We talk about customer loyalty a lot here on the Access blog. Not surprising, given that this is indeed a "loyalty blog."
When it comes to the topic of customer loyalty, however, we like to draw as much and as often as possible from what's happening in the real world. Using real data. In the pursuit of real results.
And while some principles around customer loyalty tend to remain the same, it's always the data that helps us distinguish between the truth and what is merely "conventional wisdom."
That's why every year we lend our loyalty community a helping hand by gathering every relevant bit of customer engagement and loyalty data we can find. Since new data emerges all the time throughout the year, we update these statistics at least monthly, if not more often, so be sure to bookmark or subscribe to our email.
Note: the stats below and others from recent years can be found as always on our Ultimate Collection of Loyalty Statistics. As we've done in years past, we'll continue to provide a link back to the original source of the data for your convenience. And if you have relevant information you'd like us to include, don't hesitate to drop it in the comments.
Enjoy!
2019 Customer Engagement & Loyalty Stats
- The best ways to engage consumers are:
- Surprise offers or gifts for being a customer (61%)
- More convenient shopping process (50%)
- Solving a problem or question (45%)
- Recommending products based on needs (27%)
- Keeping customers up-to-date on the latest news and products (23%)
- Welcoming customers when they visit (20%)
- Engaging customers on social media (9%) (HelloWorld)
-
Nearly 9 out of 10 consumers professed loyalty to brands, with almost 25% saying they’re in fact more brand loyal this year versus last year (
Yotpo)
-
90.2% of consumers consider themselves equally or more brand loyal compared to a year ago (
Yotpo)
-
61.08% of consumers are loyalty to between 1-5 brands, 26.19% are loyal to between 6-10 brands, and 5.68% are loyal to between 11-20 brands (
Yotpo)
-
When asked to define their brand loyalty, consumers overwhelmingly characterized it as repeat purchasing (67.8%), followed by love for the brand (39.5%) and then preferences despite price (37.7%) (
Yotpo)
-
77.84% of consumers said the product inspires their loyalty to a brand, 62.96% said price, 26.14% said customer service, and 22.34% said a loyalty program (
Yotpo)
-
Consumers that are loyal to a brand are more than willing to refer that brand (59%) to their friends and family, join their loyalty program (59%) and spend more (36%) (
Yotpo)
-
Before considering themselves loyal, shoppers need to buy from the same company five or more times (37%), three times (33%), four times (17%), and two times (12.4%) (
Yotpo)
-
41% of consumers are more likely to do their holiday shopping with brands they love (
Yotpo)
-
15% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand when shopping for gifts if they are a part of the loyalty program (
Yotpo)
-
Over half of customers rated rewards as important for both big-ticket and small, habitual purchases (
Wirecard)
-
Less than 8% of customers claimed rewards were not at all important to their purchasing decisions (
Wirecard)
-
42% of consumers said incentives sometimes sway consumers to choose one brand over another, even if they’re loyal to the brand without rewards (
Wirecard)
-
33% of consumers said incentives often sway consumers to choose one brand over another, even if they’re loyal to the brand without rewards (
Wirecard)
-
18% of consumers said incentives always sway consumers to choose one brand over another, even if they’re loyal to the brand without rewards (
Wirecard)
-
45% of consumers made 1-3 purchases because of incentives in the past year, 22% made 4-6 purchases, 14% made no purchases, 10% made 10 or more purchases, and 9% made 7-10 purchases (
Wirecard)
-
About 45% of consumers said digital prepaid cards were their preferred way to receive rewards (
Wirecard)
-
39% of consumers said one day or less is the maximum amount of time it should take to receive a reward after applying to receive it, 24% said 3 days or less, 22% said 1 week or less, 9% said 2 weeks or less, 3% said 1 month or less, 2% said 3 weeks or less and 2% said longer than 1 month is okay (
Wirecard)
-
Consumers’ top frustrations with the rewards experience include: long wait for reward (46%), user errors (34%), confusing redemption process (34%), and tracking points (27%) (
Wirecard)
-
70% of consumers currently manage their rewards/incentive programs with a mobile app, 35% with a physical rewards card, 25% with a web app, and 13% with a mobile wallet (
Wirecard)
-
75% of customers said they were likely to make another purchase after receiving an incentive (
Wirecard)
-
After receiving a reward, consumers are likely to perform the following actions: over 75% made another purchase, over 50% discuss their experience with others, over 35% leave a positive review, and over 15% share their experience on social media (
Wirecard)
-
How consumers engage with brands after a positive rewards experience: Almost 70% visit the brand’s retail locations, over 40% follow them on social media, about 35% view brand content, over 30% subscribe to their newsletter and about 15% attend the brand’s events (
Wirecard)
-
