If you want to build a successful business, attracting a customer isn’t enough.
You need repeat business, allowing you to secure sales and focus on finding more customers.
However, the internet has made every industry significantly more competitive.
It’s no longer enough to have a great product and a first-class marketing campaign.
As the following customer loyalty statistics will show, holding onto customers is a lot more difficult today.
In many cases it’s no longer about the quality of the product, it’s how good your customer service is that matters.
Strangely, in a world where people are increasingly using digital communication as opposed to direct contact, the demand for excellent and personal customer service has never been higher.
Why Customer Loyalty Has Become So Challenging
In the past, the biggest brands had such good reputations that most customers would try them once and stick with them.
All it took was the right advertising to get a customer’s initial attention.
Today, the internet means businesses can launch and successfully trade without even advertising.
Social media and word-of-mouth are extremely powerful tools.
The internet also offers plenty of opportunities to find better deals and more personal service, making it easier for anyone to choose the best supplier, even if that is different every time.
After all, the customer wants good value for money, fast and efficient service, good quality products, and a straightforward buying process.
Give them that and you’ll have their business. But, it doesn’t mean you’ll have it repeatedly.
That’s why many businesses are introducing loyalty bonus schemes.
Let’s take a look at the latest customer loyalty statistics:
Key Statistics
- 75% of consumers will choose companies offering rewards
- Loyal customers will spend as much as 67% more than new customers
- 72% of consumers feel they are loyal to at least one company
- 88% of customers feel three purchases is enough for brand loyalty
- An average american is a member of 16.7 loyalty schemes
- An impressive 59% of people are loyal for life
- 75% of customers feel personal experience will help them remain loyal
- Price is still the top factor in loyalty
- 61% of people have stopped using a brand due to poor customer support
- 36% of americans changed brands due to the global pandemic
- Just 42% of brand executives believe their approach to loyalty is working
- 45% of consumers feel loyalty rewards are too difficult
- 82% of businesses state retention is cheaper than locating new customers
- 65% of business is via existing customers
- A 5% increase in customer retention translates to a 25% increase in sales
- 80% of business profits come from 20% of its customers
- 70% of customers will recommend businesses with an excellent loyalty scheme
- 55.3% of customers are loyal because of the product
- Top brands for customer loyalty are apple; Amazon & Google
Top Customer Loyalty Statistics in 2025
1. 75% Of Consumers Will Choose Companies Offering Rewards
A study by Virtual Incentives found that a staggering 75% of consumers felt that a business which offers rewards is the best option.
It’s not just a case of offering an attractive price, loyalty rewards are a way of thanking customers for their business.
That’s what makes them so attractive to customers.
It’s worth noting the same study found 28% of respondents felt rewards were critical to their decision on where to buy a product.
The only thing more important was the price.
Another interesting fact gained from the survey was that 61% of respondents will enable mobile push notifications, but only if this will help them stay up to date with the rewards being offered by the business.
(Virtual Incentives)
2. Loyal Customers Will Spend As Much As 67% More Than New Customers
Customer loyalty is now considered the most important part of sales and marketing.
It’s not just that it’s cheaper to sell to a loyal customer than it is to find a new one.
The truth is that loyal customers will account for significantly more sales over their lifetime than one-off customers.
It’s not just in the number of sales. Research has shown that loyal customers will spend more each time they order.
In fact, studies show it can be as much as 67% more on an order compared to new customer orders.
(Edelman)
3. 72% Of Consumers Feel They Are loyal To At Least One Company
Billions of purchases are made every day. That means billions of consumers are choosing who to purchase from
According to the latest research by Zendesk, 72% of customers have one specific company which they will use every time.
Naturally, this is for specific purchases.
The US rates higher than the average, with 80% being loyal to one brand. In contrast, only 60% of Japanese shoppers are loyal to a brand.
The industry’s customers are most likely to be loyal to one brand including Fashion, Jewellery, and eCigs.
(Zendesk)
4. 88% Of Customers Feel Three Purchases Is Enough For Brand Loyalty
An impressive 88% of people surveyed felt that three successful purchases from a brand was enough to create loyalty.
In other words, these consumers would think of that brand first when looking at purchasing other items.
Interestingly, while most people felt three or more purchases were enough, a significant portion of them felt five purchases were enough to consider brand loyalty.
The survey showed 37% wouldn’t consider themselves loyal until they had completed five orders.
In contrast, 12% of respondents would consider themselves loyal after just two purchases!
(Yotpo)
5. An Average American Is A Member Of 16.7 Loyalty Schemes
If you visit a physical store you’re likely to be offered a loyalty card.
It doesn’t matter if it’s your local pizza shop or a big-brand store such as Walmart.
The same is true online.
In many cases, loyalty schemes offer a significant incentive to get you to sign up.
