Today, loyalty programs must go beyond simple transactions to truly resonate with customers, while still managing costs. Loyalty is shifting from transactions to relevance, and brands that succeed understand customers’ values, lifestyles, and everyday needs.
According to OSF’s 2025 Omnichannel Retail Index, 74% of brands now offer loyalty programs. Yet only 15% provide experiences as a redemption option, highlighting the gap between transactional benefits and the emotional, lifestyle-driven rewards customers increasingly expect.
From Points to Purpose
The most effective programs are no longer just about earning and redeeming points. Instead, they create benefits that reflect the lifestyles of their members, whether health-conscious, climate-conscious, or experience-driven. By tapping into lifestyle, emotion, and daily needs, brands are building deeper emotional connections and attracting new audiences.
This shift means brands are designing loyalty ecosystems rooted in purpose, not just perks. Rewards become an extension of a customer’s identity, reinforcing a brand’s role in their lives well beyond the checkout counter.
Partnerships and Ecosystems: Expanding the Value Network
One of the biggest trends shaping loyalty today is partnerships. Loyalty programs are moving past proprietary reward catalogs to create interconnected ecosystems that deliver more relevant, cross-category value.
Instead of competing in silos, brands are forming strategic alliances that link travel, retail, lifestyle, and even sustainability initiatives. This ecosystem-driven approach expands a program’s reach, increases relevance in customers’ daily lives, and deepens engagement.
The New Loyalty Playbook
To stay ahead, loyalty leaders are:
- Leveraging existing portfolios to deliver creative, low-cost lifestyle benefits.
- Integrating purpose into rewards to align with customer values.
- Building partnerships that offer benefits across industries and categories.
- Designing ecosystems where rewards and experiences flow seamlessly
The future of loyalty isn’t about how much customers spend. It’s about how much your brand matters in their world. By focusing on lifestyle integration, emotional connection, and ecosystem thinking—and closing the gap between traditional point-based models and experience-driven rewards—brands can create loyalty programs that are not just cost-effective, but truly indispensable.
Coming Soon: Get the Full ORI Insights
The Customer Experience & Personalization Feature Spotlight is part of the upcoming 2025 Omnichannel Retail Index release.
Join the waitlist to:
- Access the full global and regional reports
- Receive exclusive feature spotlights on loyalty, mobile, and cross-channel execution
- Get invitations to webinars and events in Paris, Berlin, Madrid, São Paulo, and New York
Be first to turn ORI benchmarks into a competitive advantage.
