Rich more likely to use coupons

SCHAUMBURG - More U.S. consumers are using coupons when purchasing packaged goods, with 1.6 billion coupons redeemed in the first half of 2009, up 23 percent from last year.

According to new research from The Nielsen Company, more-affluent consumers (making at least $70,000 a year) are considered super-heavy coupon users - 39 percent compared to 35 percent for total U.S. households.

Consumers likely to be low- or non-coupon users include low-income, one-member households, male-only heads of households, African-Americans and Hispanicss.