Travel Rewards in Retail: An Overlooked Loyalty Strategy

Discover how travel rewards can add value to retail loyalty programs beyond discounts, reframing how retail brands engage with their customers.

What drives customers to stay loyal as their expectations for value and experiences change over time?

Based on insights from 1,094 U.S. consumers, our latest loyalty report, Travel Rewards in Retail, uncovers how incorporating travel incentives can strengthen engagement across key retail categories like luggage, outdoor adventure, health and wellness, and food and beverage. With loyalty programs under pressure to deliver more than discounts, the survey findings reveal how retailers can add more value to their programs in highly effective ways.

Inside this report, you’ll find:

  • How travel rewards create emotional connections that outperform traditional discounts.
  • The retail categories where travel incentives offer the greatest potential for impact.
  • Why personalization is the cornerstone of loyalty strategies that drive measurable results.
  • Key demographic insights influencing loyalty program design in 2025 and beyond.

The Future of Retail Loyalty: Building Emotional Connections Through Travel

Travel Rewards in Retail - Brand Survey Report

Our latest loyalty research reveals an interesting change in consumer behaviors; they are gravitating toward experiences over simple price reductions. Travel rewards, once underexplored in retail, now offer a pathway for brands to create meaningful, experience-driven loyalty programs.

 

Key takeaways include:

 

49%

49% of consumers are likelier to engage with loyalty programs offering travel benefits.

89%

89% of luggage buyers and 66% of outdoor enthusiasts are highly likely to use travel rewards.

63%

63% of Millennials and 60% of Gen Z express strong interest in travel rewards, making them key demographics for retail loyalty programs.

39%

39% of families with children value flexible payment options, compared to 26% of the general population.

Adding travel to retail loyalty programs allows brands to meet customers' needs for more diverse rewards. The report outlines how retailers can integrate travel rewards into their loyalty programs to strengthen customer relationships, increase program participation, and drive more revenue opportunities.

Download the Travel Rewards in Retail loyalty report here.