The site – http://www.kitchme.com/ –  is the latest example of how digital couponing is increasingly branching out into the mobile space. In addition to launching the site, Coupons.com has also acquired the team behind the KitchMe startup.

“The public beta of KitchMe was developed with a responsive Web design approach to optimize viewing and navigation across big and small screens, so you can use KitchMe with mobile devices,” said Brian Weisfeld, chief operating officer at Coupons.com, Mountain View, CA.

“What is exciting is that we have acquired the product and the company, and now we can apply our expertise in mobile solutions to take KitchMe to the next level for mobile consumers,” he said.

Mobile meal planning
To use the site, consumers can either create an KitchMe account or sync their Facebook account.

Recipes can be searched by typing in keywords into the prominent search bar or by browsing through top picks. Coupons from more than 200 grocery stores are distributed on the site, which helps Coupons.com monetize the site.

Each recipe includes copy across the image that shows consumers the number of coupons that are associated with the recipe.

Users can then view and save recipes to a calendar that helps organize meals by week or month. Once a recipe is added to a calendar, KitchMe automatically adds the ingredients to a user’s shopping list.

Additionally, consumers can browse through a list of coupons to find ingredients at nearby stores.

The coupons can be printed out to be redeemed. Since the site is built to work for mobile devices, adding a mobile redemption portion for coupons is an important feature that Coupons.com may be missing out on.

Save on mobile
In October, Coupons.com rolled out a new feature in the Coupons.com and Grocery iQ mobile app to let consumers find deals from supermarkets including Giant Eagle, Lowe’s Foods, Marsh and Meijer (see story).

Additionally, the company has integrated Apple’s Passbook feature into the Coupons.com app to let consumers store coupons and offers.

As consumers increasingly turn to their mobile devices to help them shop, it is critical that consumer-packaged-goods marketers push mobile into grocery stores to trigger quick purchases.

“Mobile has been and continues to be a huge focus for Coupons.com,” Mr. Weisfeld said.
 
“Mobile makes so much sense for a product like KitchMe as meal planning, shopping and coupon activities take place outside of the kitchen,” he said.

“We’re excited about the possibilities we have with KitchMe and mobile as we continue to offer consumers easy ways to help plan meals, use coupons and save wherever they may be.”

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York