Hospitality lags behind on loyalty

The research, conducted by Plastic Card Services (PCS), revealed that just 4.2 per cent of over-55s and 18.2 per cent of 18-25 year-olds are members of a hospitality loyalty scheme.

Rob Nicholls, managing director of PCS, said: “The retail sector, and supermarkets in particular, beats leisure hands down when it comes to garnering loyalty from its customers,” said PCS managing director Rob Nicholls.

“Our research clearly shows that the majority of consumers are actively choosing to be part of loyalty schemes, so it seems those in the hotel and leisure sector are really missing a trick.”

Hospitality loyalty has shown some growth since last year, with figures up 6.38 per cent among 18-25 year-olds. However, growth among over-55s was just 0.76 per cent.

“While it’s encouraging to see that there is some growth in the numbers holding loyalty cards for leisure brands, more can certainly be done to help the leisure sector reap the benefits of loyal customers – for some brands that might mean taking a cue from retail schemes, while for others it may be deciding that 2015 is the year to launch their first loyalty offering,” said Nicholls.

The independent survey conducted by OnePoll, and commissioned by Plastic Card Services, surveyed 1,000 UK adults.