Antavo, the leading AI-powered Loyalty Platform, has today unveiled its highly anticipated Global Customer Loyalty Report 2025. This report stands as the most extensive analysis of the current state of customer loyalty programmes and highlights emerging trends, key challenges, and investment opportunities. Focused on customer preferences, marketing budget allocation, and ROI benchmarks, the report provides valuable insights for brands and retailers looking to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of loyalty.
The Global Customer Loyalty Report 2025 surveyed more than 2,600 CMOs, marketing, IT, and loyalty professionals, as well as 10,000 consumers across the globe. In total, it analysed over 230 million customer interactions, providing actionable insights to help businesses make informed, data-driven decisions. The development of this comprehensive report was sponsored by EPAM, who provided expert insights and sponsored the survey with 10,000+ consumers globally. Additionally, insights from industry leaders such as VML, Capgemini, Deloitte, Havas CX Helia, Acxiom, stratLX, and Miltton Insights have enriched the findings.
Key Findings:
- AI Integration Continues to Grow: AI is firmly establishing itself in customer loyalty programmes. Currently, 37% of loyalty programmes are powered by AI, and 50% more are planning to integrate AI in the coming years. This means that over 90% of loyalty programme owners will incorporate AI to some extent in the near future. In fact, 67% of programme owners are comfortable using AI-powered agents to manage their loyalty initiatives, recognising the immense potential of AI in transforming their operations.
- Increased Marketing Investment in Loyalty: Marketing budgets are increasingly being directed toward customer loyalty. The report reveals that 31% of marketing budgets are now dedicated to loyalty and customer relationship management (CRM), a significant rise from 22.8% in 2022. The countries with the highest marketing spend include Belgium (39%), Brazil (36%), the US (30%), and the UK (26%). This surge in investment reflects the growing importance of loyalty as a crucial aspect of customer retention.
- ROI Soars for Loyalty Programmes: The report highlights that 83% of loyalty programme owners reported a positive return on investment (ROI), with an average ROI of 5.2x. Germany recorded the highest ROI at 6.2x, followed closely by Canada (5.4x) and the US (5.3x). This demonstrates that, when executed effectively, loyalty programmes are proving to be highly profitable for businesses.
- Satisfaction with Loyalty Programmes on the Rise: A growing number of companies are finding success with their loyalty programmes, with 69% reporting satisfaction. This marks a notable increase from the 56% satisfaction rate recorded just three years ago. However, a major cause of dissatisfaction remains poor alignment with a brand’s overall customer experience. Addressing this challenge presents an excellent opportunity for companies to enhance their loyalty offerings.
- Customisation of Rewards Drives Engagement: Personalisation continues to be a key focus. The survey reveals that 82% of loyalty programme owners who offer reward customisation features report a positive impact on customer engagement. Customisation allows brands to offer tailored rewards that resonate with their customers, fostering deeper brand loyalty and increasing overall programme success.
- Gamified Data Collection: Gamification is gaining traction as a powerful tool for collecting customer data. The report states that 76% of loyalty professionals plan to implement gamified elements in their loyalty programmes over the next two years, recognising the potential to drive engagement and improve data collection efforts.
Antavo’s Vision for the Future
Antavo CEO and Co-founder, Attila Kecsmar, commented: “The Global Customer Loyalty Report 2025 uncovers the most effective investment opportunities for loyalty programmes, especially through the power of AI. As brands double down on loyalty spend, we see a clear shift toward retention, hyper-personalisation, and a seamless customer experience. The time to capitalise on AI’s vast potential is now, and brands need to act swiftly to stay ahead of the competition.”
Andrew Doyle, Managing Principal & Practice Head at EPAM, added: “This year’s report demonstrates how AI is transforming loyalty programmes, making them more personalised and contextually relevant. As AI moves beyond the hype, it will play a pivotal role in enabling hyper-personalisation and enhancing the value for each customer.”
Antavo is proud to power loyalty programmes for leading brands such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Benefit Cosmetics, Whittard of Chelsea, Yeo Valley, and Flying Tiger Copenhagen. The company recently launched Timi AI, the world’s first AI-powered assistant for loyalty programmes, allowing brands and retailers to deliver highly personalised, automated loyalty experiences at scale.
