Is Extreme Couponing Affecting How Stores Accept Coupons?

You knew it wouldn't be long before stores had to make changes to their current coupon policy. I have always been a coupon user but never to the

extent that the people on the popular TV show Extreme Couponing go to. I admire the people on TLC's popular reality show, where they are spending 40 hours a week cutting coupons to get $1000.00 worth of groceries for dollars, but this practice might be causing more harm than good in the real world. Here is an example of extreme couponing from a post I did earlier in the month.

On the retail front, some big retailers -- wary of couponing copycats -- are pushing back on former coupon allowances for ordinary shoppers. The problem, stores are coming across people who are not playing fair, those people who are trying to get $600.00 of groceries for $1.00 are really going to extremes. Stores are finding that people are copying coupons, which is not valid. And people across the country have been reporting that their Sunday paper that is delivered to them is missing the coupon inserts. And thefts at the corner coin operated newspaper racks are up.

• At Rite Aid, shoppers can no longer combine buy-one-get-one-free coupons or promotions -- a strategy that, in the past, allowed customers to get two free items. The chain is also limiting the number of coupons a shopper can use per item to four, as long as there is enough stock. Before, the store accepted "multiple identical coupons for multiple qualifying items."

• Target now forbids "stacking," the act of combining manufacturer and store buy-one-get-one-free coupons, in order to receive both items for free.

Across the country Frys / Kroger stores have a great policy on accepting all competitor coupons. This really is a great deal, you can present those $5.00 or $10.00 off your order from other stores and use multiple coupons. That savings is huge, but to be honest I have been worried that soon that policy would vanish because of the increased use of coupons. Everytime I go shopping I always double check the Frys policy to make sure nothing has changed since my last visit.

Below are some major grocery stores, and links to their coupon policy.

Remember always check the coupon policy before shopping at a store, and to be safe, print it out and bring it with you.

Safeway
Albertsons
Frys/Krogers
Walmart
Winn-Dixie
Costco. While I am not a member of Costco I was curious as to what their policy is on coupons. Since there is no information anywhere on their website about coupon use, I wanted to get a response directly from Costco. And here it is:

Dear Joe,

We appreciate you taking the time to email Costco Wholesale.

Costco Wholesale does not accept general manufacturer coupons. We have our own coupons and promotional offers, which are distributed to members in the mail and at our locations at various times throughout the year.
We are able to offer consistently low prices because our buyers negotiate the best deals with our vendors. Manufacturers often will simply ‘load’ the cost of a coupon program into the original pricing of their product. We will not permit our vendors or buyers to do this since there is no advantage to the member.

Thank you for your interest and please let us know if there is anything else we can help you with.

Thank you,

Costco Wholesale Corporation