Retailers urged to prioritize services and personalization for loyalty

Retailers are being advised to evolve their customer loyalty strategies by moving beyond temporary discounts toward long-term, personalized relationships. Effective loyalty programs should balance behavioral, transactional, and attitudinal pillars, using personalized gifts as emotional rewards to drive continuous engagement.

Philippe Moati, co-founder of the research firm ObSoCo, suggests that businesses must also focus on services to combat the risk of disintermediation. He highlights the emergence of agentic commerce as a potential revolution in consumer behavior and e-commerce.