Savings Trends for 2012: How Will You Save?

With the increased attention on savings in 2011, thanks to high-profile television shows like Extreme Couponing, it will be interesting to see what kind of changes brands will make in 2012 to bring back a more balanced take on value. I’m teaming up with one of our family’s favorite restaurants, IHOP, over the next few months to take a closer look at value trends over time, as well as some of my predictions for 2012.

5 Savings Predictions:

• Tis the Year to Quench the Appetite With Value: Keep an eye out for exciting value-focused meal deals, like IHOP’s 7 for $7 Menu, which gives busy families 7 great ways to treat themselves to a full-service restaurant experience without breaking the bank. IHOP’s 7 for $7 Menu features meal combos that satisfy every breakfast, lunch or dinner craving, 7 days a week at an affordable price.

  What’s especially nice is you know what your bill is going to be — even for something like Bacon-Wrapped Sirloin & Eggs — before you ever go in the restaurant. It sets the stage for a year that is expected to reveal high-quality products that fit a range of budgets and consumer needs. Check out the range of 7 for $7 menu items on the IHOP Facebook fan page.

• Loyalty Rewards on the Upswing: In the wake of Extreme Couponing, retailers are becoming increasingly aware that consumers are willing to store hop in search of the best deals. I expect that stores will attempt to curb this by offering more attractive loyalty programs to encourage shoppers to do all of their shopping in a single establishment.

• Share the Wealth: We’ve seen dramatic growth in discounts offered for sharing deals via various social media outlets. However, some companies have already fizzled out, while others are still going strong. Consumers will be more selective about which companies they’re willing to promote, but we’ll all continue to enjoy the savings in 2012!

• Personalized Savings Opportunities: As retailers gather more and more data about their consumers from online purchases, loyalty programs, Internet cookies, and other sources, expect to see more targeted savings opportunities delivered right to your inbox. Companies like Crate & Barrel have already tested this out, sending emails to let consumers know when they’ve left items in their online shopping carts and even offering additional discounts in some cases.

• Trade In, Trade Up: Consumers crave the next new and exciting model, but with new versions being released more frequently, they may be hesitant to upgrade their existing products. Retailers are responding by instituting attractive trade-in programs, buying back the old technology to incentivize consumers to purchase the new. However, technology is not the only sector experiencing this trend. Trade in programs are popping up for textbooks (Amazon Student), event tickets (StubHub), gift cards (Plastic Jungle) and more.

In any case, I’m committed to sharing only the best of the best deals here on Deal Seeking Mom, so stay tuned for more savings!

What are your thoughts on my predictions? Do you foresee any other trends that I didn’t mention?

Disclosure: IHOP has provided me with compensation for the time and effort spent creating this post. However, my opinions are entirely my own — always have been, always will be.