Highlights. Buy one, get one free (BOGO) is arguably the most popular type of discount among American consumers; 93% of them have used a BOGO* discount at least once.
- 66% of consumers preferred BOGO to any other type of discount in a 2012 survey.
- In 2024, 36% of consumers favored BOGO as a growing share opt for free shipping.
- 80% of all promotions that include the word “free” are BOGO.
- Half of shoppers would switch brands for a BOGO deal.
- BOGO promotions have the potential to double sales.
*BOGO usually refers to a 2-for-1 deal; some marketing uses the term to mean Buy one, get one at a discount or Buy one, give one.
Buy One, Get One Free Statistics
In practice, consumers tend to prefer BOGO to percentage reductions or flat discounts.
- 49% of consumers would shop at their favorite store’s biggest competitor for a buy one, get one free deal.
- When presented with a BOGO deal vs. a percentage-off deal of equivalent values, three (3) times as many consumers select BOGO.
- 80% of supermarket promotions are BOGO or 3-for-2.
- 40% of holiday shoppers look for BOGO offers during the shopping season.
- BOGO’s biggest competitor for favorite type of discount is free shipping; in one survey, a 35.2% greater share of consumers selected free shipping as a preferred coupon.
- Bonus packs are another form of BOGO; in one field experiment, consumers purchased 73% more of a bonus pack over a percentage-off deal with a slightly better price value.
BOGO Statistics by Age Group
Most age groups seem equally interested in BOGO offers.
- 48% of consumers born between 1997 and 2012 (often referred to as Generation Z or Gen Z) would switch brands or shop at their favorite store’s competitor for a BOGO offer.
- 49% of consumers born between 1981 and 1996 (often referred to as Millennials) would switch brands or shop at their favorite store’s competitor for BOGO.
- Millennials and Gen Z shoppers are equally likely to use of BOGO discounts; 54% of each age group says they BOGO.
- BOGO is most popular among Gen X shoppers; 55% of them use BOGO coupons and 51% would switch brands in exchange for a BOGO discount.
- Consumers born before 1965 prefer free shipping the most (85%) while a lesser share (53%) say they are likely to BOGO.
- 75% of shoppers born before 1965 would switch brands or buy from a favorite retailer’s competitor if it got them free shipping; just 50% would be willing to switch for BOGO.
Buy One, Give One
In the world of ethical consumerism, BOGO stands for buy-on-give-one.
- 78% of consumers report that they would pay extra for a product they associate with corporate social responsibility.
- 60% of consumers have been skeptical about the legitimacy of one or more corporate philanthropy campaigns.
- When 37% of shoppers express interest in a new product, 60% of shoppers are interested if the product is advertised as BOGO.
- Consumers born between 1965 and 1980 (often called Generation X or Gen X) seem to be most affected by BOGO; the number of Gen X shoppers interested in a new product grew to 67% when the purchase included BOGO donation.
Promotional Sales Statistics
BOGO is just one type of sales promotion designed to attract shoppers to spend more.
- Among the 72% of shoppers who use lists, about 70% purchase additional items that are on sale.
- Half of shoppers purchase multiples of items on sale.
- To 5.8% of shoppers, items on sale seem lower in quality.
- 86.3% of consumers rarely or never think sale items seem to be lower in quality.
- Less than 1% of shoppers have negative feelings about brands that offer promotional incentives.
The Capital One Shopping team compiled these data and insights based on publicly available data.
Sources
- Internet Archive, American Logistics Association, AMG Strategic Advisors: Shopper Response to BOGO/Free Promotions
- City Research Online, American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, Explaining the “Buy One Get One Free” Promotion: The Golden Ratio as a Marketing Tool
- Kristianstad University Sweden Bachelor Thesis, Why Consumer Buy BOGO-Products: An Exploratory STudy of Philanthropy-linked Products in Retail Stores
- ResearchGate, International Conference on Advanced Business Dynamics in Global Market, The Buy-One-Get-One Deals: A Study from Consumers’ Standpoint
- ResearchGate, Journal of Business Research, Buy-One-Get-One-Free Deals Attract More Attention than Percentage Deals
- ActiveCampaign, Report Reveals Consumers Are Ready To Spend More In 2024, With The Right Incentives
- PRNewswire, Zion & Zion Study Examines Effectiveness of “Buy One, Give One” Marketing
- CivicScience, 3 Things To Know: Majority of Consumers Oppose Automakers Sharing Driving Behavior Data, Americans Prefer BOGO Deals to Save Money
- Interactive Customer Experience Association, Consumers Adjusting Shopping but Spend Should be on Par with 2021
- University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, When More Is Less: The Impact of Base Value Neglect on Consumer Preferences for Bonus Packs over Price Discounts