LoyaltyLion launches Black Friday retail event on loyalty

LoyaltyLion has launched a Black Friday edition of its Loyalty Connect retail event, focused on how brands use loyalty schemes during the peak shopping period.

The event will feature speakers from Shopify, Roswell NYC, ILIA Beauty, Hillberg & Berk and Medik8, alongside partners including Loox, Gorgias, GoKwik and Order Editing. More than 250 members of the LoyaltyLion community had already registered.

The launch follows the publication of consumer research suggesting loyalty schemes can influence shopping behaviour during major sales periods. In a survey of 4,000 shoppers, 54% said they were more likely to join a loyalty programme during Black Friday, Cyber Monday or a similar promotional period.

Two further findings point to the importance of existing brand relationships. Six in ten respondents said they were more likely to buy from brands they already knew and had shopped with before during the peak period. The same proportion said they were more likely to visit stores where they had loyalty points or rewards to redeem.

Retail focus

The programme is built around case studies and practical sessions for retailers preparing for the year-end sales rush. Executives from Shopify, Roswell NYC and Domaine are due to discuss the retail trends expected to shape Black Friday, the areas brands often misjudge during peak trading and where marketing spending should be directed.

Other sessions will examine how individual brands approach customer retention during periods of heavy discounting. ILIA Beauty plans to outline which loyalty promotions have had the biggest effect during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, while Medik8 will discuss the role of early access for loyalty members, peak-period communications and free gifts.

Hillberg & Berk is expected to examine the multichannel tactics that helped the jewellery brand increase loyalty enrolment fourfold during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period. That session will also cover how artificial intelligence can be used within loyalty programmes to identify further sales opportunities.

Discount pressure

Retailers have long used Black Friday promotions to drive short-term sales, but the period also puts pressure on margins and often encourages one-off purchases rather than repeat custom. Loyalty schemes have become one way for brands to retain customers acquired during discount-heavy trading windows.

LoyaltyLion's figures suggest some shoppers are open to joining these schemes when they are already primed to spend. They also indicate that familiarity and accrued rewards may influence where consumers choose to shop when faced with competing offers.

That is particularly relevant for eCommerce brands, where acquisition costs remain a concern and repeat purchasing is often more profitable than securing first-time orders through discounting alone. A loyalty offer tied to early access, points redemption or member-only promotions can give retailers another lever beyond price cuts.

Several brands in the programme are expected to discuss that balance between promotions and retention. The mix of direct-to-consumer brands and eCommerce service providers suggests the event is aimed at merchants looking for practical lessons rather than broad forecasts.

The research was conducted among US consumers who are members of at least one eCommerce loyalty programme, excluding grocery, travel, utility, hospitality and restaurant schemes. That means the findings are most directly relevant to retail categories where discretionary spending and online repeat purchasing play a large role.

Charlie Casey, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of LoyaltyLion, said: "Black Friday brings a huge influx of shoppers to eCommerce brands, but the opportunity goes well beyond what they spend over one weekend. More than half of shoppers are more likely to join a loyalty program during BFCM, giving brands a chance to turn that spike in traffic into relationships that continue into the new year.

"Our research also shows the value of going into peak with those relationships already established. Six in ten shoppers are likely to buy from brands they know, and the same proportion are more likely to visit stores where they have points or rewards waiting to be used.

"Loyalty Connect brings together brands that have tested these strategies in the real world. We want retailers to hear what worked, what they learned and what they can still put into action before Black Friday arrives to make the peak season more profitable."