Coupons in the Early 20th Century
The first United States' coupons were produced in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1887. Asa Candler, a partner of Coca-Cola founder Dr. John Stith Pemberton, knew the company had a good product, but he also knew he couldn't generate sales based solely on advertising urging people to buy it. Mr. Pemberton had already tried that tact in 1885, and in the first year he averaged a pitiful 9 sales a day. Certain if customers tasted this new refreshing beverage they would want to buy it, Candler produced coupons customers could turn in for a free glass of Coca-Cola at participating soda fountains. He then instructed his employees and sales staff to hand out them to everyone. His strategy worked, and within 8 years Coca-Cola was present in every state and territory in the Union.
Introducing Instant Postum!
It's unclear why Coca-Cola's marketing strategy didn't catch on with other companies right away. It was a good 25 years before another company used coupons. In 1912, Michigan based Postum Cereal Company (now known as Post Foods, LLC) developed a cereal beverage it called Instant Postum, which it introduced to the public through product demonstrations, plant tours, recipe books, complimentary samples, and "cents-off" coupons. Coupons took hold, and the public has expected to use them ever since.
1920s and Boncilla Cosmetics
In the 1920s, retailers and manufactures used print coupons to draw attention to their products. During this time for example, women saw several different newspaper and magazine ads for Boncilla Cosmetics, all which included an opportunity to receive a free trial size set of the Boncilla Method (1921), or a Package-O-Beauty (1922), Pack 'O Beauty (1923), Free Test Package (1925), and so on. In the '20s, manufacturers began to put coupons on packaging. Consumers collected a specified number of coupons, then redeemed them for prizes.
In the 1930s Prices Dropped but Coupon Use Rose
The Great Depression in the 1930s forced consumers to make ends meet in any way possible, and that meant "cutting coupons" to help purchase grocery items. Before this time, retailers drove production of coupons, but now the public's need drove production. They had to save money any way they could. Scores of people became coupon clipping "lifers."
Coupons in 1940s — Supermarkets and Ration Books
In the 1940s, neighborhood grocery stores continued to offer coupons, and as supermarkets began to appear, they too offered coupons. When the US entered World War II in 1942, and it began to experience supply shortages, consumers experienced a new kind of coupon, ration coupons. They came in booklets with defined values for products. The Ames Historical Society of Ames, Iowa, describes different types of rationing: "Uniform coupon rationing (sugar is an example), which provided equal shares of a single commodity to all consumers; Point rationing provided equivalent shares of commodities by coupons issued for points which could be spent for any combination of items in the group (processed foods, meats, fats, cheese); Differential coupon rationing provided shares of a single product according to varying needs (gasoline, fuel oil); and Certificate rationing allowed individuals products only after an application demonstrated need (tires, cars, stoves, typewriters)."
References
• AmesHistoricalSociety.org. "World War II Rationing." (accessed 12-20-09).
• CouponInfoNow.com (accessed 12-20-09)
• Duke University Libraries Digital Collection. (accessed 12-20-09).