Which came first – the chicken or the egg? Or, in the case of coupons, which came first – fewer coupons, or fewer coupon users?  Here’s the rather long article from Coupons in the News – I think the most important part is the end summary.

You could make the argument either way – because fewer people are interested in clipping coupons these days, fewer coupons are being issued in response, or because fewer coupons are being issued, fewer people are using them.

Regardless of the precise cause-and-effect, a recent report on the state of coupons and promotions finds that coupon use and deal-seeking continue to decline. But retailers and manufacturers could be missing out if they don’t do something to help reverse this trend.