Restaurant brands missing out on customer loyalty schemes

That’s according to research from marketing and analytics company Aimia, which found that over a third (39 per cent) of UK diners consider themselves loyal to the restaurants and coffee shops they visit.

More than one in five are a member of a foodservice loyalty scheme and 45 per cent of consumers are willing to share their personal details to receive relevant offers and discounts.

Last year a report from GI Insight​ found that only 22 per cent of food and drink brand loyalty scheme members believe their data is being effectively used to send them relevant offers.

“Consumers expect something in return for their loyalty,” commented Charlie Humphreys, managing director, business development EMEA at Aimia.

“Customers say they are willing to share their personal information with companies so they can receive relevant offers, yet many loyalty cards on the market don’t currently collect this level of data.

“There is a real opportunity for restaurants to grow the relationships they hold with their customers if they are able to collect data and use this to offer bespoke deals tailored to customer preferences.”

The research follows a report from Coniq​ earlier this year, which found that 80 per cent of diners would sign up to a loyalty card if their favourite restaurant offered one.

Mobile is becoming an increasingly important channel​, with 73 per cent of smartphone users likely to download a loyalty app.

Top 10 schemes​

Costa Coffee Club was the most popular loyalty scheme among Aimia’s survey group, with 53 per cent of respondents being members.

Coffee shop brands dominated the top five, with Café Nero and Starbucks also demonstrating strong customer loyalty.

Aimia’s research surveyed 2,011 UK adult respondents in March this year.

The top ten most popular food and drink loyalty schemes by percentage consumer membership, according to Aimia’s research:​

1. Costa Coffee Club - 53 per cent

2. Subway - 30 per cent

3. Caffe Nero Loyalty Card - 26 per cent

4. Nando’s Loyalty Card - 23 per cent

5. My Starbucks Rewards - 22 per cent

6. Tastecard - 20 per cent

7. Beefeater Grill - 14 per cent

8. La Tasca - six per cent

9. Pizza Express App - five per cent

10. Brasserie Blanc - Frequent Diner - three per cent