77% of brands could disappear and no one would care (
Havas)
- Brands trending well in customer loyalty include: Airbnb, Netflix, Waze, Lyft and Nike (Bond Brand Loyalty)
- One third of those ages 23-38 are quick to drop a brand that doesn’t meet expectations (Brightpearl)
- Brands spend up to 11 times more on recruiting new customers than retaining existing ones (Brand Keys)
- A loyalty increase of 7% can boost lifetime profits per customer by as much as 85%, and a loyalty increase of 3% can correlate to a 10% cost reduction (Brand Keys)
- Consumer expectations for trust increased across all product and service categories and brands by an average of 250% year-over-year (Brand Keys)
- 77% of consumers crave free products (HelloWorld)
- 75% of consumers expect discounts/offers (HelloWorld)
- 66% of consumers want free samples and 57% want free services (HelloWorld)
- 41% of consumers welcome opportunities to win something and 32% like surprises from brands (HelloWorld)
- The top mobile tactic that marketers plan to implement in 2019 is providing offers and discounts exclusive for mobile users to boost sales (RetailMeNot)
-
The three most important aspects of customer service are a fast response, knowledgeable service agents, and a quick resolution to the issue (
Loyalty360)
-
95% of customers are looking for some degree of proactive communication from the companies with which they do business (
Loyalty360)
-
95% of customers are interested in some degree of proactive communication from companies they buy products and services from (
Loyalty360)
-
38% of customers want a moderate amount or lots of proactive communication, and another 37% want occasional proactive contact that is tailored to them (
Loyalty360)
- 64% of customers expect tailored customer engagements based on past interactions (salesforce)
-
When asked how their customer service measures up, 71% of business leaders think they provide better customer service than their competitors (
Loyalty360)
-
63% of customers say that organizations should make getting to know them better a top priority (
Loyalty360)
-
Nearly two-thirds of customers feel confident in how well organizations understand them (
Loyalty360)
-
There’s a 24% gap in what customers think vs. businesses in how well they understand consumers (
Loyalty360)
-
89% of customers say that a company providing poor customer service damages their impression of the brand (
Loyalty360)
-
46% of customers will tell people they know if they’ve had a poor customer experience when making a purchase, and 44% will stop the purchase and seek a different provider (
Loyalty360)
-
75% of customers have stopped using an organization’s services because of a poor service experience (
Loyalty360)
-
35% of business leaders believe their organization loses customers all the time or regularly due to poor service (
Loyalty360)
-
33% of customers strongly agree customer service quality is a major determining factor of loyalty, 44% agree, 20% are neutral and 2% disagree (
Loyalty360)
-
65% of consumers said the quality of customer service is a factor when deciding where to make their purchases (
ICSC)
- 67% of consumers said good customer service encourages them to stay longer and/or spend more money (ICSC)
- 57% of people would pay more for an item or service if they know they will receive good customer service (ICSC)
- 73% of consumers said receiving good customer service from a retailer increases the likelihood they will spend more money than they had planned (ICSC)
- Nearly 60% of consumers are more satisfied with customer service in-store than online (ICSC)
- 62% of consumers ranked friendly and/or knowledgeable employees as the most important aspect of in-store customer service, followed by the ability to easily find items (59%) and speed and ease of checkout (59%) (ICSC)
- 55% of consumers believe the most important aspect of online customer service is speed of delivery services offered, followed by the ability to easily find items (49%) and flexibility of return/exchange policy (45%) (ICSC)
- Brands seen as meaningful and viewed as making the world a better place have seen their wallet share multiply by 9, and see a 24-point greater purchase intent (Havas)
- 56% of consumers aren’t confident brands have their best interest in mind when they use, share or store personal data (Acquia)
- 78% of consumers don’t think brands should be using personal data to market products to them, yet 75% agree that if a brand understands them at a personal level they are likely to be more loyal (Acquia)
- 93% of businesses with advanced personalization strategies increased their revenue last year (Monetate)
- 77% of businesses that exceeded their revenue goals in 2018 have a documented personalization strategy, while 74% have a dedicated budget for it (Monetate)
- 86% of companies that achieved higher return on investment themselves said that personalization activities accounted for 21% or more of their marketing budgets (Monetate)
- Companies reporting the highest ROI from personalization programs were shown to be twice as likely to name customer lifetime value as a primary business objective than those who achieved lower ROI (Monetate)
- 63% of consumers expect personalization as a standard of service and believe they are recognized as an individual when sent special offers (RedPoint Global)
