Formula coupons at grocery store check-out?

[goodheartedmama]

Every time I check out at my grocery store, they print out a coupon for $5 off enfamil premium. This is the one with the commercial with the lady saying "I want to feed my baby something that will promote brain development, give them the best immunity, blah blah blah." Anyway, I find it highly annoying. I bought disposables for the first time recently because we had the flu and I didn't feel like washing diapers. Anyway, I guess with that they figured I needed formula coupons.

Would you be annoyed or is this just me overreacting? I'd really like to ask them to quit wasting paper to print formula coupons for me.

[lilbsmama]

IMO it's just their way of marketing to a certain kind of customer....i have never gotten formula coupons, but I do use sposies, so I get coupons for Pampers, Huggies, Luvs, wipes, diaper ointment. I'm not annoyed by it, really, I know plenty of people who can use those coupons if I don't need them.

[luv-my-boys]

It is a little annoying but I really dont see how they could stop them from printing them for you per say. Its all automated marketing so when certain category of merchandise is rung up it prints those coupons up. At our local stores it also does local advertising as well on the back of the receipts and I've been a little peeved at the selection of advertisers on them.

[July09Mama]

I get them too, and they annoy me too. Mostly because I used to get coupons I actually used. I'd like to get those again.

[ErikaS57]

I just started getting the formula coupons again. The only baby-related product I've purchased was nursing pads... very annoying. I leave them with the cashier so at least other people can save the $$.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by goodheartedmama

Would you be annoyed or is this just me overreacting? I'd really like to ask them to quit wasting paper to print formula coupons for me.

IMO you are not overreacting at all. It is just another way that formula companies are trying to undermine breastfeeding relationships. Totally against the WHO code. I'm not sure there is much you can do about it - but know that you are not alone in your annoyance!

[zinemama]

You could collect them, put them in an envelope and mail them off to your local DV shelter. That way someone who needs and would use them could get them. Annoying to you, but a real bonus for someone else.

[Belle]

I got some formula coupons for buying breastmilk storage bags. I didn't say anything. I just kind of gave an irritated look and refused to grab them from the cashier who was offering them to me. I think she got the point. Though I understand that it wasn't her fault that her company had stupid coupon pairings.

Some of our local stores now have a coupon exchange. There is a basket of coupons near the entrance. You put the coupons in that you don't want/need and take the ones you want. It really works well.

[jeanine123]

I take them and shred them. I do not pass them on because I'm not convinced that there isn't some way the formula company can track them and see which ones are used. And the more that are used the more likely they will be to continue to use this method of reaching their target audience. If it doesn't work then they won't continue to spend money on it. I have spent and continue to spend many hours helping moms succeed at BFing, I'm not going to then turn around and become a pawn for the formula company and their marketing practices that have been proven time and again to harm and kill babies.

[Blueone]

I doesn't annoy me. There are people out there who have legitimate reasons for using formula and I'm sure they appreciate it if it's a formula they are using.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by Blueone

There are people out there who have legitimate reasons for using formula and I'm sure they appreciate it if it's a formula they are using.

If they were concerned about infants and families, formula companies could reduce the price of the formula. Or put a coupon on the formula can. But instead they chose to target all mothers of babies with their insidious promises of sleeping through the night, brain development and immune booster just like in breastmilk. They do this because it works - it undermines breastfeeding and leads to formula use.

Formula companies could follow the WHO code for marketing of breastmilk substitutes if the chose. They just chose not to, and as a society we chose to let them.

[jeanine123]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener

If they were concerned about infants and families, formula companies could reduce the price of the formula.

That's the other thing. All of these samples and coupons are not free. They're built into the price of each can of formula that is sold. I don't for an instant believe that they formula company's don't do this. Perhaps if there weren't so many free samples and coupons the price of the actual can of formula would stay the same or may come down.

[Blueone]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener

If they were concerned about infants and families, formula companies could reduce the price of the formula. Or put a coupon on the formula can. But instead they chose to target all mothers of babies with their insidious promises of sleeping through the night, brain development and immune booster just like in breastmilk. They do this because it works - it undermines breastfeeding and leads to formula use.

Formula companies could follow the WHO code for marketing of breastmilk substitutes if the chose. They just chose not to, and as a society we chose to let them.

That is very true. I just don't think too much about it. Honestly, I'm not a huge lactivist either. But I do see what you are saying. We just have to take them down one at a time and coupons to me, really aren't the main issue. Personally I was more bugged by the free samples in the mail.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by Blueone

That is very true. I just don't think too much about it. Honestly, I'm not a huge lactivist either. But I do see what you are saying. We just have to take them down one at a time and coupons to me, really aren't the main issue. Personally I was more bugged by the free samples in the mail.

Another one of my pet peeves!

[Phoenix~Mama]

Yeah they annoy me too! Especially as where we shop, we have a card, and supposedly this is how the coupons generate, typically we get coupons based off of previous purchases, so we get some we can really use.

But the past several times we have gotten forumla coupons and I'm like, yeah never going to use that and roll my eyes and throw it away.

I even got DH rolling his eyes at the coupons now. lol

I hate the ones I get in the mail too... still without fail I get a large envelope with coupons and crap from Enfamil every month!! Nine months in! Still have never bought forumla, what makes them think I'm going to now?

[coyotemist]

Paper is recycle-able...

As a mama who happily nursed 2 years with my older kids, and then had a devastating time with the baby who was a preemie, after a breast reduction, with 2 straight months of candida, I really appreciate those coupons!

[ErikaS57]

It's not that I have a problem with the coupons.. if they were linked to the purchase of formula or even, say, diapers, that wouldn't phase me. It's when they're linked to nursing-specific supplies (breast pads, milk bags, etc), that gets me upset. In those cases, they're not targeting new moms, they're targeting nursing moms, which imo is totally different.

[KirstenMary]

Eh, just recycle the paper.

[Sk8ermaiden]

You know, I read this yesterday, and was like, "Yeah, it's dumb, but that's marketing, whatever."

But today I stopped by Walgreens to pick up some milk storage bags for a mom who is donating to us and Emfamil coupons printed up. I can't even explain the severe annoyance that washed over me. I agree that it wouldn't bother me if they printed from buying formula or even diapers, but to print when mom is obviously BFing is crappy.

[Friday13th]

I got handed one (for buying a new shield for my breastpump ) at Target, I said "no thanks" to which the cashier said "he's still going to need this for a while", I guess because DS was under 1 at the time? I told her we didn't use formula and she got kind of huffy and said she'll hold onto it for someone coming through the register who could use it.