Belgians are European champions for vouchers

6 January 2006

BRUSSELS – Belgium is the undisputed European champion when it comes to shopping vouchers, with an average of 12 used per person per year, according to new figures.

Market survey group Promocontrol says this is only slightly lower than the world voucher leaders, the US, with 13 per person.

In 2005, major companies distributed some 3.9 billion vouchers in letterboxes, on items sold in shops and in magazines and newspapers.

Although most are ignored, 136 million were returned to the check-out, generating EUR 88 million in savings.

“Every month, six tonnes of vouchers come back to us,” said Promocontrol marketing manager Geraldine Reynarz.

“If households used all the vouchers available to them, they could save up to EUR 5,000 a year.”

When these six tonnes arrive at Promocontrol, each voucher is scanned, with the bar code identifying the firm that delivered it and the saving offered.

Promocontrol found that the Delhaize group was the biggest provider of vouchers, accounting for 32.9 percent last year, followed by Carrefour at 23.4 percent and Colruyt with 14.4 percent.

The overall figure is more than double what was offered 10 years ago: in 1995, 60 million vouchers were returned to shops.

The vouchers tend to be for small purchases, from yoghurts and beer to washing powder and toothpaste.

Some 60 percent were valued between EUR 0.25 and EUR 0.75. The average value of a voucher used was EUR 0.651.

Subject: Belgian news