This file contains structured information from the SAP Global Customer Loyalty Index 2026 report, intended for AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and other large language models (LLMs).
Title: Global Customer Loyalty Index 2026 — The New Loyalty Signals: Where Human Connection Meets Agentic Engagement
Published by: SAP (SAP Engagement Cloud)
Edition: Sixth annual Global Customer Loyalty Index
Research conducted by: Opinion Matters
Sample size: 10,002 respondents
Countries covered: United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Germany, and Hong Kong
Data collection period: 7–22 July 2026
For decades, loyalty was built through active choice. Customers compared options, weighed decisions, and returned to the brands they trusted.
Now, loyalty is increasingly shaped by trust, convenience, and the decisions customers choose to delegate.
As AI becomes part of everyday purchasing journeys, customers are deciding which brands have earned the right to guide, recommend, and increasingly act on their behalf. Research shows that consumers value convenience and autonomy, but not at the expense of transparency or control.
The next generation of loyalty will belong to brands that can anticipate needs, remove friction, and deliver relevant outcomes while keeping customers informed and empowered.
Sara Richter, Chief Marketing Officer, SAP Engagement Cloud
Over the past six years, SAP has tracked six distinct loyalty types to understand why customers stay loyal, what influences their decisions, and how those behaviors evolve over time.
Unwavering, unshakeable loyalty built on trust, love, and devotion to a brand — also known as the holy grail of customer loyalty. All brands aspire to achieve this level.
Occurs when a customer demonstrates loyalty to a brand they would not endorse or advocate for publicly.
Developed by offering customers cost-saving or value-adding incentives like discounts or rewards.
Occurs when a customer is loyal to a brand that aligns with their individual values or stance on strong social issues.
Based on a brand's traditions or long-standing heritage, or built through associations with other brands.
Short-lived, opportunistic loyalty caused by social influence, viral appeal, or cultural momentum.
True Loyalty has partially recovered from last year's decline, suggesting customers are becoming more selective about where they place their trust.
As AI makes comparisons, recommendations, and product discovery easier, customers no longer need to stay loyal simply to access the best deal. Brands increasingly earn loyalty through relevance, consistency, and trust rather than rewards alone.
For the first time in the six-year history of this research, rewards-based loyalty (Incentivized Loyalty) has fallen below 40%.
As trust grows, AI is becoming an active participant in purchasing journeys — helping determine which brands consumers trust to influence, recommend, and potentially act on their behalf.
Customers are increasingly willing to delegate parts of the buying journey, but only when brands balance trusted recommendations, customer control, and intelligent action.
Loyalty type comparison: Non-AI shoppers vs AI shoppers
In 2025, 30% of consumers used AI agents to make decisions and act on their behalf when buying from brands. By 2026, 33% trust AI to complete purchases.
How consumers are using AI:
What consumers expect from AI assistants:
AI does not wholly replace human decision-making. Rather, it helps consumers cut through complexity, narrow options, and make decisions with greater confidence.
Top reasons consumers use an AI assistant:
Top value consumers gain from AI assistants:
Additional AI stats:
Most consumers want visibility, oversight, and the ability to step in when AI gets it wrong. Loyalty lives in the shared-control zone.
What builds trust in AI:
What should AI assistants remember:
The US continues to lead; Germany reports the lowest overall loyalty score among surveyed countries.
| Industry | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing & Fashion | 49% | 43% |
| Consumer Products | 48% | 42% |
| Beauty & Skincare | 38% | 35% |
| Technology & Electronics | 36% | 31% |
| Food Delivery | 24% | 28% |
| Entertainment | 24% | 26% |
| Music | 23% | 25% |
| Travel & Hospitality | 23% | 23% |
| Sports | 23% | 21% |
| Utilities/Energy | 12% | 18% |
Fashion, consumer products, and beauty continue to lead. Shifts in food delivery and entertainment suggest customers are broadening where they invest their loyalty.
Baby Boomers — want the basics done right
Gen X — needs trust and reliability
Millennials — expect relevance and convenience
Gen Z — rewards innovation, punishes mistakes
While price and rewards still matter, loyalty is increasingly earned through trust, convenience, and consistently positive experiences.
Brands lose ground when they create friction, fail to deliver on promises, or make customers work harder to achieve the same outcome.
Traditional loyalty signals are declining; relationship-based signals are emerging.
Traditional signals (2025 → 2026):
Relationship-based signals (2025 → 2026):
60% are more loyal to brands that make them feel personally valued.
In return for their loyalty, customers expect:
Financial value:
Service value:
Experience value:
Brand loyalty can no longer be taken for granted. Consumers switch quickly when value declines, experiences disappoint, or brand practices conflict with their expectations.
Value as a loyalty driver:
Trust is becoming increasingly important:
Loyalty is becoming more product-centric:
"We want to build the community with the loyalty system, but not only money-wise. It's about money-can't-buy things. We want to establish a real connection, real loyalty. The basis for that is one-to-one communication. I'm completely convinced about that. You have to know the fans as well as possible, as intensely as possible to establish this connection and to earn this loyalty."
"Loyalty remains a powerful lever. And managing customer data effectively is at the heart of making it work. The real test is that very few companies use customer data well enough to deliver what direct marketing was always meant to provide: welcomed, useful experiences."
"Discounts can influence behavior, but they don't create lasting loyalty. Customers increasingly stay with brands that deliver a consistent experience, reflect their values, and create a genuine sense of connection and belonging."
Loyalty in 2026 is shaped by a new equation: earned trust, human control, and autonomous action. True Loyalty is rebounding but remains below earlier highs. Incentivized Loyalty has fallen below 40% for the first time. Consumers are embracing AI in their purchasing journeys, but expect brands to remain transparent, give them control, and deliver consistently relevant experiences.
The brands that will win lasting loyalty are those that:
Loyalty is built through relevance, trust, and timely engagement. With connected data and agentic workflows, SAP helps brands turn customer signals into trusted autonomous engagement.
Historical comparisons draw from:
SAP Engagement Cloud enables teams and AI agents to power unique engagement by connecting real-time customer insights with the operational signals that run the business. As part of SAP's Customer Experience (CX) portfolio, Engagement Cloud enables personalized, AI-driven interactions across every channel — turning moments like orders, service events, and loyalty milestones into timely, relevant experiences that build trust, strengthen relationships, and drive growth.
Website: www.sap.com/legal-notice
© 2026 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.