Retail Loyalty Innovations: Engagement Outshines Spending

Published 06 June 2025

Authors
Rebecca Hobbs,Chelsie Hares
3 min read

Revamped loyalty schemes are rewarding engagement and action as well as spending. We unpack key brand examples including Ikea’s rewards for planning and wishlisting; British ethical rewards programme Earnt’s brand perks for users’ acts of social good; American running brand Tracksmith’s recognition of run-club effort; and British department store Selfridges’ equating of time with money. 

  • Ikea Extends Rewards Across Planning & Wishlisting: Bidding to increase engagement across its consumer touchpoints, Ikea US overhauled its Family loyalty scheme in May 2025. Customers now earn points for activities – such as sharing a gift registry (10 points) and wishlisting or creating and saving a room design (25 points) – as well as purchases (one point per $1 spent). Points can then be redeemed for benefits such as $5 off their next purchase (350 points) or an ice lolly at the Ikea Bistro (60 points).

  • Earnt Rewards Social Good with Brand Perks: Steering consumer desire for exclusive brand perks towards communal acts of social good, new British ethical rewards platform Earnt allows customers to unlock discounts, giveaways and gifted experiences from brands by volunteering with local charitable causes.

    Brands pay to list their perks with Earnt (banking on increased engagement resulting in rising revenues), with Earnt also making donations to listed charities.

    Consumers visit the Earnt website to choose a brand offer (such as gaining VIP status at UK-headquartered global hotel group Lore, which equates to free nights and priority reservations). The website then takes them to a menu of volunteering options (such as working at London food bank organisation The Felix Project). Once the charity confirms the user has completed their volunteering, the offer is unlocked.
Ikea

Ikea

Earnt

Earnt

  • Tracksmith Rewards Run-Club Efforts: American running brand Tracksmith’s Runner’s Passports convert attendance at the brand’s buzzy run clubs into in-store points. Runners collect stamps in a physical booklet to log attendance and can then convert runs into in-store rewards.

  • Selfridges Opens Highest Loyalty Tier to Non-Spending Customers: Selfridges’ February update to its Unlocked loyalty programme trades on Harry Selfridge (the department store’s American founder) giving his first prominent customers keys to the flagship in 1909. Customers earn keys (points) for time spent in-store as well as on purchases. This includes ‘checking in’ to bookable events including beauty workshops, services such as repairs, and destinations including its cinema and restaurants.

    Extending its ethos of equating time with money to its loyalty tiers, the more a key holder engages with Selfridges, the better the rewards they can access. For instance, someone who spends £10,000 ($13,581) in one year, and a person who books 200 free visits at Selfridges’ The Bowl skating venue, will both collect 200 keys – becoming a VSP (Very Selfridges Person). This will equate to complimentary alterations and car parking, a personalised experience calendar, access to a dedicated VSP concierge, and entry to the London flagship’s event space The Selfridges Lounge.
A Tracksmith run club

A Tracksmith run club

Selfridges Unlocked

Selfridges Unlocked