As grocery prices continue to climb and household budgets tighten, the rules of shopper engagement are being quietly rewritten, as Steve Smith, Chief Commercial Officer at savi, outlines in this article. Shoppers no longer have the patience to wait for months to be rewarded for their loyalty; instead, they want instant gratification at the till.
This shift in mindset has propelled money-off coupons to become the single most powerful influence on UK grocery purchasing decisions. Our research shows that nearly three-quarters of shoppers believe coupons have the biggest impact on what they buy, significantly outstripping loyalty points (53%) and cashback offers (40%).
This behaviour reflects the financial climate consumers are navigating. Two thirds of UK shoppers say they are spending more on groceries than they were a year ago, while a third report feeling worse off financially. Nearly a quarter say they are buying fewer groceries altogether. Against this backdrop, long-term rewards feel abstract; immediate savings feel essential.
Gamified experiences as a strategic too
Gamification taps directly into this value-driven mindset. When a reward is instant, guaranteed, and interactive, it feels tangible, delivering a small but meaningful win in an otherwise pressured shop.
Our research shows that shoppers are highly responsive to smartphone-delivered experiences such as ‘spin-to-win’ and ‘unlockable’ rewards, with almost 90% of consumers saying they are more likely to enter a prize draw or play an online game when they are guaranteed a special offer or free item.
Mobile has effectively turned the store into a live savings platform. Whilst more than half of UK consumers still shop predominantly in-store, and superstores continuing to anchor the weekly shop, what has fundamentally changed is how value is unlocked within these physical spaces.
Almost three-quarters of UK shoppers have redeemed a coupon via their smartphone in-store, with nearly half doing so multiple times. Among 25-34-year-olds, repeat mobile redemption rises to 63%.
Convenience is the driving force. Over half of shoppers say they are more likely to use coupons if they can be redeemed on their phone, while ease of use is cited as the biggest factor influencing redemption.
Gamification works here because it reduces friction, transforming savings from something shoppers hunt for into something they engage with quickly, intuitively, and on their own terms.
Deal-led discovery replaces brand loyalty
As habit and loyalty give way to experimentation, driven by deals rather than loyalty to a product or brand, the impact on brand behaviour is significant. In the UK, 70% of shoppers say they would try a new product or brand if offered a coupon, rising to 85% among 25-34-year-olds. Across Europe, the appetite for deal-led discovery is even stronger, with 86% of Spanish shoppers and 83% of Italian shoppers willing to switch brands for a saving.
And this behaviour doesn’t stop at brands, it extends to retailers too. More than half of UK shoppers would consider switching supermarkets if a coupon wasn’t accepted. Among Gen Z, that figure jumps to 76%. In Italy and Spain, supermarket loyalty is even more fragile, with over three-quarters of shoppers willing to take their custom elsewhere if they can’t redeem an offer.
In a cost-of-living crisis, loyalty is no longer emotional, it’s transactional.
A strategic lever for 2026 and beyond
The implications for brands are significant, particularly as younger consumers come to dominate grocery spend. Gen Z is emerging as the first truly platform-agnostic generation, with 43% blending digital and physical shopping seamlessly. For this cohort, gamified experiences aren’t a novelty, they’re an expectation.
For brands, this presents an opportunity to rethink how promotions, data and engagement intersect. By turning the coupon hunt into an interactive mission, gamified experiences can deliver significantly higher conversion rates while capturing zero-party data, a critical asset in a post-cookie world.
The model is especially compelling for Less Healthy Food (LHF) brands navigating tightening advertising restrictions. As traditional product-led advertising becomes harder to execute, gamification and coupons offer a compliant alternative. Brand-led games and reward mechanics delivered through owned digital channels allow brands to maintain saliency without falling foul of pre-9pm broadcast bans, all while building long-term engagement in a high-attention environment.
Value is the experience
For 2026, value is no longer a bonus, it’s a requirement. Shoppers are increasingly discerning about where they place their loyalty, and they’re quick to abandon brands or retailers that introduce friction at the till.
In a cost-of-living crisis, gamification isn’t about gimmicks. It’s about meeting shoppers where they are: financially cautious, digitally fluent and seeking control over their spend. The brands that win won’t be those offering the biggest promises, but those delivering the fastest, clearest and most engaging value, right in the palm of the shopper’s hand.
In today’s grocery landscape, play has become power and gamification is the new currency.