More than 10 billion mobile vouchers are expected to be redeemed this year – a 50% rise on 2012 – as the smartphone continues to take over every aspect of consumers’ lives, a new study claims.
The report, from Juniper Research, predicts the surge will be driven in part by Apple’s recent launch of Passbook, a virtual file folder where iPhone users can store coupons and other items which would normally reside in their wallets.
And while mobile still accounts for a relatively low volume of coupons issued, retailers have been encouraged to jump on the bandwagon by the higher redemption rate of mobile coupons. Some 10% of mobile vouchers are redeemed compared to just 1% of those issued via traditional print media and PC coupons.
The author of the report says mobile is also offering retailers the opportunity to marry their digital and physical assets, using the channel both as a means of driving retail footfall and to enhance consumer engagement and retention.
Dr Windsor Holden commented: “While we’ve heard that online retail is killing the high street – witness the recent administrations of Jessop’s and Blockbuster in the UK – mobile offers a means of engaging with the consumer at every point in the retail lifecycle, from product discovery to product purchase.”
The study does strike on note of caution, however, stressing that it is critical for retailers to ensure mobile coupons have a time-based element. The warning follows a number of cases where offers have gone viral, leading to brands being unable to meet the demand for their products.
