Thrift meets technology in coupon offers

Chipping away at shopping expenses with coupons is becoming more mainstream and more creative with technology pushing new innovations, observers say.

Luck Brand apparel, a line offered by Liz Claiborne, offers coupons with discounts that increase depending on how well visitors to its Web site play an online game, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Coupons have become a staple of the Internet with many Web sites devoted to helping consumers pinch pennies. Consumers can click on coupons at coupons.com, couponscabin.com, fatwallet.com, shortcuts.com and many others, the Times said.

"Thrift is becoming the new normal," said Lance Saunders of Campbell Mithun.

"There's no stigma to getting anything on discount," Saunders said. "Instead, there's a sense of pride."

Arby's, GameStop. and others are also making coupons available by mobile devices such as cellphones, the Times reported.

"Consumers are craving value, and marketers are no different," Todd Morris, senior vice president at Catalina Marketing told the Times.