Outlet “discount coupons” are useless and include limited and duplicate goods

Consumers criticized the “discount coupons” offered by some sales outlets, which the consumer receives with purchase invoices, and which include discounts on some goods.

They told Emirates Today that these coupons include very limited and duplicate goods, pointing out that these goods do not constitute a priority or importance for consumers. They explained that many of these goods are high in price, and that the discounts offered on them are very simple, compared to the prices of the goods themselves.

They added that the coupons themselves include restrictions that limit their importance and benefit from them, such as stipulating that they cannot be exchanged for cash, and that benefit from them is limited to the same sales outlet from which the goods were purchased, in addition to that benefit from coupons is for purchasing specific goods only.

They called for diversification in coupon goods, not being limited to a limited number of goods, especially expensive goods, and raising discount rates to encourage purchases, while allowing cash back and benefiting from it from any branch of the outlet.

For their part, two sales outlet officials said that these coupons have added value to the consumer, as he can purchase goods at significant discounts, in addition to allowing consumers to purchase several goods at discounts of more than 10% in many cases, which is a good percentage, especially since many of these goods are electrical and are not included in the discounts, which increases their importance.

They revealed that some outlets are currently studying, in cooperation with some suppliers and producers, ways to develop these coupons and the goods they contain, and maximize the ways consumers can benefit from them in various ways.

Consumer opinions

In detail, consumer Jalal Sami criticized the discount coupons offered by some sales outlets, which the consumer receives with purchase invoices, and which include discounts on some goods. He described it as worthless, saying that he had not benefited from it for the past 10 years.

Sami explained that these coupons include very limited goods, and are repeated throughout the year, such as printers, cameras, and headphones. He called for expanding the list of goods included in the coupons, and including new goods, to allow the largest number of consumers to benefit from them.

For his part, consumer Salim Rashad criticized these coupons and said that they include goods that are not a priority for consumers or represent a real need for them. They are also high-priced goods, and the discount rate is very small, which discourages benefiting from them.

He called for expanding the scope of goods included in these coupons, and diversifying them, so that they include goods of greater importance to consumers, and not be limited to a limited number of them. He also called for raising the discount percentage to encourage purchasing, especially since the limited goods included in the coupons are high in price, and exceed 1,000 dirhams in most cases, while the discount percentage does not exceed 5 or 10%. He pointed out that he has been residing in the country for more than eight years, and buys from sales outlets that offer these coupons on a weekly basis, and he did not benefit from them because he did not find a commodity that interests him or is considered necessary for him, in addition to the small discount percentages from Total item price.

Many restrictions

In the same context, consumer Salwa Al-Jamal considered that most of these coupons are useless, especially since they include several restrictions that limit the consumer’s benefit from them, such as that they cannot be exchanged for cash, and benefit from them is limited to the same sales outlet from which the goods were purchased.

She pointed out that these coupons can be used to purchase specific goods only, calling for these restrictions to be abolished, and to allow stipulations for redeeming their value in cash, and to use them to purchase more goods.

Added value

On the other hand, the official in one of the sales outlets, Abu Bakr Hafeez, said: “These coupons are of added value to the consumer, as he can buy many goods that do not often receive significant discounts,” indicating that the selection of goods comes in coordination between the sales outlet and the supplier or producer of the commodity.

For his part, the official at another sales outlet, Hassan Rizk, said, “These coupons allow consumers to purchase several goods at discounts exceeding 10% in some cases, which is a good percentage, especially since these goods are usually not included in the discounts, and most of these goods are durable and electronic, which increases their importance.” He revealed that some outlets are currently studying, in cooperation with some suppliers and producers, ways to develop these coupons and the goods they contain, to maximize the ways consumers can benefit from them in various forms.

• Coupons include restrictions that limit their use, such as not exchanging them for cash.