OK. I haven't had much luck with coupon codes either but I think that's because I kept the dollar amount or percentage low so that I did not just break-even on a sale.
Nothing like offering a $20 discount and the customer buys an item for $30 and leaving you with zero profit. Mike, by using the method I described to start this discussion, I can set a much larger discount and know that I'll make a profit by requiring a minimum dollar amount be purchased before the discount can be used. And I can do it without the confusing explanations that we've all had to use to this point.
Edward, have you ever noticed that Sears and all the major retailers have sales, week-after-week? They have spent millions in research to find that people will buy something now if they believe they'll get a better price during the sale. So the real model that the major retailers use is to price their work higher than what they feel their merchandise is worth - and then put it on sale to get what they really need to make to stay profitable.