There’s no denying we’re living in a discount card revolution. Once a rarity, we’re beginning to see more and more of our friends whipping out a discount shopping card to pay for goods, services, and even holidays, so should we be jumping on the bandwagon too? The truth is that if we’re paying full price for our clothing, groceries, or restaurant meals in 2015, we’re doing something wrong – there are hundreds of discounts available that many of us are not using to our advantage.

In the digital age it’s easier than ever before for businesses to market and promote themselves online through social media, company blogs, and online directories, reaching demographics not only locally but all around the world. Competition is becoming fierce. Take the ‘big four’ supermarkets, for example (Morrisons, Tesco, Asda, and Sainsburys). Once the undeniable leaders in terms of groceries, they are now being threatened with becoming the ‘big six’ by Aldi and Lidl.

Competition is one of the primary problems UK businesses are facing today, which is leading many to partner with discount card suppliers to offer savings that shoppers simply cannot refuse.

The Importance of Convenience

As a nation, we’re happy to admit that we love a good bargain, but we’re also growing tired of having our purses and wallets bursting at the seams with card after card after card. 40 percent of us claim that carrying too many cards is an inconvenience, with 22 percent ‘forgetting’ (or more likely purposefully failing) to keep our cards with us because of this aggravation.

Savvy shoppers are instead searching for more favourable ways to get discounts at all their favourite stores, and all-in-one discount cards that cover fashion, dining, local attractions, and more are proving hugely popular. Ultimately, these cards offer great discounts without the annoyance.

Price Conscious Shopping

The recent recession has also proven to be an important factor that has contributed towards the rise in the use of discount shopping cards across the country. While the economy is recovering steadily, food prices are still increasing much faster than the average salary.

More and more of us are demonstrating a greater awareness of the amount we’re spending on a day-to-day basis, with 66 percent of shoppers claiming they are ‘more price-conscious than one year ago’, and 36 percent stating they are using discount shopping cards much more than this time last year, according to research by YouGov.

Shifting Trends

We’re also seeing a definite shift in trends which includes many shoppers growing wary of traditional discount methods, such as gift cards. It’s reported that £250 million goes unspent on gift cards every year, and an important question to ask is ‘why?’. It’s partly because we forget that we have gift cards, partly because gift cards can expire after short periods of time, and partly because we’re inclined not to use gift cards if they only have small amounts on them.

As the UK strives to meet its ‘green’ targets we’re constantly being advised to reduce our waste, and this is something that’s ringing true for money, too. We’re beginning to look for ways to shop that eliminate the wasting of money, which means gift cards are out, and discount shopping cards are the new hot topic.

Discount shopping cards are proving to be a firm favourite amongst Brits who enjoy the flexibility and versatility of these all-in-one money saving solutions. With more and more businesses opting to partner with suppliers to offer their customers unbeatable bargains, the future of discount shopping cards certainly looks to be bright.

By Harry Price

Harry Price is a freelance writer from the south coast.  In his spare time, he loves cooking, rock climbing and marathon training.