According to new research, 80 per cent of Australians expect better offers and services from brands if they are members of a loyalty program.
It comes as 93 per cent of Australians are enrolled in at least one loyalty program, including supermarket programs like Everyday Rewards (Woolworths) and Flybuys (Coles) boasting the highest reach.
The research, conducted by the Australian Loyalty Association (ALA) also found 52 per cent of Aussies say their household budget is under “significant pressure”, and 86 per cent are actively adopting cost-saving behaviours such as comparing prices, buying on promotion and switching to home brands.
The full findings are set to be announced at the upcoming 2026 Asia Pacific Loyalty Conference, where AI, loyalty economics, behavioural science and customer data strategy will headline discussions.
According to ALA, the findings are expected to “drive debate among marketing, customer experience and loyalty leaders”.
Australian Loyalty Association founder and CEO Sarah Richardson said marketers are entering one of the most challenging loyalty environments in recent memory.
“Brands can no longer assume loyalty is a given. Consumers are under pressure, they are actively comparing alternatives and they expect tangible value in exchange for their engagement,” Richardson said.
“The reality is that many loyalty programs were designed for a very different economic environment. Today’s customers expect relevance, personalisation and immediate value. If brands fail to deliver, customers have more tools than ever to find alternatives.”
Richardson said AI is emerging as a major disruptor for marketers, changing how consumers discover, evaluate and ultimately choose brands.
“AI is becoming the new front door to the customer journey. Consumers are increasingly usingAI tools to compare products, research purchases and seek recommendations before they ever reach a brand website. That has profound implications for loyalty, acquisition and customer retention strategies.”
“The brands that thrive in the next decade will be those that can demonstrate value at every customer interaction. Loyalty is no longer just a rewards strategy. It’s becoming a business-wide growth strategy.”
The conference will explore how leading brands are responding to these shifts through improved customer data strategies, behavioural science, personalisation, loyalty economics andAI-powered customer experiences.
Speakers from organisations including Adairs, Accor Group, Flight Centre and Schnitz will share insights on building loyalty in an increasingly competitive and fragmented customer landscape.
Main industry verticals covered include Grocery & Beverage, Sport, Retail, Charities, FinancialServices, Restaurant & QSR, Travel, Accommodation & Car Hire, Entertainment & Leisure, Utilities & Telco, Business-to-Business and Business-to-Employee.
Mandy Gallie, vice president of specialist sales and services business development at Mastercard is the opening speaker of the conference. In her session, she will share valuable insights into customer trust and the mechanisms within loyalty programs that need to be rewritten to meet the demands of the modern consumer.
“The macro environment has never been so volatile,” she said. “Political uncertainty, economic upheaval mixed with technology and regulatory changes mean that marketers are navigating their loyalty programs through a faster than ever changing landscape.”
“All these disruptive factors are affecting how consumers view loyalty programs whilst the way in which we will purchase in the future will be fundamentally different. As such, the question of trust between a brand and its customers has never been so important. This thought-provoking session by Mastercard will take a glimpse of what the future of loyalty may look like in this brave new world.”
