Brands up loyalty spend as ROI, data and retention soar

Loyalty programmes are now the driving force behind most marketing strategies, with brand owners ploughing more than half of their total budgets (51.5%) into loyalty and CRM, driven by rising returns, stronger customer engagement, and a growing focus on long-term retention over short-term customer acquisition.

That is according to Antavo’s Global Customer Loyalty Report 2026, a survey of 3,000 marketers and 10,000 consumers globally that is designed to unpack the trends shaping the evolving consumer loyalty landscape.

The findings point to a new era for loyalty, characterised by compounding ROI, increased brand confidence in loyalty programmes, and a shift away from promotions that rely solely on discounts toward more experiential, personalised, and data-driven rewards.

Loyalty programmes are proving their value more clearly than ever. ROI has increased for the third year in a row, reinforcing loyalty as one of the most reliable growth levers for marketers looking to build long-term revenue streams. The overwhelming majority (83.0%) of loyalty programme owners said they were satisfied with their scheme’s performance, and 92.7% reported a positive return, with an average ROI of 5.3:1

Nearly 9 in 10 brands (89.4%) say their loyalty programme delivers value they would not otherwise capture, and 59.8% would shift even more budget from short-term promotions into loyalty if given the opportunity. Marketers also emphasised that technology choices matter: platforms must empower teams while keeping total cost of ownership low.

From the consumer perspective, loyalty programmes are increasingly influential: 31.3% of consumers reported being more likely to continue doing business with a brand that offers a good loyalty scheme.

While savings remain a key motivator (for 70.8% of consumers), expectations are nonetheless expanding beyond simple discounts. Promotions continue to influence behaviour, with 68.6% of customers saying they shape shopping choices. They are not enough on their own, however. Discounts may attract attention, but meaningful loyalty requires ongoing value. Free products or services (46.3%) and personalised rewards (41.6%) were seen as indicators of more mature loyalty schemes that offer value beyond discounts.

As third-party data declines and systems become more fragmented, loyalty data is emerging as one of the most valuable assets a brand can own. Over half (65.9%) of the consumers surveyed said loyalty programmes are now part of their everyday lives. This sustained interaction is generating a steady stream of structured, permissioned, first-party data. Only 3.4% of customers actively opt out of loyalty programmes, meaning disengagement doesn’t have to be permanent; the majority of dormant customers can be reached again with the right messaging.

With budgets rising and ROI consistently positive, loyalty data is emerging as one of the richest seams for both AI training and deployment. It provides consented insights tied directly to real outcomes such as repeat purchases, referrals, and reward redemption, making loyalty data one of the safest and most effective training grounds for AI pilots and broader deployments. This, the report concludes, eventually leads to higher quality, more responsive programmes, generating higher interest and more interactions.

Antavo CEO and co-founder Attila Kecsmar said: “Another year of rising satisfaction, ROI, and investment only goes to highlight the degree to which brands need to be laser-focused on their loyalty programmes. Those investing in loyalty have seen strong results, but brands can’t afford to rest on their laurels.

“A new era in loyalty is coming, and consumers want more from brands in the form of personalisation, new kinds of offers, and seamless experiences. The brands that leverage data, meet consumers where they are, and harness the power of AI will be the ones that build truly meaningful, increasingly profitable consumer relationships in 2026 and beyond.”