We're wrapping up our review of a year's worth of Carl's Jr. and Arby's coupons with a look at a couple other popular items at Arby's: the Beef 'n Cheddar and the French Dip & Swiss. These two popular fast food sandwiches are almost always featured in the mailer coupons I receive on a seemingly weekly basis. So let's take a look at how the two fared.
In 2014, I remember the Beef 'n Cheddar as being $2 for $5. So I am not too surprised when I see it creep up to $5.55 in the beginning of 2015. In my estimation, $2.78 per sandwich is not bad for this substantial, meal-sized sandwich. The rack rate is $3.59, so this is a 22.5% discount.
But wow, a month or so later, this coupon expiring June 15 shows the price jumped to 2 for $6, or $3 each.
And at the end of summer, back down again. Not sure why that was. Maybe an experiment over the summer with higher prices. Maybe an overall trend toward more discounting in the school year?
Based upon other coupons we've already seen, October/November was a great time for fast food coupons, and the Arby's Beef 'n Cheddar was no exception. Dropping down to two for $5, or $2.50 per sandwich, we are back to 2014 levels. Nice.
Crud, we end the year back where we started. Let's take a quick look at the path of another premium, but old school, Arby's essential: The French Dip'n Swiss
I like round numbers in coupons, so two for $5.55 or this, two for $6.66 just sounds gimmicky. Here, you're paying $3.33 for a sandwich that lists for $4.59. Not a bad discount at 27%.
A one-off coupon that seems to be a trial balloon of sorts for Arby's, which has really embraced the whole two-for thing. A single sandwich for $3.49 is still over a dollar off the full price for the sandwich, so I'd put this one in the "win" column.
What do you know? Here we are back in November with a coupon that expired on 11/30 and we are at the lowest price point all year. Two French Dip & Swiss sandwiches for $6. I almost think this is a bogus coupon. Note the use of the ampersand (&) instead of the casual contraction ('n) in the sandwich name? Still, this is a real coupon, probably just a lazy quality control.
And, like its siblings, this Arby's mainstay ends up right back where we started. Arby's, wonderfully consistent.
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