The Loyalty NewswireMay 19, 2025

The Loyalty Newswire from The Wise Marketer

From the Editor

Brand marketers are hungry for evidence that loyalty works. We highlight news this week illustrating how it can bring financial results to the business (CAVA Group) while also easing real-life problems for consumers (BILT Rewards).

We also find the news this week led from outside North America as we feature noteworthy program launches and breaking news from Australia, India, Ireland, Latin America, GCC, and Singapore.

As you read the Newswire this week, remember that while we our team is based in North America, our mission is to represent the global customer loyalty industry. As the Global Voice of Customer Loyalty, we have a network of training partners in multiple regions of the world, partnerships with global conference organizers and a community of Certified Loyalty Marketing Professionals™ that spans 53 countries. Wherever you are working, we are there as well.

Reminder: this is your last opportunity to register for the CLMP™ workshop May 20-22, 2025 in Dubai. This workshop is organized and hosted by our training partner, QBF Consulting and like all our workshops, this time together presents a fantastic opportunity to learn, network and grow. If you are interested please register here: Loyalty Academy™ Dubai Workshop.

As always, we are here to help you succeed. Let us know how we can help.

Bill Hanifin, Managing Editor, The Wise Marketer

Short Takes

Breaking News & Press Releases

BharatPe Launches Zillion Rewards [India]

BharatPe, India’s leading financial services and UPI payments company, today announced the launch of Zillion Rewards on its BharatPe UPI App. The program allows consumers to earn Zillion Coins on all qualified UPI transactions. In particular, transactions made using RuPay Credit Cards via the BharatPe UPI App unlock some of the most rewarding benefits across the industry, making it an attractive proposition for consumers.

Zillion, one of India’s largest multi-brand loyalty programs, enables users to accumulate Zillion Coins instantly upon completing eligible transactions. These coins can be redeemed as virtual cash across an extensive network of Zillion-affiliated online merchants and services, covering a wide array of categories.

CAVA Group Highlights Customer Loyalty as a Driver of Positive Financial Results in Q1 2025

CAVA Group shared first quarter highlights in its Q1 2025 earnings call on May 15. Results reported included a 28.2% increase in CAVA revenue; CAVA same restaurant sales growth of 10.8%, 15 net new restaurants. The Mediterranean cuisine chain ended the quarter with 382 restaurants, an 18.3% increase year-over-year and adjusted EBITDA of $44.9 million, a 34.6% increase over the first quarter of 2024.

Brett Schulman, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officers stated “We’ve seen strong momentum since the launch of our reimagined Loyalty program with sales through the program up 340 basis points as a percentage of total revenue since relaunch and total membership now approaching 8 million members”, adding “As we grow our loyalty base and bring more guests into our first-party ecosystem, we’re unlocking new opportunities to advance our second pillar, deepening personal relationships with guests even as we scale”.

7-Eleven® Gold Pass™ Launches with New, Next-Level Perks In-Store and at the Pump

7-Eleven, Inc. is leveling up its popular subscription program with a fresh, upgraded twist. Part of the 7 Now delivery program, the new and improved 7-Eleven® Gold Pass™ program builds on the success of the original delivery-focused program, enhanced with exciting in-store and fuel benefits at 7-Eleven® to give members even more ways to sip and save.

The 7-Eleven Gold Pass experience covers it all: snacks, sips and fuel. Members can sign up and manage their perks through the 7-Eleven® and 7NOW apps. Program membership costs $9.95 a month or $95 a year, and students can enjoy at just $5.95/month or $55/year.

Club Apparel Growing as a Mobile First Multi-Brand Loyalty Program in GCC

Club Apparel is the loyalty program of the Apparel Group, built entirely around customer convenience and real-time value. The GCC’s “most rewarding program” offers customers the ability to earn across 85+ international brands and a network of 2,400+ stores across the GCC. Brands in the group include Aldo, Tommy Hilfiger, Skechers, Charles & Keith, Dune London, Beverly Hills Polo Club, and more.

