While 55% of consumers belong to at least four schemes, 58% have only actively used three or fewer in the past six months, highlighting a growing challenge for brands to…
UK
Retail
simple
UK Customer Loyalty in Retailing: 2026
"As loyalty schemes become more complex with more rewards and tiers added, the most successful ones will simplify the user experience with hyper-personalisation at the fore as an enablement, creating a more intuitive and engaging journey for members."
Sam Nguyen, Senior Retail Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Outlook for customer loyalty in retailing – UK
Opportunities
Balance instant rewards with progressive value exchange
Cultivate loyalty through hyper-personalised assistance
Simplicity is key for patronage
THE MARKET
Persistent cautious mentality means price sensitivity continues
AI could reshape the loyalty experience
More loyalty schemes to be opened up to under-18s
THE CONSUMER
Overview of the loyalty scheme landscape
Nine in 10 are members of a scheme
Membership grows across paid and non-paid schemes
Consumers become more selective with the schemes they sign up to
Graph 1: repertoire of membership and regularly used loyalty/reward schemes, 2026
Grocery loyalty schemes continue to dominate…
Graph 2: year-on-year changes in grocery loyalty/reward scheme membership and usage, 2025-26
…with Lidl Plus being the standout performer
Graph 3: grocery loyalty/reward scheme membership and usage, 2026
Fragmented BPC market translate to BPC loyalty scheme landscape
Graph 4: year-on-year changes in BPC loyalty/reward scheme membership and usage, 2025-26
Improving the loyalty/reward scheme experience
Three in five have encountered issues with loyalty schemes
Increase engagement to reduce friction and unlock better data
Graph 5: repertoire of issues with loyalty/reward schemes in the last six months, by repertoire of schemes used recently, 2026
Instant gratification is important to boost engagement…
Graph 6: most important loyalty benefit types when shopping at…, 2026
…but not enough for long-term loyalty
Learn from global examples of tiered schemes
Boosting loyalty appeal through personalisation and AI
Personalised rewards make consumers feel valued, with them willing to share data for such rewards
Embrace personalisation to detangle…
…and enhance the loyalty experience
Consumers trust AI to inform but not yet to act
Driving loyalty with core retail strengths
Loyalty doesn’t stop at the scheme
Increase patronage by prioritising location and accessibility
Simplify pricing structure for peace of mind
INNOVATION AND MARKETING
Grocers with the broadest range of outlet types have the highest loyalty
Graph 7: comparison of selected loyalty-based KPIs for leading grocery retailers among the SpendMapper cohort, 2026
BPC loyalty level correlates with retailer scale
Graph 8: comparison of selected loyalty-based KPIs for leading BPC retailers among the SpendMapper cohort, 2026
A slew of new launches across sectors…
…including within existing schemes
More ways to earn and spend points
Meaningful rewards
Streamline the loyalty experience
APPENDIX
Report scope
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology
Repertoire analysis methodology
TURF methodology
How to read: TURF analysis
Other data source methodologies
Snoop SpendMapper methodology
Abbreviations
While 55% of consumers belong to at least four schemes, 58% have only actively used three or fewer in the past six months, highlighting a growing challenge for brands to keep their members engaged.
The loyalty scheme experience is far from seamless, with nearly three in five encountering issues within the past six months. As members diversify their loyalty across multiple schemes, their engagement with any single one likely diminishes, which means slower point accumulation and less data for personalised offers. At the same time, an over-focus on instant gratification through discounts, a popular feature of loyalty schemes, can reduce emotional loyalty and increase price-led switching.
Progressive loyalty structures that reward spend and engagement over time offer a meaningful way to increase brand stickiness, catering to a demand for status-driven recognition and differentiated value. Meanwhile, improved personalisation capabilities can reduce the effort required to engage with loyalty schemes, moving from shoppers actively managing rewards to retailers delivering value seamlessly.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
Membership and use of leading UK customer loyalty/reward schemes across sectors
Key trends in new launches and innovations within loyalty/reward schemes
Opportunities to improve the loyalty experience, focusing on common issues and the types of rewards in demand and how those vary by typical basket
How to leverage a demand for personalisation to boost schemes’ appeal, including the role of AI
Motivations for loyalty to a retailer besides loyalty/reward schemes
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