-
34% of consumers said it was frustrating when they were sent an offer for a recently purchased item, offers that aren’t relevant (33%), or when a brand fails to recognize them as an existing customer (31%) (
RedPoint Global)
-
Consumers prefer personalized rewards for their loyalty to a brand, with 68% indicating they would shop at a store offering them over one that did not (
BRP consulting)
-
54% of customers are willing to share personal information with companies if it will be used to create a personalized experience (
RedPoint Global)
- 36% of millennials and 29% of gen Z often use coupons (Numerator)
- Two-thirds of Gen Z consumers said their impression of a brand is positively impacted by its association with a social cause, and 58% report such an association could spur a purchase (DoSomething Strategic)
- 12% of Gen Z consumers have a top-of-mind association between brands they know and a social cause (DoSomething Strategic)
- Aiding awareness by providing a list of social causes to survey takers brought cause association up to 24% (DoSomething Strategic)
-
Brands with the highest correlation to a social cause were Savage & Fenty, Dove, Fenty Beauty and Nike, while Loft, StitchFix, Coach and DSW had the lowest (
DoSomething Strategic)
-
67% of customers say their standard for good experiences is higher than they’ve ever been (
iperceptions)
-
76% of customers say they expect companies to understand their needs and expectations (
iperceptions)
-
64% of customers find the customer experience more important than price when purchasing something (
iperceptions)
-
$98 billion is left on the table every year by companies who fail to provide simple experiences (
iperceptions)
-
An estimated $1.6 trillion is lost every year in the U.S. as a result of poor customer service (
iperceptions)
-
Experience-driven businesses have an average annual revenue growth rate of 15% vs. 11% for other companies (
iperceptions)
-
67% of customers say they will pay more for a great experience (
iperceptions)
-
56% of consumers say the overall enjoyment of the purchase experience is important in their decision to buy a product or service (
iperceptions)
-
74% of consumers will likely switch brands if they find the purchasing process too difficult (
iperceptions)
-
32% of consumers stop doing business with a brand they love after only one bad experience (
iperceptions)
-
57% of consumers have stopped buying from a company because one of their competitors provided a better experience (
iperceptions)
-
64% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand to others if it offers a simpler experience and communications (
iperceptions)
-
Half of experience-driven businesses see increased advocacy as a result of their experience investments (
iperceptions)
-
71% of consumers recommend a product or service because they received a great experience (
iperceptions)
-
Experience-driven businesses report between 1.6x-1.9x higher YoY growth in customer retention, repeat purchase rates, average order value and customer lifetime value than other companies (
iperceptions)
-
91% of consumers suggest that omnichannel experiences are either important or critical, with 29% suggesting that companies should be where I want, when I want, ready to share and communicate how I expect (
CMO)
-
78% of baby boomers said the frustration from restarting conversations with a brand through a new channel has led them to question why they do business with the brand at all (
CMO)
-
4 out of 5 people are more likely to engage with a brand that offers incentives (
Loyalty360)
-
66% of consumers said owning a company’s stock increases the likelihood of buying products from that company (
Loyalty360)
2019 Loyalty Program / Loyalty Marketing Stats
2019 Retail Loyalty Statistics
-
Nearly 70% of consumers agree their loyalty is more difficult for a retailer to maintain than ever before (
Clarus Commerce)
-
88% of consumers agree retailers could do more to earn their long-term loyalty (
Clarus Commerce)
-
Consumers who had a frustrating shopping experience are three times more likely than satisfied consumers to not buy from the retailer or brand again (
Accenture)
-
42% of consumers were frustrated with their most recent shopping experience (
Accenture)
-
47% of frustrated consumers would avoid doing business with the retailer or consumer goods brand (
Accenture)
-
47% of all consumers would be willing to pay more for an experience that exceeds their expectations every time, with frustrated customers almost twice as likely as satisfied consumers to say they’d be willing to pay more for such an experience (
Accenture)
-
Frustrated consumers (62%) were far more likely than satisfied consumers (36%) to say they’d be willing to pay more for an experience that exceeds their expectations every time (
Accenture)
-
61% of retail execs saw improved customer service as a result of their omnichannel efforts, 54% saw improved customer retention and 52% saw increased loyalty (
Retail TouchPoints)
-
38% of retailers now provide customers with access to cross-channel, real-time inventory data on their personal devices (
Retail TouchPoints)
-
60% of retailers are using a loyalty program as a tool to track consumer activity across the omnichannel purchasing journey (