All you need to do is complete a few personal details.
This is likely the reason why a recent survey by Bond Brand Loyalty discovered the average American is a member of 16.7 loyalty programs.
The most commonly used reward schemes are those offered by credit card companies, retail establishments, and travel organizations.
(Bond Brand Loyalty)
6. An Impressive 59% Of People Are Loyal For Life
The latest research from Acquira shows 59% of US customers are loyal for life, unless they have a poor customer service experience.
That’s impressive and a statistic which could make companies complacent.
However, while the US has the best loyalty for life figures of anywhere in the world, it is dropping.
The younger generations are generally happier to switch brands according to what they think is best at the time of purchase.
In 2017, the percentage of US consumers that stayed loyal to a brand for life was 65%.
It’s likely that this figure will continue to drop.
(Acquira)
7. 75% Of Customers Feel Personal Experience Will Help Them Remain Loyal
The marketplace is crowded. It can be difficult for a business to stand out from its competitors.
It also means that customers will often just feel like an order number and not important to the company.
For some, getting a good quality product with fast service is enough.
However, a recent survey by Acquia showed that 75% of customers are more likely to be loyal if they receive personalized service.
That’s small things like being greeted online by name, and larger things like product offers which are actually relevant to their interests.
Businesses generally collect a lot of data about their customers.
Approximately 61% of consumers feel that businesses could use this information better.
That means using it to help create the right offers for customers and improve loyalty.
(Acquia)
8. Price Is Still The Top Factor In Loyalty
A recent survey by Zendesk showed that price is still a top factor in customer loyalty.
Surprisingly, 62% of respondents felt that price was the most important consideration when choosing to stay loyal to a brand.
It should be noted, this doesn’t mean the brand needs to be the cheapest. However, it’s important that it reflects value for money.
The survey also highlighted that 57% of those surveyed rated customer service as the most important criterion for loyalty.
A further 54% thought the product or service offered was an important factor.
Interestingly, the survey showed just 27% of people thought that promotions and personalized offers were the most important.
In short, you’re more likely to retain customers if you offer value for money and a first-class customer support service.
(Zendesk)
9. 61% Of People Have Stopped Using A Brand Due To Poor Customer Support
Microsoft is one of the largest companies in the world and should appreciate the importance of customer retention.
After all, there is always someone offering a similar product for less.
Regardless of this, brand awareness helps attract customers and a quality product will help convince them to buy.
But, no product is perfect, there will always be some issues.
That’s why you need a good customer support team. They should listen to the issues and help.
The latest research from Microsoft highlights how important this is, it shows that 61% of customers will switch brands if they receive poor customer service.
They are unlikely to ever return.
It’s worth noting, a separate survey by Hubspot, highlighted that 55% of customers have less trust for brands than they used to.
Further, 65% of people don’t trust traditional advertisements and 71% don’t trust sponsored social media posts.
However, 81% of people will choose a brand if friends and family recommend it.
The easiest way for a business to retain customers is via good customer service, and this will help attract new customers!
(Microsoft)
10. 36% Of Americans Changed Brands Due To The Global Pandemic
The global pandemic forced many people to stay at home.
This meant shopping habits changed, there was a significant increase in online sales.
Of course, most people had more free time than usual, allowing them to conduct additional research.
According to a survey by McKinsey, 36% of Americans changed brands during this period.
The survey didn’t delve into why brands were switched but it’s likely a mixture of price and loyalty rewards.
This is backed up by a recent YouGov survey which showed 31% of customers would switch suppliers if their existing one was found to be lying about efficiency, performance, or another significant issue.
The survey did note that 73% of those that changed brands intended to stay with their new choice.
(McKinsey)
11. Just 42% Of Brand Executives Believe Their Approach To Loyalty Is Working
This statistic is concerning as brand executives should be in a position to influence the loyalty scheme, what is offered, and how it operates.
The fact that the research shows 42% of brand executives feel their loyalty approach tells you that 58% don’t.
The main reason is likely to be outdated loyalty programs and insufficient or unachievable rewards.
50% of marketing professionals feel brand loyalty is the most important part of marketing.
That means a lot of businesses need to take a closer look at their loyalty schemes.
(Harvard Business Review)
12. 45% Of Consumers Feel Loyalty Rewards Are Too Difficult
Having a loyalty program isn’t enough. A recent survey by Loyalty Magazine discovered that 45% of consumers feel loyalty rewards take too long to earn.
In many cases the schemes are simply too complicated.
A further 31% of people surveyed simply stated it was too difficult to achieve the reward, meaning the loyalty program hasn’t been properly worked out.
There is little point in offering a loyalty program unless the customer feels they are benefitting from it.
This is reflected by the survey results which found 27% of consumers felt the rewards, when achieved, simply weren’t worth the effort.
