MONTRÉAL,QC–adviso, in partnership with Ad hoc Research, is proud to present the results of the 8th edition of LoyalT, the most comprehensive study of Canadian retail loyalty program performance.
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.
This year, the picture has changed: more programs qualified for the study, and overall performance has improved.
New study features for 2025
LoyalT 2025 introduces a number of innovations:
- In-depth analysis of age 18–34s, who are the most active and demanding loyalty program members
- A new Generosity Score, measuring perceptions of value received
- New sublists: Québec’s Top 10, Canada’sTop 10 and the Top 5 Coalition Programs
- An evaluation of the MOI Rewards program, newly launched in Ontario
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.
“The results of LoyalT 2025 confirm that consumers are more selective, better informed and demand more out of the programs they subscribe to,” said Simon Ethier, Advisor, Omnichannel Retail, Monetization and Strategy, adviso. “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.”
Leveraging the notion of generosity: key to improving performance in the current economic context
The Generosity Score, a new feature of the 2025 study, demonstrates 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.
Restaurants: the new player in frequency
With the arrival of new programs and the strong performance of U.S. programs, the restaurant sector is overperforming compared to the average of all programs across all sectors:
Only category to post above-average scores for the three LoyalT indexes (Engagement, Behaviour, Attachment). Highest mobile app usage rate. Highest satisfaction scores and points redemption scores.
The study results also reveal the marked impact of the new North American trade context, with 82% of Canadians saying they felt motivated to change their consumer behaviours and favour Canadian retailers. Nearly a third (32%) say they’ve been using U.S.-based loyalty programs less often, while 42% report increased use of Canadian programs.
Prioritizing Gen Z
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%)
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,” said– Jonathan Pollender, Senior Business Strategy Consultant, adviso. “Client data remains the true driver of that performance.”
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