Coupons, vouchers, and discount codes remain one of the most powerful tools in modern retail. In 2026, the global digital coupon market is projected to reach $12.55 billion, while the UK gift card and voucher market is on a trajectory towards £100 billion by 2032. Over 90% of British consumers have used a discount code or voucher, and digital coupons are 77% more likely to be redeemed than print alternatives. With AI-driven personalisation transforming coupon delivery and mobile redemption becoming near-universal, the humble coupon has evolved into a sophisticated marketing instrument.
Below, we’ve compiled 25+ essential UK coupon statistics for 2026, covering market size, consumer behaviour, digital vs physical coupons, redemption rates, and emerging trends.
Key UK Coupon Statistics 2026 (Editor’s Choice)
- The global digital coupon market is projected to reach $12.55 billion by end of 2026. (Straits Research, 2026)
- Over 90% of British consumers have used a discount code or voucher. (Opia, 2026)
- Digital coupons are 77% more likely to be redeemed than print coupons. (DemandSage, 2026)
- The average digital coupon redemption rate is 7% or higher. (DemandSage / Shopper.com, 2026)
- 65% of UK consumers use vouchers when food shopping. (Statista / Opia, 2026)
- 93.5% of digital coupon users redeem via smartphone. (DemandSage, 2026)
- 48% of consumers avoid brands that don’t offer coupons or discounts. (Capital One Shopping, 2026)
- Over 90% of coupon platforms will offer AI-driven personalised recommendations by 2026. (WP Coupons, 2026)
Global Digital Coupon Market Size
Market value in USD billions, 2021–2032
Source: Straits Research / Business Research Insights / DemandSage, 2026
UK Coupon Market Statistics
1. Over 90% of British consumers have used a discount code or voucher
Coupon usage is near-universal in the UK, with more than nine in ten consumers having used some form of discount code, voucher, or promotional offer. This high penetration reflects a culture of savvy shopping and the ease of applying discount codes online.
Source: Opia, Key Coupon, Voucher & Discount Code Stats, 2026
2. The UK gift card and voucher market is projected to reach £100 billion by 2032
The broader UK gift card and voucher market was worth £40.85 billion in 2023 and is growing at a 10.51% CAGR towards £100.42 billion by 2032. This includes physical gift cards, digital vouchers, e-gift cards, and promotional discount codes.
Source: Opia / Statista, 2026
3. 65% of UK consumers use vouchers when food shopping
Food and grocery shopping is the leading category for voucher use in the UK, with 65% of consumers applying discounts to their grocery purchases. Supermarket loyalty programmes, coupon apps, and digital vouchers from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda are the primary drivers.
Source: Statista / Opia, 2026
4. Fashion and clothing are the second most popular category for UK voucher use
After groceries, fashion is the next most common category where UK consumers apply discount codes. The prevalence of prominent discount code boxes at checkout on fashion retailer websites encourages consumers to search for promo codes before completing purchases.
Source: Statista / Opia, 2026
5. The cost-of-living crisis has increased UK coupon usage significantly
Rising living costs have driven a notable increase in coupon and discount code usage among British consumers. Shoppers are more intentionally seeking out promotional offers, signing up for retailer email lists, and using browser extensions to find available codes.
Source: Opia / Shopper.com, 2026
UK Voucher Usage by Category
Percentage of UK consumers using vouchers/codes by shopping category
Source: Statista / Opia / DemandSage, 2026
Digital Coupon Statistics
6. The global digital coupon market is projected to reach $12.55 billion by end of 2026
The digital coupon market continues its rapid expansion, growing from $10.6 billion in 2025 to a projected $12.55 billion by the end of 2026. The market is growing at an 18.33% CAGR and is expected to surpass $34.43 billion by 2032.
Source: Straits Research / Business Research Insights, 2026
7. Digital coupons are 77% more likely to be redeemed than print coupons
The convenience and accessibility of digital coupons translate directly into higher redemption rates. Digital coupons are 77% more likely to be used compared to traditional print alternatives, making them significantly more effective for retailers and brands.
Source: DemandSage, 2026
8. Digital coupons perform 35% better at attracting new customers
Beyond redemption rates, digital coupons are 35% more effective at acquiring new customers than print coupons. The shareability of digital offers, combined with targeted distribution through email and social media, makes them powerful acquisition tools.
Source: DemandSage / Opia, 2026
9. The average digital coupon redemption rate is 7% or higher
Digital coupons achieve an average redemption rate of 7% or higher, significantly outperforming historical industry benchmarks. Well-targeted, personalised digital coupons can achieve redemption rates of 15–20% or more.
Source: DemandSage / Shopper.com, 2026
10. Digital coupons make up one-third of all coupon redemptions
Digital formats now account for approximately 33% of all coupon redemptions, a figure that continues to grow as consumers shift away from traditional paper coupons. The transition to digital is being accelerated by retailer app adoption and mobile wallet integration.
