Loyalty membership doesn’t always spell loyal behavior
Loyalty programs promise value, but membership doesn’t always change how people shop. Based on a survey of 1,900 consumers, this report looks at the gap between joining a program and showing real loyalty.
Download the report
Loyalty membership doesn’t always spell loyal behavior
Loyalty programs promise value, but membership doesn’t always change how people shop. Based on a survey of 1,900 consumers, this report looks at the gap between joining a program and showing real loyalty.
Dig into the data
Loyalty programs are crowded.
Shoppers are signing up for more loyalty programs than ever and spreading their visits across multiple retailers. That means loyalty can sway a choice, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to consistent behavior.
74%
of consumers belong to a grocery loyalty program, the highest participation of any category surveyed.
49%+
of active loyalty members consider their membership when deciding where to shop.
50%
of customers who join a loyalty program churn within 12 months.
Key takeaways
- Why shoppers join loyalty programs
- How loyalty influences shopping decisions – and when it doesn’t
- How participation and engagement differ across grocery, dining, and fuel
- What growing loyalty competition means for retailers
- Why traditional loyalty isn’t enough on its own
Dig into the data
Download the report
Loyalty membership doesn’t always spell loyal behavior
Loyalty programs promise value, but membership doesn’t always change how people shop. Based on a survey of 1,900 consumers, this report looks at the gap between joining a program and showing real loyalty.
Loyalty programs are crowded.
Shoppers are signing up for more loyalty programs than ever and spreading their visits across multiple retailers. That means loyalty can sway a choice, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to consistent behavior.
74%
of consumers belong to a grocery loyalty program, the highest participation of any category surveyed.
49%+
of active loyalty members consider their membership when deciding where to shop.
50%
of customers who join a loyalty program churn within 12 months.
Loyalty programs are crowded.
Nearly 80% of today’s retail customers are uncommitted, shopping across brands and formats in order to maximize their own value. Long-term growth depends on understanding and influencing them — profitably. This new report shows you how.
Select your industry
Grocery
Most grocers’ retention buckets are leakier than they think.
For grocers, 31% of their customers in a given month will churn — even more so for new customers. Loyalty programming helps, but significant churn risks remain.
- 31% of all customers shopping in a given month won't be back that year
- 50% of new customers shopping in their first month won't be back that year
- 14% of loyalty members shopping in a given month won't be back that year
Restaurant
Most restaurants’ retention buckets are leakier than they think.
For restaurant retailers, 42% of their customers in a given month will churn — even more so for new customers.
- 42% of all customers shopping in a given month won't be back that year
- 64% of new customers shopping in their first month won't be back that year
Fuel
Most fuel retailers’ retention buckets are leakier than they think.
For fuel retailers, 51% of their customers in a given month will churn — even more so for new customers. Loyalty programming helps, but significant churn risks remain.
- 51% of all customers shopping in a given month won't be back that year
- 64% of new customers shopping in their first month won't be back that year
- 20% of loyalty members shopping in a given month won't be back that year
49%+
of active loyalty members consider their membership when deciding where to shop.
New data reveals the key to higher retention rates.
Retained customers spend at higher levels than new customers
Source: Upside transaction data from 7.7 million customers at 335 grocery stores, 2,254 fuel stations, and 1,498 restaurants from March 2022 to February 2025.
Key takeaway
Customer retention is about building habits, visit by visit. Our research shows regular grocery customers are 46 percentage points more likely than new customers to stick around after a year — and that compounds over time.
Traditional loyalty isn’t enough on its own, because people aren’t loyal only to you.
DownloadTraditional loyalty isn’t enough on its own, because people aren’t loyal only to you.
Dig into the data
Download our report on consumer loyalty membership for insights into what members say about loyalty programs and differences by category.
