The trend: Consumers pressed by higher everyday costs have increased their reliance on deals, with coupons now considered a practical tool for making essential goods more affordable.

“It’s no longer fun or a pastime; it’s really about the day-to-day experience” as consumers confront how much they have to spend on essentials, said Kelly McKay, senior vice president of sales for savings and coupon platform The Krazy Coupon Lady, in an interview at this month’s Commerce Media Brand Summit in Atlanta.

Essentials are still getting more expensive, with costs of many foods, insurance, and electricity rising significantly in February YoY. Higher fuel costs tied to the current Iran war have been hitting consumers at the pump, with gasoline prices surging in the last month.

Seeking savings: Against this backdrop, coupons are helping many to save. A vast majority of US grocery shoppers (64%) used digital coupons or cash back to save in a recent month, while 26% also relied on paper coupons to cut their expenses, per Ibotta’s 2026 State of Spend report.

McKay said brands are increasingly putting their promotional weight behind essentials, reflecting the current economic climate. She cited heightened promotional activity in categories like personal care, laundry, shampoo, and paper goods as evidence that brands are responding to consumers who are more focused on practical household needs and immediate value than discretionary purchases.

McKay also said loyalty is no longer as fixed as it once was. She described today’s shopper as a “conditional loyalist”—someone who may still have a preferred brand but is increasingly willing to switch if a stronger value proposition is put in front of them. In that environment, she argued, brand preference alone is not enough; brands must continually earn attention with offers that make savings easy to access and use. “If friction is there, she’s out of it,” McKay said.

Implications for brands: In the current economic moment, savings sells, and companies that lean into value have a big opportunity to cultivate relationships with a variety of consumers. Today’s shoppers are more flexible in their brand choices if a company understands their needs and offers compelling value. As McKay said, “She will choose you over and over and over if she feels heard.”