Who opens FSIs any more?

If it's Sunday, it must be FSI day. Twas a time when I opened those FSIs and clipped a few coupons. These days I usually transfer the FSI directly to the recycle bin. Why? Here's what I found in the Valassis FSI for the NY area:

1. The cover is uninviting, featuring Puritan's Pride supplements sold by mail, fax, phone, or online with a special code. Even if I were interested, I can't buy these in a store so I just skip the cover.
2. Inside front cover is a Citi/AmEx credit card promotion. How many people need yet another credit card? Next page...
   
3. Mrs. T's Pierogies and Finlandia cheese are on p. 3. Yes! Except who has room in the freezer for THREE boxes of Mrs. T's just to save $1? Get real. Coneheads consume in massive quantities, the rest of us buy in ordinary amounts.
   
4. Skip to back cover, a good LensCrafters promotion, which I've gotten via direct mail. Redundant. That's all for Valassis.

Now to the SmartSource (NewsAmerica Marketing) FSI:

1. Colorful, inviting cover featuring Emerald premium snacks and a $1-off coupon on 5-oz pkg or larger. Could be worth clipping.
2. More national brands I recognize and can find in local supermarkets: Equal, Prego, Wrigley's, Welch's. I'll think about getting my scissors.
3. The "big game" is only weeks away, and if I didn't already know that, the football-themed promotions would tip me off. The centerfold is a series of coupons for Smithfield smoked meats, "proud sponsor of Super Bowl XLI." Go Patriots! (OK, that's not in the ad, but it doesn't hurt to wave the flag.)
   
4. Last half of FSI has some brands I actually prefer: Windex, Fantastik, Ziploc. Definitely worth having the scissors handy.
5. Back page: Save $1 on any two or any three of the pictured Breakstone's products. The old "load-up" strategy just doesn't work when fridge space is at a premium. I'll stick to coupons where I can buy one or at most two of something.
   

What I especially like about the SmartSource FSI is that the graphic is much larger than the coupon. I can quickly figure out what's being promoted and recognize the package by label and trade dress, more often than not. Consumers are busy. If you give them visual cues, they'll at least keep their scissors handy. And they'll be able to recognize the product when they spot it on the supermarket shelf.