Pizza rewards offered as 5/1 customer carrot
Struggling North America pizza parlour Papa John's is hoping to turn round plummeting sales following a year of PR scandals and falling sales by giving away dough. Read more ...

Economist article hits at airlines for points value slashing
Miles needed for flights rise in some cases by 45%
Warning of existential risk if practice continues

If the devaluation of a currency is bad for those who hold it, it must follow that slashing the value of loyalty-scheme points is bad for frequent flyers. Read more ...

Hail a taxi to find out more about loyalty innovation
Innovation continues to come out of the taxi and ridesharing business with  Lyft giving details of its plan to encourage repeat use with Lyft Rewards loyalty programme. Read more ...

Broadband penalty averages £220 a year for those who stay loyal
Which? Survey highlights the worst offenders
Broadband customers who stay with the same provider and do not haggle for a better deal are being hit with “loyalty penalties” of up to £220 a year, a UK consumer group has warned. Read more ...

Most banks will be made irrelevant by 2030 - Gartner
Heritage firms heading for extinction
Within 12 years time, 80% of financial firms will either go out of business or be rendered irrelevant by new competition, changing customer behaviour and advancements in technology, according to forecasts by Gartner. Read more ...

Loblaws CEO aims for a “loyalty loop” with subscription programme

Launch comes after pilot “ballooned”

Canadian supermarket chain Loblaws is launching a new subscription loyalty program across Canada, offering an assortment of perks for $99 a year. Read more ...

Blockchain interest growing
Concept of currency exchange now accepted as a likely development
Interest in loyalty marketplaces - and the use of blockchain to facilitate them - is growing, with an article in Forbes magazine arguing that the technology would enable customers to make a choice of reward, and keep track of multiple loyalty programmes which would increase redemption and therefore engagement. Read more ...

An acquisition and merger later, how is loyalty for Sainsbury’s?
A more personalized Nectar eagerly awaited by both stores and FMCG brands

When Sainsbury’s bought Nectar in February this year for £60m, it did so with the express purpose of understanding its customers “better than anyone else”. Read more ...

Shopping on mobiles now accounts for one quarter of spending
Continued e-commerce growth leaves British high street spending lowest in Europe
The UK now has the lowest proportion of high street spending in Europe – caused by the exponential growth in e-commerce shopping. Read more ...

Monzo reaches funding target in less than three hours
Criticism of use of overdraft facility to buy shares
Monzo proved the value of customer loyalty this month when it reached its crowdfunding target in less than three hours – by persuading customers to invest. Read more ...

Ride sharing companies fight with perks
Growing competition leads to raft of new offerings
Uber rewards power users
Profile of Uber, Lyft, South African minicab programme, Careem battle with Pepsi
Why is it that after decades when cab drivers have treated their passengers with disdain verging on rudeness, do all the cab companies now feel they need a loyalty programme?
Read more ...

So you want to know what is wrong with retail….
Scott Weavers-Wright voices his frustrations
You would think that after completing one’s second company divestment – the first one for £70m, the second undisclosed - that this particular entrepreneur would be relaxed and fairly chilled about the world. But this would be far from the truth. In fact any mention of retailers leads to a stream of consciousness about short-sightedness, lack of spirit and a lock-down mentality. Read more ...

Loyalty versus subscription: Is this a boxing match?
A growing number of companies are choosing an Amazon style subscription model rather than loyalty rewards. Does this make business sense? A service provider argues her case with Loyalty Magazine.

Loyalty cryptocurrency wants to disrupt the existing order
Expansion into major world markets with blockchain
Too many loyalty programmes chasing the same customers is an argument put forward for the huge interest in marketplaces. Add blockchain into the equation to deal with the infrastructure functionality and security, plus a cryptocurrency to add consumer excitement and a hint of gamification and some are arguing that this has the potential to disrupt the loyalty business. Read more ...

Department store bankruptcy –
What it feels like from the consumer perspective

Finding the sweet spot of investing in loyalty
How much is too much?

Article by Christopher Treadwell, Avios Commercial Director

Loyal customers are often your biggest source of income. Indeed, it can cost 16 times more to elevate a new customer to the same level of profitability as a loyal customer.  However, today, businesses are facing ever-more demanding customers. Read more ...

Open banking opening up business
Removal of friction helps build customer loyalty
Even though it’s early days for open banking there are already plenty of trailblazers offering new services, writes Huw Davies, CCO, Token, many of which are building loyalty. Read more ...

