Reuters.com The number of restaurant visits prompted by a deal or discount increased in 2013 after declining in 2012, according to a report by The NPD Group. 

According to the new report, restaurant traffic on a deal or discount increased by 2 percent in the year ending August 2013, a turnaround from the 1 percent decrease in deal-driven traffic a year ago. Restaurant visits based on "buy some, get some" or "two-for-one"-type offers had the highest gain, with a 14 percent increase over last year.

The results suggest restaurants can't afford to turn away from promotions as consumers continue to remain cautious about spending. “In my view the industry tried to move away from heavy discounting last year but found it was just not feasible with consumers still closely watching their spending,” Bonnie Riggs, NPD restaurant industry analyst, said in a statement. “It is deal related traffic that is keeping the industry from registering traffic losses.” Continue