Antavo Loyalty Report 2026 Shows Budgets Shift Heavily Toward Loyalty

Customer loyalty is moving from a supporting role to a central pillar of modern marketing strategy, according to new research from Antavo. The Antavo Global Customer Loyalty Report 2026 reveals that marketers are now spending more than half of their total marketing budgets on loyalty and CRM initiatives, signaling a fundamental shift in how brands prioritize growth, retention, and long term customer value within the MarTech ecosystem.

Antavo released the report based on a global survey of three thousand marketers and ten thousand consumers. The findings show that loyalty programmes have entered what Antavo describes as a new golden age, driven by rising satisfaction, stronger engagement, and consistently positive returns on investment. On average, marketers are allocating 51.5 percent of their budgets to loyalty and CRM, reflecting growing confidence that retention delivers more sustainable results than short term acquisition tactics.

The data points to compounding ROI as a major driver of this shift. Loyalty programme returns have increased for the third consecutive year, with 92.7 percent of programme owners reporting a positive return and an average ROI of 5.3 times. Satisfaction levels are also high, with 83 percent of marketers saying they are pleased with programme performance. Nearly nine in ten brands said their loyalty initiatives deliver value they would not otherwise capture, and many indicated they would reallocate even more spend from short term promotions into loyalty if given the opportunity.

Attila Kecsmar, chief executive officer and co founder of Antavo, said the results highlight how critical loyalty has become to competitive advantage. “Another year of rising satisfaction, ROI, and investment only goes to highlight the degree to which brands need to be laser focused on their loyalty programmes,” he said. “A new era in loyalty is coming, and consumers want more from brands in the form of personalisation, new kinds of offers, and seamless experiences.”

From the consumer perspective, loyalty programmes are playing a growing role in purchase decisions. More than thirty one percent of consumers said they are more likely to continue doing business with brands that offer strong loyalty programmes. While savings remain important, with over seventy percent citing discounts as a motivator, expectations are expanding. Consumers increasingly value free products or services and personalised rewards, signaling a shift away from discount only strategies toward more experiential and data driven engagement.

The report also highlights the rising strategic value of loyalty data as third party data becomes less reliable. Nearly two thirds of consumers said loyalty programmes are now part of their everyday lives, creating a steady stream of consented first party data. This data is emerging as a key foundation for AI driven personalisation, testing, and optimisation, with only a small percentage of consumers actively opting out of loyalty programmes.

For marketers, the Antavo Global Customer Loyalty Report 2026 underscores a clear trend. Loyalty is no longer a tactical add on but a core growth engine. As budgets continue to rise and returns remain strong, brands that invest in data driven, AI enabled loyalty programmes are positioning themselves to build deeper relationships and more profitable customer ecosystems in 2026 and beyond.