adviso, in partnership with Ad hoc Research, has released the results of the 8th edition of LoyalT, the most comprehensive study of Canadian retail loyalty program performance.
“The results of LoyalT 2025 confirm that consumers are more selective, better informed and demand more out of the programs they subscribe to. To stand out from the crowd, retailers must shift from a transactional mindset to an approach that emphasizes an irreplaceable value-added service. Analytics is therefore the prime lever for managing and maximizing loyalty,” said Simon Ethier, Advisor, Omnichannel Retail, Monetization and Strategy, adviso.
Using a sample of 15,000 Canadian respondents and a unique methodology, LoyalT 2025 offers detailed insights into the performance of 87 programs across 11 activity sectors: grocery, restaurants, fashion, pharmacy and beauty, gas and convenience stores, pet products, beverages, entertainment, sports and outdoor, hardware, as well as discount and big box stores.
The major takeaways from LoyalT 2025
- The North American geopolitical context is having an impact on loyalty program use, and some programs are more affected than others.
- There are more programs. Canadians are members of 22 programs, a significant increase since 2023, but use only nine of them regularly (i.e., 41%).
- Programs are performing better and are more efficient. There is a clear improvement in the overall performance score of programs, specifically in the Engagement index, i.e., the ability of a program to keep members engaged.
- Appealing to Gen Zs is a must. This age group includes the most frequent and active users, who are looking for premium programs as well as fast access and personalized experiences.
- Generosity is now critical. In today’s tense economic times, members’ perception that they are truly earning value from a program influences their satisfaction and loyalty.
- Gamification is a fast-growing engagement strategy, being increasingly used by programs and members.
Top 10 programs in Canada
- Royal Perks – Burger King
- My Panera – Panera Bread
- Pet’s Rewards – Global Pet Foods
- RealRewards – American Eagle Outfitters
- Papa Rewards – Papa John’s
- Treats Rewards – PetSmart
- PC Optimum – Loblaw Companies
- Domino’s Rewards – Domino’s Pizza
- Gap Good Rewards – Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta
- MyMcDonald’s Rewards – McDonald’s
Top 10 programs in Québec
- Domino’s Rewards – Domino’s Pizza
- MyMcDonald’s Rewards – McDonald’s
- PC Optimum – Loblaw Companies
- Walmart Rewards – Walmart
- Beauty Insider – Sephora
- Tims Rewards – Tim Hortons
- Journie Rewards – Ultramar
- Starbucks Rewards – Starbucks
- MOI Rewards – Metro Inc.
- Inspire – SAQ
“The 2025 edition of LoyalT confirms it: brands that continually scale up their programs, activate multiple engagement levers (e.g., mobile experience, gamification, hyper-personalization) and make their relational strategy a cornerstone of their business model clearly stand apart from the competition. Client data remains the true driver of that performance,” said Jonathan Pollender, Business Strategy Consultant, adviso.
The report introduced the Generosity Score, a new feature of the 2025 study, demonstrating a strong correlation between perceived generosity and consumers’ satisfaction with and attachment to a program.
In Canada, Burger King, Domino’s Pizza and PetSmart top the list of loyalty programs perceived as most generous, while in Québec, Domino’s Pizza, McDonald’s and Walmart lead the way.
LoyalT 2025 confirms that members of Gen Z are the most active users of programs and ascribe great importance to the Attachment dimension (relevance of content, day-to-day usefulness) as well as mobile experiences.
They are also enthusiastic adopters of programs in the restaurant and beverage sectors, as well as premium programs (loyalty programs with a pay tier or subscription model). For example, 66% of Gen Zers in Canada are Amazon Prime members, and 29% are subscribed to UberOne.
The benefits most sought after by this age group are:
- The ability to accumulate and redeem points online (81%);
- Member-exclusive discounts and free products (78%);
- The ability to accumulate points other than by making a purchase (sharing reviews or content, referring friends, answering surveys, viewing content) (76%);
- Receiving personalized, relevant content (e.g., texts, videos, articles) (75%).
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