Boomers are far more likely than any other group to be aware of price increases. When prices go up, they cut back on non-essential items and avoid impulse buys, with just 53% succumbing to them.
Within roughly the past six months alone, Swiftly expanded its alcohol rebate programs from about 11,000 stores to more than 33,000 stores in 44 states. Swiftly had built an alcohol cashback product in 2023 but scaled it through the acquisition of alcohol promotions platform BYBE in 2024.
I decided I needed to be away from the area for a bit. Recent stuff just made me not want to be at home anymore and so I figured a trip out for some breweries would help the mood a lot better. I had told Jesse and Amanda I would pop into Sworn on Black Friday so I went there for when they opened, had one of their delicious new stouts, and then I was on my way. Original plan was to make it to Wheeling, but of course, as plans often go with me... they didn't quite work out. Luckily, this time it was nothing bad, it was just me not quite getting to Wheeling by the end of the time. I made it out to Washington Brewing by 10 PM and figured that was good enough.
Discounting has been part of retail's toolkit for decades, and it can be effective, especially during high-stakes shopping seasons. But as promotions become more frequent across the industry, companies are taking a closer look at the downside: Short-term sales gains don't always come with long-term loyalty or durable margins, and customers remember how a brand made them feel far more than what they saved at checkout.
When a transaction involves a cost, we instinctively weigh the downside. But when something is entirely free, we experience a positive emotion and perceive the offer as more valuable than it is mathematically. Retailers no doubt realise that offering free delivery is one of the most effective ways to stop a consumer from abandoning a digital shopping cart.
You're scrolling through an online retailer, like Amazon, Shein or eBay, and spot a shirt on sale for $40. You add it to your cart, but at checkout, a $10 shipping fee suddenly appears. Frustrated, you close the tab. But what if that same shirt was priced at $50 with free shipping? The likelihood that you would have bought it without a second thought is much higher.
Amazon has never failed to make the most of a holiday weekend with a sale event, and this upcoming weekend is no exception. But while the retailer undoubtedly has an impressive trove of deals worth your hard earned cash, there's also a selection of items- travel gear, in particular-that you may want to skip in favor of some more thoughtful (and useful) picks.
I'm a professional couponer who shares tips with my millions of followers on social media. I have a long couponing history. Both of my parents got laid off during the recession and had two teenage daughters. They needed to figure out how to make ends meet quickly, so my mom took a community college class and learned the basics of couponing.
