Active members of loyalty programmes are almost four times as likely than shoppers who aren’t signed up to loyalty schemes to continue making purchases from a brand when consumer confidence falls, the latest data from LoyaltyLion reveals.

According to analysis of the loyalty platform’s data, which spanned 3,000 brands and 205million customer journeys, 85% of active loyalty members that regularly redeem rewards will still make repeat purchases in periods of low consumer confidence; a 3.9-fold increase compared to those not signed up to a retailer’s marketing scheme (22%).

Active loyalty members were also x1.7 times more likely to continue to keep spending during times of uncertainty compared to consumers who were signed up to a retailer’s loyalty programme, but didn’t regularly claim perks (50%).

Last month, UK consumer confidence remained flat in the first quarter of 2025, according Deloitte‘s latest Consumer Tracker. This marked a second consecutive quarter of stalled confidence following a two-year period of improvement. It said consumer confidence edged up by just +0.3 percentage points, based on responses from its poll of 3,200 UK adults.

“The consumer recovery appears to have stalled despite continued strong wage growth, with uncertainty around the economy and other factors such as geopolitical tensions playing on the minds of consumers,” Celine Fenech, Consumer Insight Lead at Deloitte, said. “As inflation persists, consumers are being more tactical in the way they spend, with a focus on essentials and looking for promotions when making purchases.”

“When times get tougher, loyalty members are not just more likely to return, they are far more likely to spend again and again,” Charlie Casey, CEO of LoyaltyLion, added. “For brands navigating tariffs and economic uncertainty, growing loyalty membership and driving active engagement should be a priority.”

He explained that while driving customer acquisition for loyalty programmes remained important, the real value from these schemes comes from creating retention through actively engaging members. “It is not just about sign-ups, but about motivating members to unlock and redeem rewards. That’s the key to retention,” he said.