The Loyalty NewswireMay 05, 2025

Global News Roundup from The Wise Marketer

From the Editor

Yesterday was Star Wars Day, and today is Cinco de Mayo. It’s also Monday Newswire Day at the Wise Marketer, another reason to celebrate with tequila and tacos!

In this first edition in May, we have news of new loyalty program launches from Canada’s A&W and Thompson Restaurants, while Nordstrom is making changes to The Nordy Club. The Winners of the 2025 Freddie Awards are announced, and Barclays released its third annual Travel Rewards and Loyalty Report.

We have exclusive insight from Amperity’s CTO about the current state of third-party cookie deprecation. And Comarch is evolving as a company since its acquisition last fall by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners.

Activity in Customer Loyalty never ceases to amaze us. We have the news, press announcements, and research assets you need to stay on top of your game.

Let us know how we can help you succeed.

Bill Hanifin, Managing Editor, The Wise Marketer

Short Takes

Comarch Divesting Business Units after Acquisition by CVC Capital Partners

Comarch Loyalty Marketing is a well-known name among loyalty providers globally. What many do not know is that the loyalty group is part of Comarch S.A., one of Poland’s largest IT firms. Family owned for many years; the company was acquired by CVC Capital Partners in the fall of 2024. CVC Capital Partners is a leading global private equity firm, listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, with a network of 29 offices in Europe, Asia and the United States, managing approximately EUR 193 billion in assets.

The evolution of the company post-acquisition is taking shape as we read multiple public announcements:

Near the time of the acquisition, CVC stated it is exploring the sale of three major business segments: healthcare, public services, and telecommunications.
Comarch later announced in December 2024 that it had completed the delisting of Comarch from the Warsaw Stock Exchange. This was stated by the company to be one of the planned steps in a process that will enable Comarch S.A. to continue to grow as a private company.
In January 2025, the company stated it had launched a review of strategic options for two business segments: the public administration sector and e-health. In practice, this means searching for a buyer.
On 6 February 2025, the Supervisory Board of Comarch S.A. appointed Mr Jarosław Mikos as President of the Company’s Management Board.
Current real estate listings show the company has listed its newly completed (2024) Data Center in Mesa Arizona for sale.

Barclays US Consumer Bank’s Third Annual Travel Rewards and Loyalty Report

Barclays has released its third annual Travel Rewards and Loyalty Report, and you can find a link to it here. Anyone in the CLMP™ Community can find the report in the Loyalty Academy™ VAULT. The study is based on a survey of 1,000 US travelers and uncovers differences in travel and loyalty program preferences across demographics—and how pop culture is shaping traveler behavior.

You need to read this report to soak up all the insights but here is a short preview:

A large majority (79%) of travelers rely on loyalty programs, up from 2024 and 2023
82% of travelers would have to travel differently, or not at all, without travel rewards
More than two-thirds of travelers (69%) have or want to pick a travel destination because of a favorite TV show or movie

Will Third-Party Cookies Ever Crumble? Derek Slager, CTO Amperity Shares Insights

Google has been talking about Third-Party Cookie retirement for far too long and we’ve been following this story. What do brands need to know to manage their customer strategies in the face of ongoing uncertainty? We talked with Derek Slager, Co-Founder and CTO Amperity and he shared this perspective.

“The third-party data era isn’t ending with a bang—it’s fading away gradually. Google’s repeated delays in phasing out third-party cookies have created uncertainty, pushing marketers to fundamentally rethink their customer engagement strategies. Its latest decision to shift consent management responsibilities onto individual sites places privacy compliance squarely in the hands of brands.

Whether Google ever fully eliminates third-party cookies is no longer the critical issue; the erosion of data from these sources has already begun. Consumers are increasingly privacy-conscious, and regulations like GDPR are setting clear expectations. Brands must move forward by investing in first-party data and privacy-first technologies to deliver personalised experiences without compromising user trust.”

Thompson Restaurants Announces Launch of New Thompson Table Rewards Program

Thompson Restaurants has introduced “Thompson Table Rewards” a loyalty program that allows its guests to earn and redeem points across all 15 brands in 65+ locations spanning five states. Thompson Restaurants, a subset of Thompson Hospitality, is one of the largest food service and hospitality industry companies in the US with a diverse portfolio of restaurant brands spanning Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and Florida.

The new rewards program is a multi-brand umbrella concept, designed to unify all Thompson Restaurant brands under one seamless system, allowing customers to earn and redeem points across multiple locations and concepts, including online ordering and catering services. The company stated in its press release that the initiative is designed to significantly elevate guest engagement and deliver enhanced value to diners across all brands and locations. The program will roll out in phases, beginning with a soft launch this month, followed by a full official launch in the coming weeks.

Ebbo and Wise Marketer Release Latest in Strategy Brief Series: The New Loyalty Playbook

The latest Wise Marketer Strategy Brief (WMSB) is released in cooperation with ebbo and is titled “The New Loyalty Playbook.” This first eBook chapter of three examines a concept that is core to the future of loyalty strategy development – how brands can leverage new loyalty fundamentals to foster meaningful customer relationships that stand the test of time.

The road to customer loyalty is fraught with expectations that continue to evolve as audiences grow more diverse. The challenge for brands lies in creating loyalty initiatives that provide real relevance and resonance across every brand touchpoint. This eBook reveals how brands can master today’s loyalty fundamentals: bridging emotional loyalty, value-based offerings, enhanced realities, and the all-important choice factor.

If your ultimate goal is to embed customer engagement within a habit loop that repeatedly delivers satisfaction, download “The New Loyalty Playbook” to build a robust framework for lasting growth and impactful results.

Breaking News & Press Releases

Nordstrom’s The Nordy Club Announces Program Changes

Nordstrom’s announced that members of The Nordy Club will no longer be able to earn loyalty points for purchases made at Nordstrom Rack’s stores or on nordstromrack.com. In an update to its Terms and Conditions, which you can read in full here, Nordstroms also restricted program earnings based on payment tender.

From the T&C’s, Cardmembers paying with their Nordstrom credit card in store and online at Nordstrom Rack can receive a five percent (5%) discount on eligible purchases at time of purchase. To receive the discount, card members must use their Nordstrom credit card at checkout to pay for their purchases and cannot use Apple Pay, PayPal, or Afterpay, even if their Nordstrom credit card is linked to those accounts.

Visa Announces the Future of Commerce

At its Global Product Drop event in San Francisco, Visa unveilied the future of commerce with powerful artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled advancements and the introduction of new strategic partnerships and product innovations, collectively described by Visa as “one of our boldest moves in our digital payments history.”

“As new ways to pay emerge, they need to run on a network that is always on —that is safe, secure, scalable, and relentlessly innovating. We are taking the power of our network and our decades-long expertise to transform commerce and bring trust and security to AI-enabled payments,” said Ryan McInerney, CEO, Visa. Read all the details here.

The Subtle Shift in Retail that is Building Customer Loyalty

Do you ever feel the cold and calculating nature of business today? Do you notice that store associates are walking around almost as if they are disembodied? Have you soured on a brand based on your attempts to contact them (through any channel) to solve a service problem? This article shares important perspectives on why business needs to “lose the script” more often and lead with moments that spark genuine impressions of personalized attention.

The examples cited by the author cover different industries but had one common element: they made the author feel something. Call it “valued,” “seen,” “cared for.” That’s not service, its hospitality, and its working to differentiate brands in the retail industry. Read the entire take here.

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