Cellfire Inc., a mobile discount offer and coupon service, last week released key findings regarding mobile coupon redemption, including the top 10 cities in America that are super savers. Building on its first mobile coupon metrics released in July 2007, these new findings point to increased usage of mobile coupons by 119 percent over the last six months with 94 percent of metro areas increasing in usage.

The findings of the Cellfire survey are reinforced by leading industry analysts. As noted in a recent independent survey from ABI Research, mobile coupons and discount offers remain the top mobile marketing incentive for consumers with 63 percent of these consumers stating that a coupon would be the most effective incentive to get them to respond to a mobile marketing message. According to Mike Wolfe, ABI research director, the second most popular response (chosen by 52 percent of those consumers) was a discount at a local store. The positive reaction to these two types of incentives demonstrates the potential value in mobile coupons. (source: ClickZ, 1/15/08)

California tops the list of areas with the highest per capita usage of mobile coupons, taking four of the top ten spots. Previously unranked, Ohio made a strong surge demonstrating the biggest increase in usage with Dayton and Cincinnati making the top ten. The findings are based on mobile coupons redeemed during the six month period ending December 31, 2007.

Top 10 Markets for Mobile Coupon Usage per Capita:

1. Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA (previously #2)

2. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (previously #4)

3. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, CA (previously #7)

4. Atlanta, GA (previously #10)

5. Monterey/Salinas, CA (previously #14)

6. Dayton, OH (previously #78)

7. Cincinnati, OH (previously #21)

8. Chico/Redding, CA (previously #3)

9. Sioux City, IA (previously #64)

10. Jonesboro, AR (previously #8)

Although the majority (70 percent) of coupons redeemed was from mobile-savvy shoppers under age 34, there is significant and increasing activity among older consumers to save money with their cell phone. Mobile coupon redemption by consumers over age 34 more than tripled in the last six months, and this age group now represents 30 percent of the mobile coupon users.

Mirroring the last survey findings, merchants continue to receive a mid-week boost in sales with Tuesday being the day consumers most often used coupons, followed closely by Sunday and then Wednesday. Tuesday and Wednesday are typically slower days for retail, and yet rank high for mobile coupon usage.