No longer are loyalty schemes merely about stacking up points. To engage consumers on a deeper emotional level, retailers are making their loyalty programs more inventive. Indeed, with EY reporting in its 2025 EY Loyalty Market Study that of the 1,600 US consumers it surveyed, most (33%) feel only 'moderately' engaged in the loyalty programs they participate in, it’s clear that making these programs more compelling will be key.
From luxury to mass, retailers are reimagining loyalty so it’s fun rather than functional.
Leading the charge is UK luxury department store Selfridges, which in February unveiled the latest iteration of Selfridges Unlocked, described by the store as a membership program that “unlocks access to products, experiences, and services.”
The program is free to join, and sees the customer earn “Keys” not just when they spend but also for time spent in store, when they check in to certain in-store activities such as restaurants and concierge experiences. The scheme spans levels one to three, and when a customer earns more than 200 Keys they reach the level of Very Selfridges Person, whose perks include “complimentary car parking and alterations, a suite of personalized experiences created just for them, and…access to a dedicated Selfridges concierge service and to The Selfridges Lounge in the London store,” Selfridges says.
Selfridges chief operating officer Leonie Foster described the program as “a globally unique membership proposition that rewards customers the more they shop and spend time with us.”
And potentially taking a similar, exclusivity-led approach to the concept of loyalty is luxury retailer Matches Fashion, which is said to be plotting its comeback with a members-only retail model. While the luxury online retailer went into administration in 2024, Frasers Group, which owns the Matches brand name, is planning to relaunch “as a members-only fashion and lifestyle concept by the end of this year, offering personalized shopping, early access to exclusive products, luxury gifts, and access to events in its London-based stores,” according to an April article by The Times.
Meanwhile, creating a mood of gamification around loyalty is TYB – which stands for “Try Your Best” – a US loyalty platform established in 2022 by Ty Haney, the founder of athletic wear company Outdoor Voices. The platform allows US consumers to connect with brands via TYB’s app, which currently spotlights brands spanning Glossier, Poppi, Crocs, and Urban Outfitters North America. Customers can earn coins by engaging with a brand, such as by answering polls or by posting and tagging an image of a product. Those coins then translate to discounts, or access to limited edition products. The brand is also reportedly developing ‘affinity webs’ so rewards could be redeemed at different brands across the platform. TYB says the platform results in a 43% increase in purchase frequency, and a 24% increase in a customer’s lifetime value.
For mass brands, too, more engaging forms of loyalty are catching on. McDonalds in the UK in July launched Side Missions, a summer promotion that offered ways to engage and win prizes via the McDonald’s app. During the week, customers could access a daily food offer, while at the weekend they could win prizes spanning £10,000 ($13,555) in cash, to cinema tickets and vouchers.
UK grocer Tesco personalized rewards to its customers’ tastes with its Clubcard Challenges scheme, which launched in 2024 and ran across four campaigns. The promotion saw select customers invited to earn points when they bought items tailored to their spending habits. Created with personalized marketing company Eagle Eye’s AI-powered Personalized Challenges solution, the scheme won Best Global Loyalty Launch or Initiative at the 2025 International Loyalty Awards, for “transforming routine purchases into a fun, engaging experience.”
The Intelligence take
As competition for consumer engagement gets fiercer, brands are upping the ante with new, innovative, and surprising ways to inspire consumers to stick with their loyalty schemes. Those brands that stand out are finding ways to combine the rewards that customers are seeking with playful new ways to win them.
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