Why Loyalty Works Best When it Reflects How People Actually Shop

In the U.S., e-commerce sales are projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2030, according to Forrester. Even then, online will account for just 29 percent of total retail sales, with the remaining 71 percent, around $4.4 trillion, still happening in physical stores. Yet so many loyalty programs are still built around earning points online. Our research of 4,000 consumers shows that 74 percent want to be able to use loyalty programs online and offline. But many retailers find it hard.

EVEREVE, a womenswear retailer with more than 100 stores, offers a clear example of how to do so. The brand rebuilt its loyalty program to better reflect how its customers shop day to day. By upgrading from an in-house loyalty offering to a specialized loyalty platform and integrating with Shopify POS, EVEREVE created a single, connected experience across e-commerce and physical stores. Points earned online can be redeemed in-store immediately, and vice versa, removing the usual friction between channels.

One of the more practical changes sits in how customers enter EVEREVE's program. Anyone who has made a purchase online is automatically enrolled, which removes the usual barrier of sign-up and means customers can start using rewards immediately, wherever they shop.

This isn't about reinventing loyalty. It's about making it consistently available. What that unlocks is visibility for both consumers and retailers. Customers can see their rewards and progress in the moment, including at the point of sale. Store teams can access the same information in real time, which allows them to bring loyalty into the in-store experience more naturally. It becomes part of the interaction rather than something that happens later through email or accounts.

That shift can have a measurable impact on the business. At EVEREVE, loyalty now drives more than 30 percent of its total revenue. Customers who actively engage with the program behave very differently from those who do not. They purchase 5.7x more frequently and spend 5.7x more.

And it has helped deliver scale. EVEREVE enrolled more than 100,000 loyalty members within its first year and drove 87,000 newsletter sign-ups through loyalty incentives, showing how it feeds both retention and acquisition channels. The gains are not coming from more aggressive discounting or short-term campaigns. They're coming from making loyalty easier to access and use at the point where decisions are made. When customers can act on rewards immediately, it reinforces behavior in a way that delayed incentives do not.

There is also a strong operational layer. Store teams actively use the program and it helps change the tone of in-store interactions. Customers can be recognized, conversations become more informed, personalization comes to the fore, and the experience feels more connected across channels. Internally, EVEREVE’s store managers have responded positively to this, highlighting how the program now engages customers more effectively in-store.

This reflects a broader evolution in how loyalty is being used. Rather than sitting within a single channel, it is becoming something that connects e-commerce, stores and customer experience. The underlying goal remains the same: encouraging repeat behavior and building long-term value. However, the execution is more aligned with how people actually shop.

For retailers, there is a clear practical takeaway: Loyalty programs do not need to be rethought entirely. However, they do need to be accessible across the full journey. Online and in-store are not separate environments from a customer perspective, and loyalty works best when it reflects that.

What EVEREVE shows is how a retention strategy works best when the pieces are joined up properly. When loyalty is visible at every touchpoint, it becomes easier to use, easier to understand, and more relevant in the moment. That is what turns loyalty from a supporting feature into something that actively shapes behavior.

Charlie Casey is CEO and co-founder at LoyaltyLion, the world’s top-rated loyalty platform.