How the Economy Has Aided the Rise of Digital Coupons [INFOGRAPHIC]

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That's changing, though. In 2011, 53% of redemptions are still done with paper coupons, but Internet-based redemptions are creeping up. By 2014 or so, most Internet couponing will be the norm, according to research from Promotional Codes, which created this infographic. This shouldn't be too surprising. Fewer people are subscribing to traditional newspapers and getting the Sunday edition, which is stocked with free-standing inserts.

The shift to Internet-based coupons is yet another blow to newspapers, which have lost much of their classified ad business to Craigslist and other Internet operations. For consumers, though, especially those toting smartphones, redeeming coupons has gotten much easier. If the economy continues on its wobbly course, more people who never considered coupons before will do so, and they'll do it digitally. With any luck, that will ease the congestion in those checkout lines as well.

Image courtesy of Flickr, sdc2027