Loyalty Programs, Brand Values, & Data Transparency in the UK

Loyalty programs influence UK shoppers in a big way

When asked what they would do for brands to which they are loyal, 65.8% of UK respondents said they would sign up for the brand’s loyalty program. Similar numbers were seen in last year’s survey (67.4% of UK respondents), highlighting UK shoppers’ continual support of their favorite brands through loyalty programs.

And what keeps these shoppers engaged with programs? Other than discounts, free shipping topped respondents’ preferences, followed by gifts or swag and early access to new products. And, most UK shoppers (64%) want to engage with a brand’s loyalty program using their mobile device while shopping online.

Global respondents and UK shoppers alike demonstrated how rewards programs play an integral role in their purchasing decisions. An overwhelming majority of UK respondents (87%) said that a loyalty program influences them to buy again.

Boasting similarly high response rates were UK respondents’ feelings toward subscription models. Over 85% of UK shoppers said a subscription service makes them feel more loyal to a brand. Based on these numbers, brands in the Food & Beverage, Beauty, and Health & Wellness verticals should use subscription-driven loyalty programs to take their customer retention to the next level.

UK shoppers spread their preferences evenly when asked which industry’s loyalty programs they found most appealing, but like other countries, Food & Beverage brands were the clear front runner.

Brand Values

UK consumers were adamant about sharing beliefs with the brands they love. Over 86% of UK  respondents said they are more likely to be loyal to a brand that shares their values, equating to a 5.3% growth YoY.

While this answer rang true across generations, 95.8% of UK Gen Z respondents said they were more likely to be loyal to a brand that shared their beliefs — the highest of any demographic we surveyed. So, as Gen Z begins to wield more buying power in the coming years, brands should make sure to highlight their core values to younger shoppers.

Data Transparency & Zero-Party Data

UK shoppers also deeply care about their data usage. Over 80% of UK respondents said data transparency — the data collected and used by brands — was important. Given the mounting legislation pushed by the EU, UK shoppers are well-versed in privacy regulation and data use.

However, their concern over data transparency did not equate to an unwillingness to share any personal information. In exchange for loyalty perks like discounts, personalized experiences, and more, over 70% of UK respondents said they would share their personal data with brands.

But, UK shoppers were also clear about what kinds of data they’d share: