- Katy Bachman, Mediaweek

Clipping coupons from newspapers is still big business, but that could soon change. A new study from Information Resources and Platform-A's Business Intelligence organization found that: The younger the consumer, the more comfortable they were with accessing coupons online.

While 90 million consumers, or 78 percent of retail shoppers, currently use newspaper coupons, nearly one out of every four is likely to be at least 65 years old. In contrast, nearly four out of every 10 shoppers, or 40 million consumers, would be likely to use coupons obtained online.

According to the study, which surveyed 36,000 IRI panelists in September 2008, the group with the highest percentage of consumers most likely to use online coupons was ages 18-24. Although 68 percent of this group used newspaper coupons, 51 percent indicated they would likely use online coupons. In contrast, 83 percent of the 65-and-over group clipped newspaper coupons, but only 30 percent was amenable to online coupons.

"What's particularly remarkable about the study results is how open young people are to the idea of using coupons online, even though clipping coupons from the newspaper really hasn't been their thing," said J. P. Beauchamp, senior vp, IRI Consumer & Shopper Insights. "I think we'll be seeing CPG manufacturers jumping on this trend, using online coupons to court a new generation of consumers and build loyalty during these cost-conscious times."