Couponing Gets Fashionable In 2013?

You might associate couponing with 60s housewives or a certain TLC show, but couponing is set to get big in 2013.

The emergence of mobile couponing combined with a widespread economic crisis in Europe, has led many to rely on the once-paper tickets to help with their monthly budget.

A new study by Juniper Research has found that The number of discount coupons redeemed through mobile and tablet devices is expected to reach 10 billion this year, up by more than 50% on last year. According to the report, innovative retailers are increasingly seeking to offer mobile as a delivery channel, both as a means of driving retail footfall and to enhance consumer engagement and retention.

Additionally, the report observed that mobile couponing offered retailers the opportunity to connect their digital and physical assets. As report author Dr Windsor Holden pointed out, “While we’ve heard that online retail is killing the High Street – witness United Retail filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US and 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.”

Companies like Shopitize have taken the hint and have partnered with brands directly to offer British consumers discounts and cashback deals. Technology giant Apple has also embraced the trend, through the company’s Passbook service.