A report by Juniper Research predicts that there will be over 1bn mobile coupon users by 2019, up from just under 560m this year.

The surge in users is likely to be driven in large by an increase in retailer engagement with the various mobile channels, as brands become more confident in reaching consumers through their phones and tablets. According to the report, many retailers are now integrating coupons into loyalty programs to a far greater extent, while also focusing on delivering coupons direct to consumers, rather than through aggregator sites.

At the same time, mobile coupon deployments are benefiting from a retail industry that is restructuring to take advantage of online engagement channels. The report notes that businesses are becoming more agile, more efficient and able to implement changes far more rapidly than was previously the case.

Growth in the adoption of technologies like NFC and beacons will be another reason for a rise in mobile coupon users, as brands move away from the use of MMS for delivering coupons, and instead seek to boost in-store engagement in the medium term.

“While NFC has failed to achieve traction thus far, the emergence of a cloud-based secure element through HCE (Host Card Emulation) is likely to stimulate greater integration into wallets,” said Dr Windsor Holden, author of the report. “We believe that this in turn will provide the visibility that should encourage brands to run campaigns using the technology.”