Marketing

Majority of consumers prefer mobile app when it comes to loyalty accounts

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May 24, 2022

When it comes to managing loyalty accounts, a majority, 70% of dining, grocery and convenience customers prefer to use a mobile app, but just 26% of brands provide the capability.

That's a prime finding from the 2022 Loyalty Maturity Benchmark report from Par Technology's Punchh, a loyalty and engagement solution, conducted in partnership with Incisiv, according to a press release.

The data revealed digital is now the starting point for over 85% of customers across convenience, grocery and QSR, according to the report.

Key findings of the research include:

• For loyalty program enrollment, customers want easier options from the brands they engage with. While over 70% of convenience and QSR chains enable auto-enrollment, only 36% of grocery chains offer this feature.
• 67% of customers have come to expect rewards or a surprise gift on special occasions. While 52% of QSR chains have adopted this capability, only 10% of grocers and 8% of convenience chains offer reward perks on special occasions.
• 75% of customers want instant redemption of loyalty points/benefits, yet only 16% of the brands assessed offer this capability.

"Consumer businesses have endured unparalleled disruption to their business models in the last 24 months and should be commended for the speed by which they have adapted," Amar Mokha, Incisiv COO, said in the release. "However, customer behavior is a moving target, and the industry must evolve to meet expectations, especially as customer loyalty becomes harder to attain. A re-imagined loyalty program aligned to evolving consumer needs will go a long way in ensuring retention. We conducted this study to help brands across the convenience, grocery and QSR sectors understand how they compare to their peers, as well as to help identify high-impact improvement opportunities for loyalty and engagement programs."