Nailing travel loyalty in the basic economy age

With increased competition and choice between airline experiences, what are the implications for loyalty?
In an era of pounds spent, not miles flown currency accrual, lower fares will undoubtedly have an impact on flyer loyalty – the question is, how should airlines react?

Article by Peter Gerstle, Head of Travel Products at Collinson Read more ...

Book Review
Blockchain Loyalty - disrupting loyalty and reinventing marketing using cryptocurrencies

I remember the first time someone introduced me to Bitcoin and the concept of the blockchain for keeping data secure. It was some time ago now and it seemed crazy, but I have watched while the world fell in love with the idea, which has developed and matured as any precious and capricious child.

Blockchain is now beginning to grow up into a very impressive adult indeed, even outside of currency. Read more ...

Soundbytes from The Loyalty Surgery 2018 – Part One

Insight from Bryan Pearson, LoyaltyOne and Uma Talreja, Raymond Rewards India
Warning: Danger from consumer rights to data portability -
Agreement: Loyalty is going to stay relevant

The ancient walls of the Tower of London provided an atmospheric venue for the 2018 Loyalty Surgery. Surrounded by centuries of turbulent history, it was interesting that we were talking about change, new challenges and loyalty at the crossroads, with plenty of decisions to be made about its future direction. Read more ...

Fast, slick and imaginative -
Chuck Ehredt reviews some of this year's Loyalty Magazine Awards winners and discusses trends 2019

However much you think you know about a topic, some things will still surprise you. That’s been my feeling as I mull over this year’s Loyalty Magazine Awards, where Currency Alliance was proud to be Prime Sponsor. You can see the full list of winners here. Read more ...

Open access: democratising travel loyalty
A three-step plan to creating a broader and more profitable customers base for your travel rewards programme.

Travel schemes must democratise loyalty by considering new and 'low value' members as well as high worth ones, argues Peter Gerstle, head of travel products at global loyalty and benefits company Collinson. Read more ...

Winners announced from a truly global Loyalty Magazine Awards 2018
People travelled from all over the world to attend the special Gala Awards Evening for The Loyalty Magazine Awards, making it a truly global event.

Attendees arrived from South Africa, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, the US, India, The United Emirates, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, The Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, China and many other countries to learn which companies achieved the accolade of being a Loyalty Magazine Awards winner. Read more ...

Loyalty at the crossroads
We know all the buzz phrases: ”The emergence of the digitally native competitor (i.e. Amazon)”, "There are more data than bricks & mortar”, "Omnichannel is being overshadowed by omnipresent”....

What does it all mean?  Discuss these issues with expert speakers at the Loyalty Surgery – www.theLoyaltySurgery.com – in London on June 20.
Read more ...

Will CSR re-invigorate the loyalty industry?
Aware of the trend toward corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Loyalty, a group of industry veterans have established For Good Causes.

The social enterprise aims to provide a service cross the industry for programmes to leverage to improve social impact and tap into the goodwill between charities and their supporters. For Good Causes founder Crispin Rogers describes how. Read more ...

Securing customer loyalty by inviting them into the ‘Membership Economy’
High street retailers face a battle to secure the loyalty of shoppers who are now naturally drawn online. Tailored, digitally-led retention schemes can provide an answer argues Rob Meakin, MD at Loyalty Pro.Ever since the inception of online shopping customers have become accustomed to purchasing what they want, when they want and from whichever retailer. Read more ...

GDPR – Burden or Benefit?
Are companies putting GDPR in place so they can avoid huge potential fines, or will the new regulation help them to do more with personal data by building a personal sense of trust with their customers? 

Mandeep Sandhu, head of compliance at Carbon Black, outlines the GDPR challenges, why we need it, the transition journey, and when organisations will move from meeting its requirements to embracing the potential of GDPR. Read more ...

The Attention Equilibrium: Brands must team up to survive in a world of infinite supply
Blog by Charles (Chuck) Ehredt, CEO and co-founder of Currency Alliance
A deluge of attention, everyone asking you to dance. Read more ...

What’s on your fans’ sporting bucket list?
How experiences are the ultimate reward for sports fans

Blog by sports rewards company Rewards4 Read more ...

What are we going to do about Amazon?
Amazon has created an amazing business model – and made it even better.

It set up an online shopping portal (that incidentally, no-one really expected to work – remember when it was just about books?), made it really simple to buy online, with few questions asked about returns; made sure the delivery is swift, and within the time promised.
Read more ...