Doesn't sharing the code bypass the whole point... if Zoro's logic thinks i should get a 25 off $x to get me to buy, but i share my personal code, why should they send me another coupon? Not to mention it seems kind of unethical?
Zoro issues you a one time use discount code.
it gets used. the algorithm notes it was used, remembers that sending you a code results in a sale, and moves on to the next code.
now, they *could* tie it to your account somehow, but that won't be popular. you might have several email addresses for your organization associated with different internal accounts. they view you as the customer, and dont care about your internal structure. so they dont track it, assuming it occurred to them.
step back a bit. Zoro sends out codes because they want to encourage sales. sometimes it is because the month's sales are soft, but sometimes it is to encourage people to pull the trigger on their carts, or even to encourage them to come back and buy something if they haven't been around in awhile. the fact that the code gets used provides them valuable information, that a specific customer is paying attention to Zoro's communication. that itself is very valuable information. companies worry a lot about the penetration of their advertising, knowing what is effective and what isn't has substantial value. we are nearing the point, assuming we are not already there, where it is cost effective to tailor advertising to specific customers. they maintain a list of "sent a card" customers, a list of "emailed" customers. maybe a list of "facebook ad" customers. we might even get to a time where they can figure out exactly what deal will cause you to buy, and then offer you a coupon/discount that really is only for you.
so, because this is how I am warped, I paid attention. I found that, over the short term, codes getting used caused me to get codes more frequently, even if I were not the one using them. over the longer term, though, it dies down, and I return to lower amounts of less valuable (higher minimum) offers. I believe it is related to the freshness of my cart. if it doesn't change after a few coupons, things die down, even if the coupons are getting used.
ultimately, to really heat things up, all I need to do is make a purchase. this causes me to get regular offers, at least for a time. I assume to get me in the habit of buying there. unfortunately, I dont buy that often anywhere, so from the algorithm's point of view, it fails.
as for the ethics of the situation, I view this the same way I view the Home Depot Special Offer Return (buy one thing, get another for free. return part of the deal, because they break out the free item value across all the items' return values). these are big companies. they have it within their abilities to set it up however they want, and limit them however they want. I *assume* things are the way they are because it generates the most revenue, and people taking advantage of it are either a minor annoyance, or are dealt with in some other manner (like HD revoking your return privileges).
it would be simple for Zoro to limit the one use coupons to the individual they issued them to. for their own reasons, they dont. why would I question it?