The Loyalty NewswireApril 14, 2025

Global News Roundup from The Wise Marketer

From the Editor

As a market researcher, I do love a longitudinal study that reveals insights that tug at the conventional thoughts of the day. This morning we came across a report from the restaurant sector, which has seen an immense rush towards loyalty programs and use of loyalty mechanics over the past few years, making us question if restaurant loyalty may be soon flipping from hot to not.

According to the 2025 Phygital Index Report released today by Tillster, there is “an alarming trend emerging in the fast food and fast-casual restaurant market: diner loyalty to their favorite brands is eroding.” What I liked about the report findings is that it provides a mix of current insights along with multi-year comparisons since this is their 7^th year of the study.

The restaurant sector saw a tidal wave of brands picking up on loyalty, particularly since the pandemic, and so it was very interesting to see the consumer shifts and to think about what the impact may be:

3 out of 5 want more kiosks, which gives them control of the dining experience and, IMO, may suggest that the front-line staff experience is less compelling than doing-it-themselves. This suggests a clear opportunity for loyalty marketers to potentially segment for desired CX since 2 of 5 is a large population to serve.
C-store and grocery visits are outpacing QSR visits over a year ago. We’ve reported over the past few years on convenience stores starting to segment to certain populations (i.e., energy drinkers, men, and sports days, etc.) and grocery stores betting on pre-made meals. Perhaps the tide is starting to shift, which is again a call to QSR to rethink their CX – both digital and human.

You can, of course, read the report summary here to draw out your own conclusions. I wanted to share just a couple that hopped to top-of-mind for me.

Stay. Loyal. Always.

Chief Marketing Officer, Wise Marketer Group

Global News Roundup

UK Based Super App Revolut (UK) is Poised to Disrupt Rewards Based Credit Card Sector

Revolut, the UK-based financial super app with over 50 million customers worldwide, is entering the rewards-based credit card sector — a market long dominated by American Express in Europe. Recent reports indicate that Revolut is developing a points-based credit card using its proprietary RevPoints system, which could challenge American Express’s dominance in the premium card category.

As of March 2025, Revolut’s valuation has reached $48 billion, following an 85% increase in Schroders Capital Global Innovation Trust’s stake. This marks a significant rise from its $45 billion valuation in 2024 and signals growing confidence in Revolut’s performance and strategy. Investors are now pushing for another secondary share sale that could boost its valuation to $60 billion, driven by strong demand for stakes in the fintech giant. Don’t miss reading this.

Learn How Lowe’s Transformed Its Loyalty Strategy to Serve Multiple Customer Types

Last year, Lowe’s launched the MyLowe’s Rewards program for homeowners, offering points that turn into store credit, free standard shipping, member-only gifts, workshops, exclusive offers, and early sales notifications. As part of the program, the company also just launched MyLowe’s Home, which digitizes manuals for products such as appliances, windows and doors.

In February, Lowe’s relaunched its existing MVPs Pro Rewards & Partnership Program as MyLowe’s Pro Rewards, which has its own perks for professionals, including easier authorization of people buying on behalf of the business, bulk discounts and volume savings.

Learn how Amanda Bailey, VP of customer marketing and loyalty, has led this transformation to cover more than 30 million members who spend 50% more than non-members.

Blaze Pizza Launches New Mobile App with Thanx to Amp Up Its Loyalty Strategy

Blaze Pizza is rolling out a new app and loyalty program, teaming up with customer engagement platform Thanx to make it happen. The updated app and rewards platform were designed to address some of the most persistent challenges restaurants face when managing digital loyalty: steep operating costs, fragmented tech systems, and lackluster user experiences.

For Blaze, the goal was to replace a clunky and costly system with something more nimble, efficient, and customer-friendly. Read the story here.

qiibee Partners with US Health Insurer Moda Health to Revolutionize Healthcare Rewards

qiibee has announced a strategic partnership with Moda Health, a leading U.S. health insurance group with $4 billion in annual revenue. qiibee provides the white-label blockchain-powered loyalty infrastructure unlocking the purchasing power behind the global rewards economy.

The partnership will grant Moda’s customer base and preferred partners access to an innovative loyalty program that goes beyond traditional points-based systems. Moda’s integration into qiibee’s extensive loyalty network creates a seamless, rewarding, and health-driven loyalty experience for the Moda customer base. Press release here.

CBRE Releases New Hospitality Loyalty Report based on findings from 675 million members

According to data from CBRE’s just-released Trends® in the Hotel Industry, the growth of loyalty program membership may make it harder to target the most highly valued guests. The 2024 data confirms that hotel loyalty programs remain a relatively cost-efficient way to drive occupancy.

Among many important findings in the report, Loyalty members accounted for 52.8% of occupied rooms in 2024, a 2-percentage-point increase from 2023 that far outpaced overall U.S. demand growth of 1.2%. Loyalty programs delivered 12% more room nights year-over-year despite the average room nights per member declining by 4% to 1.0 from 1.1. This shift suggests a growing proportion of members are either dormant, overlap in multiple programs, are infrequent travelers, or are earning points through credit cards and partnerships rather than frequent hotel stays.

Eastern Communications (Philippines) launches new loyalty perks during Transcend Summit

Eastern Communications elevated customer engagement with the relaunch of The Link VIP Club, unveiling its highest membership tier, Titanium, at the MET Museum in BGC on April 3, 2025. Eastern collaborated with artists Erika Mayo, Studiokashu, and Vico Cham Artism Gallery for an exclusive, art-inspired showcase of the program’s premiere perks to complete the customer’s VIP experience.

The newest Titanium tier provides personalized business support, premium benefits, and tailored ICT solutions, further strengthening relationships and enhancing customer experiences of Eastern’s elite partners.

EC Co-Coordinator Atty commented, “Through the Link VIP Club and the new Titanium Membership tier, we are enhancing the way we support our clients by providing an even higher level of focused support, unmatched customer experiences, and utmost level of service.”

IndiGo, Cathay, and TUI Airlines Make Strategic Loyalty Partnership Moves

We have news from multiple airlines taking steps on the path of digital transformation and customer loyalty. In an effort to enhance customer loyalty, IndiGo, India’s largest low-cost carrier, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with global hospitality giant Accor. IndiGo, currently the fourth largest airline globally in terms of fleet size, aims to elevate its loyalty engagement by collaborating with Accor’s renowned ALL (Accor Live Limitless) loyalty program.

Cathay Pacific has launched Cathay Technologies, a new subsidiary designed to share the airline’s cutting-edge digital solutions with the broader aviation industry. TUI Airline is taking steps to redefine its in-flight experience while simultaneously creating new revenue streams through a partnership with Immfly, a leading provider of digital platforms.

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