Customer Loyalty Index 2026

Official Information About SAP Emarsys Global Customer Loyalty Index 2026

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).

Report Overview

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

Key Findings

60% of consumers are more loyal to brands that make them feel personally valued.
10 point decline in Incentivized Loyalty — the first time rewards-based loyalty has fallen below 40% in the six-year history of this research.
30% of consumers have already switched from a brand they were loyal to due to that brand's use of AI, rising to 45% for Gen Z.
31% say that an AI assistant makes them feel more loyal towards a brand.
33% trust AI assistants to complete purchases on their behalf.
69% of all consumers consider themselves loyal to brands; this rises to 78% among AI shoppers.

Introduction

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

The Six Types of Customer Loyalty

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.

True Loyalty

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.

Silent Loyalty

Occurs when a customer demonstrates loyalty to a brand they would not endorse or advocate for publicly.

Incentivized Loyalty

Developed by offering customers cost-saving or value-adding incentives like discounts or rewards.

Ethical Loyalty

Occurs when a customer is loyal to a brand that aligns with their individual values or stance on strong social issues.

Inherited Loyalty

Based on a brand's traditions or long-standing heritage, or built through associations with other brands.

Trend Loyalty

Short-lived, opportunistic loyalty caused by social influence, viral appeal, or cultural momentum.

Loyalty Types Through the Years (2021–2026)

True Loyalty

2021: 27% | 2022: 29% | 2023: 31% | 2024: 34% | 2025: 29% | 2026: 32%

Incentivized Loyalty

2021: 45% | 2022: 56% | 2023: 48% | 2024: 50% | 2025: 48% | 2026: 38%

Inherited Loyalty

2021: 27% | 2022: 21% | 2023: 23% | 2024: 23% | 2025: 24% | 2026: 23%

Silent Loyalty

2021: 53% | 2022: 52% | 2023: 56% | 2024: 53% | 2025: 52% | 2026: 58%

Ethical Loyalty

2021: 24% | 2022: 26% | 2023: 28% | 2024: 30% | 2025: 27% | 2026: 25%

Trend Loyalty

2021–2024: Not measured | 2025: 14% | 2026: 15%

Loyalty in 2026 Shifts from Rewards to Relationships

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%.

AI Impact on Loyalty

Consumers Are Giving AI Greater Influence Over Decisions

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.

32% now trust AI assistants rather than human assistants because they are more efficient or helpful.
31% say interactions with AI assistants make them more loyal to a brand.
15% are more loyal to brands because they've been suggested by AI chat responses, such as ChatGPT or Gemini.
12% are more loyal to brands that use AI to improve their shopping experience (up from 10% in 2025).

The New Loyalty Equation

Customers are increasingly willing to delegate parts of the buying journey, but only when brands balance trusted recommendations, customer control, and intelligent action.

Earned trust: 35% prefer AI recommendations over friends and family; 23% are more loyal to brands they trust with their data.
Human control: 56% want to reverse AI decisions when needed; 50% would rather a brand "just gets it right" without needing to engage regularly.
Autonomous action: 31% regularly rely on AI to choose what to buy; 30% are more likely to shop with brands that use AI assistants.

Consumers Who Use AI Are More Loyal to Brands

Loyalty type comparison: Non-AI shoppers vs AI shoppers

True Loyalty: 29% vs 40%
Incentivized Loyalty: 42% vs 36%
Inherited Loyalty: 20% vs 27%
Ethical Loyalty: 24% vs 27%
Silent Loyalty: 55% vs 59%
Trend Loyalty: 9% vs 21%

AI Has Moved from Experiment to Shopping Companion

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:

38% use AI to help make purchase decisions.
33% have purchased AI-recommended products.
27% use AI because they dislike shopping.

What consumers expect from AI assistants:

56% want to reverse AI decisions.
48% want human intervention to be available.
39% trust AI to find deals.

