Balancing Innovation and Access to Redefine Shopper Engagement
At this year’s Association for Couponing Professional’s 2025 Conference for Coupon & Promotions, one theme rang clear across every conversation: the need for balance — between policy and innovation, fairness and efficiency, and short-term savings and long-term shopper trust.
As an organization deeply embedded in the evolving intersection of commerce, data, and consumer experience, Inmar Intelligence showed up on stage as a steward of industry-impacting insight, helping brands, retailers, and business partners alike navigate the forces shaping promotions, shopper behavior, and retail media strategy. Across three distinct sessions, our leaders offered a data-informed perspective on where the industry stands today, what’s changing, and how we can move forward together.
Read on for key takeaways from each session.
VOICES FROM THE AISLE - WHAT DIGITAL COUPON LEGISLATION MEANS FOR BRANDS, RETAILERS & SHOPPERS
Bringing together thought leaders across the ecosystem — retail, brand, policy, and consumer advocacy — this session led by Kathy Hayden, SVP of Strategic Partnerships, unpacked how evolving digital coupon and pricing legislation is reshaping the path to savings. The discussion made clear that these bills are part of a much bigger challenge around data privacy, transparency, and accessibility.
Panelists, including Bill Wunner (Coupons in the News), Kara Rieger (NestléPurina), Mary Ellen Peppard (NJ Food Council), Tim James (California Grocers Association) emphasized that while the intent behind these laws is to protect consumers, their real impact depends on how effectively the industry collaborates to implement them. Shoppers are frustrated by inconsistent pricing and confusion at shelf; retailers face new operational demands; and brands are navigating compliance and fraud risks that extend well beyond promotions.
Amid the complexity, a shared goal emerged: ensuring every shopper has equitable access to value. The session underscored the power of education and collaboration — educating consumers about digital savings tools, helping legislators understand the realities of coupon systems, and working through coalitions led by organizations like Food Industry Association (FMI), Association for Coupon & Promotions (ACP), State Associations, and Inmar to shape policies that are both pro-consumer and pro-innovation.
UNDERSTANDING SHOPPER EXPECTATIONS IN TODAY’S PROMOTIONAL LANDSCAPE
Our latest consumer research, presented by Bill Beyea, revealed that today’s consumer is more deliberate, more digitally engaged, and more vocal about what they expect from brands and retailers than ever before. Eighty-three percent are concerned about grocery prices, and nearly nine in ten have changed their shopping habits to stretch their budgets.
But what’s most telling is how they’re adapting:
67% say the availability of digital coupons influences where they shop, and half say better promotions would bring them back to brands they’ve left. This marks a shift from passive deal-seeking to active value comparison — where shoppers reward transparency, personalization, and convenience.
Loyalty, it turns out, is conditional. Shoppers will stick with the brands and retailers that show they understand their reality, respond with relevant offers, and make savings simple. For the industry, it’s a clear call to action: elevate promotions from transactional to relational — building trust through every touchpoint.
EVOLVING RETAIL MEDIA STRATEGY WITH INCENTIVES THAT WORK
Finally, Inmar’s Adam Hobbs and Kevin Shelhamer explored how incentives are transforming retail media strategies — moving from one-off tactics to foundational tools that drive measurable impact. As Retail Media Networks (RMNs) mature, incentives have become a shared performance currency, aligning brands and retailers around outcomes like incremental sales, category growth, and shopper loyalty.
The conversation made clear that the next phase of retail media is about shared value creation. Networks that integrate digital incentives into their media strategies are proving performance, earning repeat investment, and deepening brand trust. When media and incentives work together, engagement becomes action, and shopper attention turns into conversion.
Looking ahead, data connectivity and AI will take this evolution even further — enabling real-time offer optimization and omnichannel personalization that connects every impression to shopper impact. Retail media’s future belongs to the networks that treat incentives as amplifiers of relevance, accountability, and shopper experience.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Inmar Intelligence is committed to advancing an equitable, data-driven future for promotions and retail media. Fill out the form below to connect with our team and explore how the right strategies — at the right moments — can drive measurable value for your business.