When most people think about loyalty, they picture supermarket points, coffee rewards or airline miles and small perks that add up over time like $10 off your shop, your 7th coffee free, or patiently waiting for those frequent flyer points to pay off. Retailers have historically owned loyalty because they control the transaction. They see the purchase, the basket composition and the frequency of visits, which gives them the visibility required to design programs that influenc

For years, Starbucks has been the benchmark for what a successful loyalty program looks like. When brands start thinking about loyalty, Starbucks is usually the example they reference. A program that doesn’t just reward customers, but actively shapes behaviour, driving frequency, habit and long-term value. But loyalty programs are not static. They need to evolve as customer expectations change, competition intensifies, and as the economics of running them alongside of other