Over 71% of consumers incentivised by loyalty programmes

New research from Sodexo Engage finds that 71% of consumers respond positively to brands that offer loyalty reward programmes based on their individual shopping habits. 27% of respondents said they would shop more with a business offering loyalty rewards, 33% would think more positively about the business and a further 11% said they would like the brand more.

The research, conducted by tlf panel, surveyed 1,000 consumers about their feelings towards audience segmentation, targeted advertising and loyalty programmes.
The research also reveals that different loyalty programmes are more effective for different demographics. While physical store cards prove to be more popular with women (55%), men are more likely to prefer a loyalty programme that offers promotions based on previous purchasing habits, (31%). Meanwhile, 1 in 3 consumers (33%) would respond well to a brand offering the chance to win a product or experience as part of the programme.
The findings also show that the 18-24 year old age group strongly prefer an online portal or app to access their offers (42%), compared to the 55-64 year old age group (14%) and those over 65 (8%).
Chris Baldwin, Director of Consumer Programmes at Sodexo Engage, said: “The research shows how important loyalty programmes can be for retaining consumers that face ever more choice. For businesses looking to expand their market share in a particular demographic, they must tailor their loyalty suite to suit their target audience.
“Businesses must also adapt their programmes as consumer habits evolve. The increasingly strong reliance to communicate via online platforms, such as social media and apps, is an opportunity for brands to take their reward programmes online, improving their accessibility.”