Retail TouchPoints)
-
58.7% of internet users worldwide cited earning rewards and loyalty points as one of the most valued aspects of the retail shopping experience (
iVend Retail)
-
37% of customers prefer to consistently shop with the same retailer, up from 35% in 2018 (
CCG)
-
When asked which factors would encourage them to select one retailer over another if access, products and price were equal, consumers’ top answers were: convenient shopping experience (45%), easy to make purchases (40%), positive shopping experience (39%), receive incentives to shop with that retailer (34%), and easy to make returns (32%) (
CCG)
-
63% of retail shoppers want instant rewards and discounts, 52% want surprise rewards and 39% want personalized rewards (
HelloWorld)
- 63% of CPG customers list instant rewards as what they want (HelloWorld)
- 45% of millennials acknowledge they’re less loyal to retailers than a year ago (Brightpearl)
- 69% of shoppers said that if a shopping experience is poor, they will never shop with the same online store again (Brightpearl)
- The top consumer gripe with shopping experience is related to delivery and returns (Brightpearl)
- 37% of retailers offer brick-and-mortar shoppers more personalized service as an incentive to identify themselves (BRP)
- 22% of consumers prefer personalized service in exchange for surrendering their in-store privacy (BRP)
- 34% of consumers prefer specialized offers, 27% product incentives and 26% credit toward future purchases in exchange for identifying themselves in-store (BRP)
- 79% of consumers said personalized service is an important factor in determining where to shop (BRP)
- 63% of consumers are likely to stop visiting a brick-and-mortar retailer if they have an unsatisfactory shopping experience (BRP)
- Popular enhancements to the in-store experience for customers include invitations to special events (50%), personalized promotions (46%), personalized rewards (32%), preferred/first access to new products (21%) and special/preferred assistance from sales associates (18%) (BRP)
- 72% of retailers do not have a process in place to notify associates when an identified valuable customer is in the store prior to checkout (BRP)
- 87% of retailers say taking a stand on social issues is worth the risk and 83% believe not taking a stand can negatively affect their bottom line (RetailMeNot)
- 61% of consumers will recommend brands that align with their social values (RetailMeNot)
- 66% of shoppers say a free and easy returns policy is one of the top two aspects that would improve the experience, and 53% said a slow and expensive returns process would stop them from shopping with a retailer again (Klarna)
- 78% of shoppers would buy more in the long run if retailers have free returns (Klarna)
- 84% of shoppers will not come back to a brand if they have a poor returns experience (Klarna)
- 75% of shoppers said that easy returns are an essential factor in their choice of retailer (Klarna)
- 86% of shoppers said the option of free returns would make them loyal and more likely to keep coming back to a brand (Klarna)
- 84% of shoppers want to be able to choose whether to return an item in-store or via post or pickup (Klarna)
- 31% of shoppers would be more likely to buy something online if they had the opportunity to pay for it after trying it at home (Klarna)
- 22% of millennials said offers and promotions on social media compel them to visit a website, compared to 29% of Gen X and 38% of baby boomers (Visual Objects)
- The top reasons U.S. shoppers abandon a purchase online are because a retailer does not have a decent returns policy (36%) and the checkout process took too long (31%) (Klarna)
-
61% of shoppers would stop purchasing from a retailer if it had flawed website functionality (
Klarna)
-
28% of retailers have a process in place to communicate their most valuable customers to an associate (
BRP consulting)
-
50% of consumers indicated they were willing to provide retailers with personal information if they receive meaningful and customized offers in return (
BRP consulting)
-
76% of retailers plan to offer more deals and discounts in 2019 vs. 2018 (
RetailMeNot)
-
55% of retailers will offer deeper discounts than they usually do because of the shortened time frame for holiday shopping this year (
RetailMeNot)
-
54% of retailers will begin running deals earlier this year than they usually do because of the shortened time frame for holiday shopping this year (
RetailMeNot)
2019 Travel Loyalty Statistics
-
60% of travel customers want instant rewards, 59% want the ability to choose rewards, and 34% care about personalized rewards (
HelloWorld)
-
82% of travelers say they enjoy travel loyalty programs, and 81% value the rewards they get (
Criteo)
-
76% of travelers understand very well the value they get from air miles and hotel points, and 72% enjoy perks going beyond just discounts (
Criteo)
-
79% of travelers mentioned
loyalty programs as a main reason for choosing specific airlines or hotel brands (
Criteo)
-
27% of travelers often forget they signed up to a loyalty program, and 28% sometimes opt out because they get too many emails (
Criteo)
-
25% of travelers in the 15-24 age bracket are members of a loyalty program, compared to 43% in the 65+ age bracket (
Criteo)
-
