Are Loyalty Cards a thing of the past? Not so fast! Loyalty Cards are still a staple in consumers’ wallets and drive over 50% of repeat visits to points of sale. While seniors regularly use them when shopping, under-30s often forget to present them spontaneously. Yet it would be shortsighted and risky to overlook loyalty among younger customers.
Youth Loyalty: Shopping Behavior
On the contrary, young consumers aged 15–25 are worth winning over and retaining — they are tomorrow’s Customers, but they’re already demanding shoppers with strong purchasing potential. Customer loyalty is built on an emotional, lasting relationship. Ignoring youth loyalty would be commercial suicide.
Young consumers are particularly brand-conscious, and their purchases — far from impulsive — are often thoughtful and pragmatic (a tight budget makes you discerning!).
Loyalty Cards for Generation Y
Highly responsive to discounts, personalized promotions, stackable rewards, free services, and vouchers — is Generation Y really that hard to attract and retain? Not if you design a youth-focused Loyalty Program that’s simple, engaging, personalized, and fun. This generation will never sign up for a program with complex or restrictive rules. Sharper than older shoppers at spotting traps, they’ll jump at a great deal. The key is to tailor your customer loyalty approach to these specific expectations — in both substance and style — starting with a continuously updated database (70% of young people move within the year), using less conventional, even playful communication channels and messages without falling into clichés, and prioritizing modern channels like email and SMS.
Adopting the Right Communication Approach
One in ten French consumers has already downloaded an app linked to a Mobile Wallet Loyalty Program, and 45% of Generation Y want to check their loyalty points and locate stores where they can benefit from offers.
That’s the new challenge — and today’s tools give Brands the means to stay connected with their Customers. Young people are ready to commit, as long as they feel they’re getting a fair deal. It’s up to Brands to adapt. The stakes of youth loyalty are high: young consumers are both buyers and powerful influencers, thanks to their daily use of social media and the ever-growing communities they belong to.
Talk to an expert to find out everything about the Generation Y Loyalty Card
