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Deal Fatigue: Why Retail Promotions Aren’t Converting

Surprised woman wearing sunglasses on a teal background.

Mid-February is when a lot of suppliers ask the same question:

“Why isn’t this promo converting like it used to?”


You’re not imagining it.


According to a survey reported by Grocery Dive, nearly two-thirds of shoppers value deals but find it “too much work” to track all the deals grocers offer. The same coverage noted meaningful resistance to classic promotional tactics—such as buying extra quantities or buying multiple items from the same brand to secure a better price.


That is a big deal for suppliers, because trade spend assumes the customer will do the work:

  • clip the coupon

  • activate the offer

  • buy the threshold quantity

  • shop the right day

  • redeem correctly


If shoppers won’t jump through hoops, your promotion “exists” but doesn’t deliver results.


A fictional example (clearly fictional)

A beverage supplier runs a strong mid-Feb offer:

  • digital coupon

  • loyalty-member exclusive

  • two-item minimum

  • weekend-only


The promo is technically great.


But shoppers:

  • don’t see it

  • don’t want to clip it

  • don’t want to buy two

  • don’t want to plan their trip around it


Sales lift is weak. Trade spend still gets funded. Finance gets grumpy. The supplier learns the wrong lesson: “Promos don’t work.”


Promos can work. But the friction is killing them.


What deal fatigue changes for suppliers

Deal fatigue shifts the battle from “how deep is the discount?” to “how easy is the value?”


Suppliers should assume:

  • fewer shoppers will “opt in”

  • more shoppers will default to the simplest value cue

  • price perception will matter as much as actual price

  • loyalty is powerful, but only if the offer feels effortless


The mid-Feb promotion reset: what to do now

1) Reduce friction before you increase funding

Start by simplifying:

  • fewer conditions

  • clearer mechanics

  • fewer “stacked” requirements

  • fewer channels to find the offer


A smaller discount that converts cleanly often beats a bigger discount that nobody redeems.


2) Build “instant value” cues

Shoppers are tired. They want clarity.


Examples:

  • straightforward temporary price reductions (TPRs)

  • simple multi-buy with clear signage

  • predictable loyalty pricing without complicated steps

  • bundles that communicate savings without a scavenger hunt


3) Align promo execution across shelf + digital

A promotion that appears online but not in-store—or vice versa—creates distrust and reduces returns.


And once price perception breaks, it’s hard to rebuild. (This is also showing up in industry commentary about price trust and promotional overload.)


4) Measure promo ROI like a finance person (because it is finance)

Track:

  • incremental lift vs. baseline

  • net margin after trade

  • halo/cannibalization indicators

  • repeat rate after promo ends


You want profitable demand, not expensive volume.


5) Make your brand easier to choose when shoppers are methodical

AlixPartners' research suggests shoppers are planning more and avoiding impulse purchases.


That means your product story needs to be simple:

  • what it is

  • why it’s worth it

  • what problem it solves

  • why it’s a good decision today


If it takes a paragraph to explain, you’ll lose to the simpler choice.


Where Woodridge Retail Group fits (no hard sell)

Many suppliers are spending trade dollars to address complexity. The win is usually to simplify the offer, clean up execution, and measure what actually happened—so the next promo is smarter, not just bigger.



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