Safeway
is doing its best to eliminate print advertising in favor of more personalized
digital ads.
The fifth largest grocery player in North
America spent $20 million on newspaper ads through November of 2012. That's
consistent with 2011, though a big drop off from the $33 million spent on
newspaper ads in 2010.
Still, print and free-standing newspaper
inserts continue to dominate coupon media, even as digital coupons gain in
popularity. Kantar Media found a 46% increase in digital coupon events by
consumer packaged goods companies last year, with the trend accelerating as the
year progressed.