46% of Americans subscribe to at least one loyalty program in the United States (
Criteo)
-
24% of U.S. travelers with an income of under $20,000 belong to a travel loyalty program (
Criteo)
-
When booking directly with an airline, hotel or train company, the two most important factors were user-friendliness and force of habit (
Criteo)
-
35% of travelers agree that being a member of a loyalty program is still a factor for booking with a specific airline, and 26% say the same for hotels (
Criteo)
2019 Restaurant Loyalty Statistics
-
38% of restaurant executives say that improving digital customer engagement and loyalty is firmly entrenched as their top tech objective for 2019 (
Hospitality Technology)
-
2019 Bank & Financial Loyalty Stats
- 60% of credit card holders like instant rewards/discounts and the ability to choose rewards (HelloWorld)
- 34% of credit card holders like personalized rewards (HelloWorld)
-
A third of pioneers (risk takers, tech-savvy & hungry for innovation) had switched banks within the past year, and almost two thirds say that corporate social responsibility would influence their choice of a new provider (
Accenture)
-
More than three-quarters of pragmatists (ubiquitous, trusting & channel agnostic) say they have a positive attitude toward bank brands, and 96% say they trust the advice they receive from human advisors at their insurance brand when making a claim (
Accenture)
-
Skeptics (tech-wary, dissatisfied & alienated) stay with their bank for 14 years and their insurer for seven years (
Accenture)
-
86% of pioneers, 75% of pragmatists, 55% of skeptics and 30% of traditionalists want to receive offers and perks based on where they shop (
Accenture)
-
85% of pioneers, 70% of pragmatists, 50% of skeptics and 21% of traditionalists are interested in savings tips based on spending patterns (
Accenture)
-
More than three-quarters of all consumers are willing to share the data required for benefits such as personalized offers, more efficient and intuitive services, and more competitive pricing (
Accenture)
-
94% of pioneers, 82% of pragmatists, 76% of skeptics and 50% of traditionalists are willing to share data to receive personalized offers based on current location (
Accenture)
-
94% of pioneers, 79% of pragmatists, 77% of skeptics and 45% of traditionalists are willing to share data to receive discounts on non-insurance related products or services (
Accenture)
-
Top reasons why consumers would leave their current financial provider include: issues/concerns over data security, increase in costs/no longer offering competitive prices, no longer feeling valued as a customer, feeling like complaints are not taken seriously, and no longer being offered products and services that suit needs (
Accenture)
-
77% of consumers trust their bank to look after their long-term financial well-being, while 68% trust their insurer to do the same (
Accenture)
-
7% of consumers reported having switched bank accounts over the past year, giving better value products and services as their main motivator (
Accenture)
2019 Member and Subscriber Engagement & Loyalty Stats
- 80% of U.S. consumers ages 18 and older say they’ve never subscribed to a subscription box service that regularly delivers health and hygiene products, beauty and cosmetic products (80%), groceries and meal kits (81%), and household goods (85%) (YouGov)
- 47% of U.S. consumers ages 18-34 say they are very likely or somewhat likely to consider subscribing to at least one subscription box service (vs 33% of all U.S. adults) (YouGov)
- The top perceived potential benefit of subscription boxes among all consumers is that they save time from shopping (48%) (YouGov)
- Popular advantages of subscription boxes among consumers include never running out of a product they need (39%), and not having to remember to manually buy products themselves (33%) (YouGov)
- Consumers ages 18-34 are slightly more likely than the average American adult to think subscription boxes are good for simplifying their budget (26% vs. 18%), saving money by subscribing in bulk (36% vs. 29%), and providing the ability to try new products they wouldn’t have otherwise (26% vs. 20%) (YouGov)
- 53% of shoppers worry it would ultimately cost more money to have a subscription box than not (YouGov)
- 42% of shoppers ages 18-34 say they consider not using products quickly enough from subscription boxes a potential drawback (vs. 52% of the general public) (YouGov)
2019 B2B Loyalty Stats
-
A brand’s business value has a 21.4% impact on perceived benefits, while personal value has a 42.6% impact (
Loyalty 360)
-
90% of B2B and consumer audiences agree that brand experiences delivering stronger personal interactions offer more compelling brand engagements (
Loyalty 360)
-
About 85% of B2B decision makers start the buying process after a referral from a friend or colleague (
Loyalty 360)
-
88% of B2B content marketers agree that creating content makes their audience view their organization as a credible and trusted resource (
PointVisible)
-
81% of B2C content marketers are concerned with creating content that builds loyalty with existing customers (
PointVisible)
-
54% of B2B content marketers have built loyalty with existing clients by using content marketing successfully in the last 12 months (
PointVisible)