Avid coupon clipper and consumer advocate Mary Bach, of Murrysville, has a stack of 75-cent manufacturers' coupons that, as of last week, aren't worth what they used to be -- at least at Giant Eagle stores. The grocer cut back on its double coupon program and caught Ms. Bach off guard.

"I was very upset, to put it mildly," she said yesterday.

Imagine how they felt in Cleveland when Giant Eagle on Thursday announced the Northeast Ohio market wouldn't have a double coupon program at all anymore, much less the downsized version that Pittsburghers will continue to benefit from.

"We got a fair amount of feedback," said Dan Donovan, spokesman for the O'Hara-based grocer. There were phone calls, angry comments posted on blogs, even a Web site set up at: BringBackDoubles.com.

And this was even before the Steelers trounced the Browns.

Industry observers seemed less surprised than consumers that the grocer would choose to stop double coupon promotions in favor of marketing programs such as loyalty card programs, a gas reward operation and an everyday low pricing strategy that the company promises will bring another round of price cuts on Sept. 20.

In the decade ended in 2006, coupon distribution nationwide has remained relatively flat, according to coupon processing firm CMS Inc. By comparison, coupon redemption during that period fell from 4.8 billion to 2.6 billion. While that's still a lot of coupons, the trend isn't promising.

Those who do clip care about the savings, not the trends.

"There is a very small but vocal group of consumers who understand the ins and outs of the deals," said Jim Hertel, senior vice president of consulting firm Willard Bishop in Barrington, Ill.

When Giant Eagle claims an "extremely small percent of the total customer base" is actively taking advantage of the promotion, few dispute the analysis. Even Ms. Bach described the grocer as a retailer that does its research.

Another key consideration in offering double or triple coupon promotions is whether competitors are using that tactic. In Pittsburgh, Shop 'n Save stores double the coupons, although independent owners have different policies on how high they're willing to go, said Ms. Bach.

Some stop at 50 cents while others go up to 99 cents.

That may have factored into Giant Eagle's decision in this market to continue to double coupons worth 50 cents or less. The old cutoff was 99 cents, a level that would have turned all of Ms. Bach's 75-cent coupons into $1.50 discounts.

In the Cleveland area, most other grocers do not use double coupons, said Mr. Donovan.

"It's ultimately a market-driven decision," said Matthew Tilley, who serves as co-chair of the New York-based Promotion Marketing Association Coupon Council. He said a Southern California grocer raised howls of protest not long ago when it cut back on double coupons.

After the initial customer shock wore off, a competitor also modified its program, he said.

Ms. Bach worries about something similar happening here. When a market leader such as Giant Eagle makes such a move, others may follow suit.

Competitive shifts work both ways. Giant Eagle's fuelperks! gas rewards program has been a powerhouse, but both Shop 'n Save and Foodland have responded by launching their own versions. That may give consumers more options as they choose where to spend their grocery dollars.

Recent years have brought an influx of new places to buy produce, milk and paper towels. Coupons have long been a grocer's tool to give people that feeling of saving money, said Mr. Tilley, but many now get that same bargain rush by visiting Wal-Mart, Target, Costco and Sam's Club.

That doesn't mean they're always getting the best deal, said the coupon industry advocate who would like to see people taking a closer look at how manufacturers' coupons may save them money even at a discount store.

Ms. Bach said she goes wherever she thinks she can get the best deal. Lately, she's become a fan of Aldi, a limited assorted grocer that has a location near her home.

She also shops Wal-Mart, Giant Eagle, Shop 'n Save and heads to a local Shur Save store when that location has something worth the trip.

"I am not a loyal customer to any one store," she said. "I play the game. I pit store against store."

That said, she does not think Giant Eagle was playing fair when it changed the rules without any advance warning. After hearing from many in Northeast Ohio, the grocer's executives seemed to think that might be a valid point.

The majority of the complaints were that people didn't know it was coming, said Mr. Donovan. "We figured: OK, duly noted."

The company isn't exactly backing down, but it did make a move toward appeasement over the weekend, extending its double coupon match to Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, shoppers through the end of the month.

Pittsburghers shouldn't expect any such extensions, he said. They may have a lower double coupon ceiling than a week ago, but at least they're still in the game.