Source: Capital One Shopping / VenueLabs, 2026
Digital vs Print Coupon Performance
Comparative effectiveness metrics, 2026
Source: DemandSage / Opia / Capital One Shopping, 2026
Consumer Behaviour & Coupon Usage
11. 93.5% of digital coupon users redeem via smartphone
Mobile devices are the dominant channel for digital coupon redemption, with 93.5% of consumers using their smartphones to access and redeem coupons. This near-universal mobile adoption means that mobile-optimised coupon experiences are essential.
Source: DemandSage, 2026
12. 48% of consumers avoid brands that don’t offer coupons or discounts
Nearly half of all consumers actively avoid brands that fail to provide promotional offers. This statistic underscores how deeply ingrained discount expectations have become in modern shopping behaviour and the risk brands face by not participating in coupon culture.
Source: Capital One Shopping, 2026
13. 62% of consumers actively search for promo codes online before purchasing
Almost two-thirds of consumers proactively search for discount codes before completing an online purchase. This behaviour is so common that it has spawned an entire ecosystem of coupon aggregator websites, browser extensions, and social media deal-sharing communities.
Source: DemandSage / VenueLabs, 2026
14. 82% redeem a digital coupon within one week; 30% within one day
Digital coupons create urgency: 82% of consumers who receive a digital coupon redeem it within a week, and 30% use it within just 24 hours. This rapid redemption timeline makes digital coupons highly effective for driving immediate sales.
Source: Capital One Shopping, 2026
15. 70% of consumers will make an unplanned purchase because of a coupon
Coupons are powerful triggers for impulse buying. Seven in ten consumers admit they would make an unplanned purchase when presented with a relevant coupon offer, while 38% say they buy more than intended when using discount codes.
Source: Capital One Shopping / DemandSage, 2026
16. 59% of shoppers use Google to search for discount codes
Google remains the primary tool consumers use to find coupon codes, with 59% of shoppers turning to the search engine before purchasing. Brand emails (47%) and coupon websites (34%) are the next most popular discovery channels.
Source: Capital One Shopping / VenueLabs, 2026
How Consumers Find Discount Codes
Top discovery channels for coupon codes, 2026
Source: Capital One Shopping / VenueLabs / DemandSage, 2026
Coupon Technology & Trends
17. Over 90% of coupon platforms will offer AI-driven personalised recommendations by 2026
Artificial intelligence is transforming coupon delivery, with more than 90% of platforms expected to offer AI-driven, personalised voucher recommendations by 2026. These systems analyse purchase history, browsing behaviour, and preferences to deliver highly relevant offers.
Source: WP Coupons, 2026
18. The global mobile coupon market was valued at $727.3 billion in 2024
The broader mobile coupon ecosystem (including mobile wallet offers, in-app discounts, and location-based promotions) was valued at $727.3 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $1.6 trillion by 2030, reflecting the massive scale of mobile promotional activity.
Source: Snipp / Verified Market Reports, 2026
19. Browser-based coupon extensions are growing rapidly
Automatic coupon-finding browser extensions (such as Honey, Capital One Shopping, and CouponFollow) are increasingly popular, automatically applying the best available discount code at checkout. These tools are changing consumer behaviour by removing the need to manually search for codes.
Source: Capital One Shopping / Meetanshi, 2026
20. Personalised coupons generate 6x higher redemption rates than generic offers
Data-driven personalisation is a game-changer for coupon effectiveness. Personalised coupons — tailored to individual shopping habits and preferences — achieve up to six times higher redemption rates compared to generic, one-size-fits-all promotional codes.
Source: WP Coupons / Opia, 2026
21. Real-time, location-based coupons are an emerging trend
Geo-targeted promotional offers — coupons triggered when a consumer enters a specific area or approaches a store — are an emerging trend in mobile commerce. These real-time offers leverage location data to deliver contextually relevant promotions.
Source: Shopper.com / AffMaven, 2026
Coupon Impact on Purchase Behaviour
How coupons influence consumer shopping decisions
Source: Capital One Shopping / DemandSage, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Coupons are near-universal in UK shopping: over 90% of British consumers have used discount codes, with groceries (65%) and fashion (56%) as the top categories.
- The global digital coupon market reaches $12.55 billion in 2026, growing at 18.33% CAGR towards $34.43 billion by 2032.
- Digital coupons dramatically outperform print: 77% higher redemption rates, 35% better at acquiring new customers, with a 7%+ average redemption rate.
- Mobile is the dominant redemption channel, with 93.5% of coupon users redeeming via smartphone and the mobile coupon market reaching $727 billion.
- Coupons drive powerful purchase behaviour: 70% of consumers make unplanned purchases with coupons, 48% avoid brands without discounts, and 82% redeem within a week.
- AI personalisation is transforming coupons: over 90% of platforms will offer AI-driven recommendations by 2026, with personalised coupons achieving 6x higher redemption rates.
- For UK retailers and ecommerce businesses, a strategic coupon and discount code programme — delivered digitally, personalised through AI, and optimised for mobile — is essential for customer acquisition, retention, and sales growth.
All statistics sourced from: Opia, DemandSage, Straits Research, Capital One Shopping, Statista, Shopper.com, Business Research Insights, WP Coupons, VenueLabs, AffMaven, Meetanshi, Snipp, Bloggers Passion, and Verified Market Reports. Figures represent the latest available data as of early 2026.