"All advertising businesses have been affected, but we're seeing a tremendous increase in consumer interest in coupons," said Deanna Willsey, Valpak's director of communications.
Bobby Adkins, who owns four Valpak franchises, said his business is up this year. "People are becoming more frugal," said Adkins, who lives in Austin, Texas. He said the coupons they get in Valpak envelopes offer consumers justification to spend money because they're saving at the same time.
Nationally, coupon redemptions stabilized last year after 14 years of decline and have continued to hold their own this year. Direct mailers like Valpak account for about 2.2 percent of coupon distribution.