Should Print Circulars Stay or Go?
We live in a digital age where information can be found in devices held in the palms of hands. Isn’t it time for print circulars to go? Kroger says, “Heck, yes!” Giant Eagle said “Yes” before it later said, “Oh no!”
Kroger is phasing out its print inserts in newspapers and mailed to homes in favor of digital alternatives. The company has said that the cost associated with printed circulars and declining newspaper circulation has prompted the switch. The grocery giant recommends that its customers download its app or go to kroger.com to access weekly deals.
The company isn’t completely turning its back on the circular. A Kroger spokesperson in Michigan told the Detroit Free Press that customers who prefer to receive circulars at home can call an 800 number to continue receiving them. A print version of the flier will still be available for pickup inside stores for those who like to shop the old-school way.
Giant Eagle was ahead of Kroger in getting rid of its print mailer. The regional grocery chain earlier this year phased out sending circulars to its customers in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
A QR code was included in a circular from the chain for customers to create digital accounts to receive weekly deals. The grocery also made the e-flier available through its website and app. Those customers who preferred print could pick up a copy in one of the chain’s stores.
Giant Eagle’s phaseout, however, did not go according to plan. The grocer’s interim CEO Bill Artman told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that customers complained and the decision was made to bring the circulars back.
The first revived circulars drop this week and will be used to promote Giant Eagle’s “Price Lock” promotion on 800 items at lower prices with a pledge to keep the discounts in place through Aug. 9.
The decision to transition to digital from print circulars and coupons has been criticized for limiting older and lower-income consumers’ access to deals.
Pew Research Center research from 2021 found that 39 percent of Americans over 65 do not own a smartphone and 25 percent do not use the internet. Pew, also in 2021, found 24 percent of adults with household incomes below $30,000 don’t own a smartphone and 41 percent don’t have a computer.