‘Couponing’ could cause a backlash – Southside Times
Published May 12th, 2011
I was leaving the check-out at Meijer the other day when I heard the guy behind me ask the cashier “Have you ever done this before?”I thought he was making a stupid joke, but then I turned around and saw his cart full of the same three or four items and a stack of coupons in his hand. He wasn’t trying to be funny, it turned out. He was “extreme couponing” and legitimately wanted to know if he was working with a cashier who could handle it.Those who don’t watch TLC may be unfamiliar with this concept. The network airs a program by the same name that follows hardcore coupon users through stores as they bargain hunt and attempt to get many somethings for almost nothing.These “extreme couponers” take advantage of coupons and sales to the point of absurdity. Combining rebates, stores’ offers to double coupons and a willingness to buy a lifetime supply of Cheez Whiz in one trip, they approach cashiers with wads of coupons in hand and the intent of buying six cartloads of products for the price of a latte.Back at home, extreme couponers’ residences resemble the stock room at Sam’s Club: 700 tubes of toothpaste, 100 packs of Gatorade and enough ramen noodles to feed the entire Briscoe dorm next semester. One episode even showed a lady who had an entire room of baby supplies – diapers, wipes, formula. That’s fine, except she was single and without a child. “But when I do, I’ll be ready,” she said.Extreme couponing and the subsequent stockpiling is simply another form of hoarding, yet because it’s done in the name of saving money, most people don’t see anything wrong with it. In fact, it seems to be a growing trend, thanks in large part to TLC’s show. On the same day I saw that small-scale couponer, my wife saw another at a CVS. And there are now articles all over the Internet providing how-to guides for others wanting to get in on the couponing.I respect that budgets are tight and people are looking to save as much as possible, but what effect will the extreme money-saving tactics of some have on the rest of us? The answer may end up being “none,” but if this trend continues to gain popularity, shouldn’t we expect grocery stores and manufacturers to make changes and stop the bleeding?Shoplifting happens every day in almost every store. How do retailers make up for this lost revenue? By increasing prices across the board. In a way, extreme couponing is legal shoplifting, taking unfair advantage of offers to create a nearly free shopping spree. If extreme savers are walking out of stores with $1,000 of merchandise after paying only $30 in cash, surely companies will make sure that doesn’t happen again.This won’t mean the end of coupons or rebates, but it seems reasonable to expect stricter limits on coupons and fewer savings offered overall. When manufacturers and retailers see shoppers on TV actually turning a profit on each can of soup they purchase (a common occurrence on the show), they’ll do something about it. After all, these companies are looking to make money – not provide a financially rewarding challenge for savvy consumers.While they may wipe out stock of various products and tie up cashiers with their endless separate transactions, extreme couponers are able to consistently feed a family (or seven) for next to nothing.Good for them if they’re able to do it.Trouble is, it may not be good for the rest of us.
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Kevin Kane is an aspiring sports writer and Roncalli alumnus. He currently attends Indiana University. You may reach him by e-mail at kkane@ss-times.com.
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