In other words, consumers won’t remain loyal because you have a loyalty scheme, unless they can acquire tangible benefits and rewards.
(Loyalty Magazine)
13. 82% Of Businesses State Retention Is Cheaper Than Locating New Customers
Boston Consulting recently completed a survey into the cost of retention versus attracting new customers.
The findings weren’t surprising in that it is shown to be cheaper to retain a customer than attract a new one.
What was surprising was the difference in cost.
New customers need to be presented with the product and the brand.
They need incentives to purchase and reminders of product and service quality. This costs time and money.
The research suggests it can cost as much as $34 per customer in marketing alone.
In contrast, an existing customer is already aware of the brand and simply need to be presented with the product and reminded of the loyalty bonuses.
The cost can be as little as $7.
Considering the next statistic highlights how much your business relies on existing customers, a loyalty scheme is cost-saving and profit-building.
(Finextra)
14. 65% Of Business Is Via Existing Customers
The truth is it’s easier to convince an existing customer to purchase your product than it is to convince a new customer.
That’s because you have a history with an existing customer.
They already know how good your customer service is, the quality of your product, delivery time, and a host of other useful pieces of information.
In short, an existing customer knows what to expect and, if they are still considering ordering from you, then you’ve got something right.
Current research shows the probability of selling something to an existing customer is between 60-70%.
Show the same product and brand details to a new customer and the likelihood of them purchasing will be between 5-20%.
It’s worth noting an existing customer is 50% more likely to purchase a different or new product from you than a new customer.
It’s easy to see why research shows 65% of your sales are to existing customers.
Hence, the importance of customer retention.
(Invesp)
15. A 5% Increase In Customer Retention Translates To A 25% Increase In Sales
It can be difficult to provide exact figures regarding the relationship between improved profits and customer retention;
However, several studies have indicated there is a direct link.
Improving your customer retention by as little as 5% can provide an impressive 25% increase in profits.
In some cases, profit increases were as high as 95% but this is the exception rather than the rule.
(Business Wire)
16. 80% Of Business Profits Come From 20% Of Its Customers
Vilfredo Pareto created the Pareto Principle at the beginning of the 20th century.
The principle states that 80% of your profits will come from 20% of your customers.
In other words, if you take a closer look at the top 20% of your customers you’ll be able to identify their needs, mindset, and which loyalty scheme will most appeal to them.
This will enable you to work out how to attract more people like this and increase customer numbers, profit, and loyalty.
Forbes recently conducted a study to confirm whether this principle remains accurate in the modern digital world.
The findings illustrated that the 80/20 rule still applies.
In short, to boost loyalty in customers you should target the right consumer, that’s the same as your current top 20% of customers.
(Forbes)
17. 70% Of Customers Will Recommend Businesses With An Excellent Loyalty Scheme
Loyalty schemes have become commonplace.
However, simply offering a scheme isn’t enough, customers need to feel they are getting something back for their loyalty.
Points that build forever without any real perks won’t do it.
However, personalized rewards which are achievable, but not too easily got, create part of a first-class loyalty scheme.
According to the latest research, when a business gets the loyalty scheme right they will reap the rewards.
Specifically, 70% of its customers will recommend the business to others.
That could signify a significant increase in customers.
In addition, 77% of the people surveyed would stay loyal to a company with an excellent loyalty program, even if the prices were slightly higher.
(Bond)
18. 55.3% Of Customers Are Loyal Because Of The Product
Many statistics show that customer service and rewards are essential to keeping a customer loyal.
While these are important factors, a recent survey by Yotpo revealed that 55.3% of customers still place product quality top when choosing a brand.
In other words, if the quality of the product remains high then you’re likely to keep your customer.
After all, high-quality products and service generally mean there is little need for customers to contact customer service.
The reverse is true. The survey showed that 51% of customers will stop using a brand because the product is of poor quality.
Value for money really matters.
(Yotpo)
19. Top Brands For Customer Loyalty Are Apple, Amazon & Google
It’s well known that Apple has a huge following.
It’s been created partly by extremely high-quality products and partly due to continual diversification.
Research shows customers are six times more likely to buy something from a brand they already use, even if it’s a new type of product.
Google and Amazon are both dominant players in their respective fields.
It’s hard to say if their high loyalty levels are connected with ease and convenience of accessibility or the fact that these brands do their best to look after their customers.
(Brand Keys)
Summing Up
There are many more interesting customer loyalty statistics.
However, what the above illustrate is how important customer loyalty is and will continue to be.
It’s not just about standing out from the competition.
A good loyalty program helps your customer feel valued and that means they will keep returning.
As the statistics show, there is no better way to retain customers and maximize profit growth for the future.
Of course, building customer loyalty is a complicated subject. The best way to approach it is to listen to what the consumer wants.
You’ll build understanding and that’s what keeps the customer with you.
