Trii:
Worth checking whether your product has a natural repeat purchase cycle before investing in a program. Loyalty works well for consumables like supplements, coffee, or skincare where customers reorder anyway. For one-time or infrequent purchases, that energy is better spent on referrals instead.
The purchase cycle should shape the loyalty strategy. For products with low purchase frequency, referrals or post-purchase advocacy often deliver a better return than traditional points programs.
shota76:
What I’m seeing work best lately is starting with retention loops before a full points program:
Nail order #2: education + review ask + replenishment-based reminders.
VIP tiers based on orders/LTV with simple perks (early access, shipping threshold perks, limited drops).
Referrals only after a completed purchase, with a straightforward reward.
Points programs tend to underperform when redemption is hard, rewards are buried, and it just feels like another coupon.
If you want “non-coupon” rewards, small gifting can work for milestones (VIP tier, review/UGC, 2nd purchase). I work at AnyGift and we’re one option for handling that fulfillment—I’d keep it simple: 1 reward + 1 trigger and prove lift before adding complexity
Great approach! Starting simple and validating results before adding complexity is probably the most sustainable way to build loyalty.
cl-apps:
Honestly, I’ve never felt loyal to a store because it gave me points.
I go back because I liked what I bought, the experience felt personal and the brand stayed in my mind. Sometimes it’s something very small, like a thoughtful note, or a personalised confirmation email that leaves me feeling like there’s a real person behind the business.
We built Digital Unboxing & COA Kit to help makers give customers a more personal handover after a purchase, with the story behind the piece, a note from the maker, care information and a certificate of authenticity.
Because as a customer, I’m much more likely to remember a brand that makes the first purchase feel special than one that immediately gives me another account and a points balance.
It’s available in the Shopify App Store if anyone wants to see our approach to customer retention and loyalty.
Exactly! Memorable customer experiences often create stronger loyalty than points alone, especially for premium and handcrafted brands.
Growave:
Following this thread with interest. Something that surprised me when we looked at data across a couple hundred stores running Growave’s tools: points programs actually drove the bigger lift in purchase frequency and repeat visits, referrals didn’t come close on that front. Referrals moved the needle on bringing new customers in the door, but barely touched average order value. Points and VIP tiers were where the frequency and retention gains actually showed up.
That reshuffles how I’d think about the “reward everything the same” question from earlier. The mechanic that pays off in retention isn’t necessarily the one that feels hardest to earn, a referral, a share, it’s often just straightforward repeat purchase accumulation, as long as the redemption threshold isn’t ridiculous. VIP tiers were the interesting outlier for revenue concentration though: the top few percent of tiered customers accounted for roughly four times their share of revenue, so there’s real value in giving your biggest spenders a reason to keep climbing.
Also agree with what’s been said above about not over designing this early. Post purchase email, review ask, replenishment nudge, that loop alone tends to tell you whether a formal program is even worth building yet.
It’s a good reminder that VIP tiers and points can outperform referrals when retention is the primary objective.