Coupons’ Appeal Fades, Combo Deals Hold

Discount levers are losing their pull across most foodservice segments even as combo meals hold steady, according to Datassential’s 2026 segment guides.  

Coupons, special deals, and discounted pricing rank first among visit motivators in all seven segments, topping out at 57% in casual dining. That share fell in four segments: QSR dropped 7%, fine dining 5%, and fast casual and prepared food at supermarkets at 4% each. 

The pullback isn’t limited to coupons. Loyalty programs and free add-ons also are losing some appeal, leaving six of the seven segments down on at least one deal lever. Midscale lost six percentage points on loyalty and five points on free apps and sides. Casual dining shed 4 points on free apps and sides and supermarkets lost 4 points on loyalty.

Fine dining is seeing the sharpest fall off. Coupons fell 5%, loyalty 6%, and free apps and sides 4%. “Discount levers are losing potency,” the Fine Dining Segment Guide notes. 

C-stores are the lone holdout, with coupons and loyalty programs for prepared food both holding steady, at 47% and 39%, respectively. 

Combo meals are the exception to that discount-lever decline. They held firm in all six guides that track them, ranging from 39% for c-stores to 20% for midscale. Bundle and meal deals also rose in importance for 66% of consumers this year, according to Datassential’s The Value Equation report.

That broadly tracks with what operators are already moving. Major QSR chains have “focused on value with special meal deals and bundles that are helping to drive traffic,” while casual dining is “offering meal deals and drink specials at prices that resemble their limited-service peers,” the segment guides note. 

The broader pullback from discount levers comes as affordability is the one attribute consumers say is actively getting worse in every segment, making it the industry’s most urgent perception gap.