2026 loyalty drivers: what customers really want from retailers

In 2026, loyalty means more than just points and discount programmes.

While reductions and perks are compelling short-term offers, in today’s competitive and value-driven ecosystem, it takes more to drive high customer lifetime value. 

Loyalty, Growth and the Future Consumer, produced in partnership with SheerID, explores how leading retailers are harnessing data, hyper-personalisation and the power of community to drive deeper, long-term customer relationships.   

The report outlines what loyalty looks like now, where it is heading and how retailers can develop models that deliver lasting commercial impact. 

In this article, we give a sneak peek into what you will learn from the report.  

How can retailers connect with today’s online shopper?  

• Showcase value: 58% of UK shoppers report switching to cheaper brands in response to rising prices, according to user-generated content aggregator Bazaarvoice, making it unsurprising that discount and affiliate schemes have risen in popularity among shoppers.  
• Match what matters most: understanding customer preferences is key. Superdrug and The White Company, for example, are among a raft of retailers that introduced same-day delivery late last year in response to growing shopper demand for immediacy. 
• Foster a community: whether via social media channels, brand-owned forums, loyalty platforms or messaging apps – communities enable meaningful interactions, a sense of shared values and drive shopper trust, building long-term relationships beyond transactions.  

Which retailers are getting loyalty right?  

• Marks & Spencer’s Parent Hood club attracted 230,00 members within a year of launch, driving over £2m in incremental value to M&S – 75% of sales through kidswear. Over 30,000 members have attended weekly coffee mornings offered as part of the scheme.
• Boots uses consensual first-party data, gathered through its 17 million Advantage Card members, to deliver targeted preference and life-stage-based marketing. Its Boots Parenting Club, Boots Student Club and Boots over-60s reward programmes further accentuate offers to target groups.  
• Kingfisher saw 11% growth in members across group loyalty schemes from July 2024 to July 2025. TradePoint, its trade-focused banner at B&Q, saw 13% year-on-year growth in the six months to July 2025. Screwfix launched its loyalty programme in October, offering deals, discount days, prize draws and spend and save offers.  

Who did Retail Week speak to for this report?  

To understand the breadth of opportunities and challenges facing retailers, the report draws on insights from senior colleagues working across loyalty, data, marketing, ecommerce and customer experience. Contributors include leaders from major UK retailers and industry experts sharing their real-world experiences of trends influencing the sector today.  

The report includes exclusive commentary and case studies exploring the strategies of retailers such as Asics, Boots, Kingfisher, New Look, Sephora,  Marks & Spencer, Feel Good Contacts and J Crew.  

What are the report’s biggest takeaways for retail leaders?  

In today’s tough economic climate, the retailers winning are those designing loyalty models hinged not only on isolated moments of hyper-personalisation, but on adaptive life-stage marketing and communities.  

The report explores online shopper preferences, considering the current macroeconomic climate, and the winning strategies retailers are deploying to keep shoppers coming back.