Club Apparel uses a mobile-first architecture and puts simplicity at the core of its value proposition. Customers earn instant reward points directly through a mobile app, making the program fully digital, user-friendly, and eco-conscious. Read the FAQ’s here.

BILT Points Enhances Offer to Help Customers Repay Student Debt

Bilt, a loyalty program designed to help members utilize their largest expenses for rewards points and build a path toward homeownership, is now tackling student debt. The group announced that Bilt members will now be able to redeem the points they have earned on student loans serviced by Nelnet, MOHELA, Sallie Mae, Aidvantage and Navient. BILT expects to add more servicers in the coming months. Every 1,000 Bilt points can be redeemed for $10 toward student loan payments.

In a cable news interview that you can watch here, Bilt founder and CEO Ankur Jain said “Research shows that student debt is now the second-largest form of consumer debt in America” and by allowing members to utilize their points to pay down their loan payments, BILT is “addressing a critical financial need while continuing to differentiate our program as offering the most valuable and flexible points currency in the industry.”

Consumer Watchdog CHOICE Accuses Australian Pharmacy Chains of Misleading Discounts

Consumer advocacy group CHOICE has reported consumers’ growing concern over misleading or confusing discount labelling across Australian chain pharmacies. CHOICE surveyed over 1000 Australian households, finding a “sizeable” portion of consumers could not easily tell if price tags represented a discount. Those who believed they signaled savings tended to overestimate the discounts on offer.

The group has specifically highlighted the practices of Chemist Warehouse, Terry White, and Priceline. Chemist Warehouse Group is an Australian company operating one of Australia’s largest chemist retailers with over 500 stores in Australia. The company brands itself as offering discounted prices for pharmaceutical goods with the brand tagline “We Beat Everyone’s Prices.”

The Wise Marketer recently reported that Chemist Warehouse Chemist Warehouse & ShopBack (Aus) were rolling out Australia’s first in-store Pay by Bank service. But the new marketing initiative could be hampered by the CHOICE findings, as CHOICE Senior Adviser Bea Sherwood commented “We regularly hear from consumers who are frustrated by how prices are displayed at many major pharmacies.”

Swiggy rolls out Students Rewards Program in 200+ cities across India

Swiggy Limited. India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, has officially launched its Students Rewards Program, a youth-focused initiative that offers exclusive discounts and benefits to college students across campuses in the country.

With college students increasingly relying on digital platforms for food, entertainment, and everyday convenience, Swiggy’s Students Rewards Program is designed in line with the needs, habits and pace of today’s youth. It is currently live in close to 2000 campuses across 200+ cities, from major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, to smaller ones with growing student population like Dehradun, Rajkot, Sonipat and Patiala. The program is set to expand to 4500+ campuses nationwide by July 2025.

Ernst & Young New Report: Estrategias y programas de fidelización en Latinoamérica 2025

Loyalty programs in Latin America are undergoing a transformation. To understand emerging trends, E&Y surveyed more than 1,100 consumers and more than 40 companies in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, México y Perú, releasing findings in this Spanish language report.

The study reveals companies have stopped viewing loyalty programs solely as transactional tools and are turning them into key strategies to strengthen long-term customer relationships. Personalization is emerging as the most important priority, with a focus on using data to offer more meaningful experiences aligned with consumer expectations. Brands are investing in improvements in data capture, expanding experiential rewards, and creating more integrated benefit ecosystems. This report was brought to Wise Marketer through our CLMP™ network and it is available in the Loyalty Academy VAULT.

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.

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.

Haunted Space Launches Exclusive $100K+ UGC Campaign Ahead of TGE

Web3 game developer Galaxy Lab has announced an exclusive UGC campaign for their blockchain space shooter Haunted Space, giving select participants an opportunity to earn more than $100k+ in rewards ahead of an upcoming TGE.

Applicants who create the most engaging content about the upcoming free to play space shooter will be eligible for the prizes.

Please Subscribe to our “Wise and Weekly” Newsletter, published each Friday.