It's becoming more commonplace for retailers to offer consumers the option of going online to have coupons loaded on their reward cards. But what about those retailers that don't have card programs?
According to a Tampa Tribune report, Publix, which doesn't have a loyalty card, is now testing a program where its shoppers can go online to set up an account where they can digitally clip coupons. When the customer goes shopping at one of the chain's stores, they enter a phone number in the payment terminal and discounts are automatically applied.
"Coupons are very important to many of our customers and are gaining popularity every day," Shannon Patten, media & community relations manager for Publix, said in a statement. "Therefore we are exploring options that will enable our customers to continue saving money while making it more convenient to do so."
There's no guarantee that Publix will go beyond a test to roll the digital coupon program out to its 1,000+ stores in the Southeast. As the Tribune article pointed out, Publix has a history of taking "a lengthy, deliberative approach" to new initiatives that it sometimes abandons for failing to meet goals.
Publix is also no stranger, despite its upscale image, to making news on the saving consumers money front. The chain's BOGO strategy, particularly as a means to induce trial of its store brands, is well established. Last year, it went public with its policy, with caveats, of accepting competitors' coupons.