this tool based on the statistics about the increasing penetration of smartphones in our lives. In 2024, more than 30% of all global coupon sales will be made via mobile devices - and their share continues to grow. 

The USA is actually spearheading this trend. This year, above 35% of coupon and promo code orders were made using smartphones. High level of digitalization in the country leaves no doubt - brands that are the first to harness the potential of mobile marketing tools will earn the most on the current trends.