A new report from Juniper Research expects the redemption rate of mobile coupons to average at over 8% by 2016. That’s an eight-fold increase over the best paper coupons campaigns. It means there’ll be over 600 million regular mobile coupon users worldwide in four years’ time, with the total redemption value expected to exceed $43 billion (£27.5 billion) by 2016.
The report notes that a mobile coupon can bridge the divide between online and physical retailing, offering opportunities for high-street shops that have lost out to online retailers. However, it also warns that experimentation by coupon issuers and users could see redemption rates decrease slightly before a steady rise begins.
David Snow, the author of the Juniper Research report, said “As with all new mass markets there is an initial ‘shakeout’ period. North America and Western Europe are at this stage now. For the next few years users will be signing up to multiple coupon schemes and deciding on the ones they like best - so now is a crucial time for mobile marketing agencies to get it right on behalf of their clients and establish a loyal customer base.”
[Mobile Coupons report; whitepaper]