AI Thrives When Choice Becomes Overwhelming

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:

Unsure what to buy — 23%
Too many options — 22%
Short on time — 20%
Buying gifts — 17%
New to the brand or platform — 16%

Top value consumers gain from AI assistants:

Fast advice — 25%
Help finding the right products — 24%
Efficient problem-solving — 19%
Smoother shopping — 18%
More honest recommendations — 16%

Additional AI stats:

34% of customers change their opinion on AI regularly.
42% of customers would prefer an AI assistant that remembers them from previous interactions.

The AI Control Spectrum

Most consumers want visibility, oversight, and the ability to step in when AI gets it wrong. Loyalty lives in the shared-control zone.

20% want full human control
60% want shared control
16% want AI-led with oversight
4% want fully autonomous

What builds trust in AI:

Human support if something goes wrong — 42%
The ability to review or override decisions — 36%
Data privacy and security assurances — 35%
Clear explanations — 31%
Proven accuracy over time — 29%

What should AI assistants remember:

Past purchases and order history — 32%
Products regularly purchased — 29%
Loyalty points and rewards — 29%
Delivery preferences — 27%
Customer service history — 27%

Loyalty Trends in 2026

Loyalty by Country (2025 vs 2026)

US: 73% (2025) → 71% (2026)
UK: 67% (2025) → 69% (2026)
Germany: 66% (2025) → 65% (2026)
Hong Kong: N/A (2025) → 68% (2026)

The US continues to lead; Germany reports the lowest overall loyalty score among surveyed countries.

Loyalty by Industry (2025 vs 2026)

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.

How Loyalty Changes Across Generations

Baby Boomers — want the basics done right

59% are more loyal to brands that sell high-quality products and service.
51% are more loyal to brands that offer great customer service.

Gen X — needs trust and reliability

27% have switched brands because of sustainability practices.
23% have switched brands because of better AI practices.

Millennials — expect relevance and convenience

46% have purchased products purely because they were trending.
15% are more loyal to brands that use AI to improve shopping.

Gen Z — rewards innovation, punishes mistakes

45% have switched brands because of better AI practices.
44% would trust an AI assistant to purchase an item for them.

What Builds Loyalty

While price and rewards still matter, loyalty is increasingly earned through trust, convenience, and consistently positive experiences.

Quality products — 62%
Trusted brand reputation — 42%
Connected online and offline experiences — 31%
Frictionless shopping — 29%
Memorable, personalized experiences — 23%
71% have a favorite brand that they love and trust.

What Breaks Loyalty

Brands lose ground when they create friction, fail to deliver on promises, or make customers work harder to achieve the same outcome.

Declining product quality — 45%
Rising prices — 40%
Poor customer service — 36%
Irresponsible data use — 30%
Misleading advertising — 29%
Limited access to human support — 23%

Loyalty Is Being Expressed in New Ways

Traditional loyalty signals are declining; relationship-based signals are emerging.

Traditional signals (2025 → 2026):

Shop frequently: 63% → 53%
Recommend to friends and family: 48% → 42%
Use loyalty card or scheme: 41% → 36%

Relationship-based signals (2025 → 2026):

Engage with brand content: 17% → 21%
Pay for subscriptions: 14% → 17%
Support brand values: 10% → 14%
Share personal data: 17% → 19%

Loyalty Is a Value Exchange

60% are more loyal to brands that make them feel personally valued.

In return for their loyalty, customers expect:

Financial value:

Better deals — 46%
Personalized rewards or cashback — 37%

Service value:

Great customer service — 43%
Priority delivery & free returns — 30%
Early access to products and offers — 28%
Priority customer support — 24%

Experience value:

Seamless experiences across interactions — 25%
More personalized experiences — 23%
Real-time order and fulfillment updates — 20%

Loyalty Is Becoming Easier to Lose

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:

57% switched due to cost considerations.
Switched due to declining product quality (also cited).

Trust is becoming increasingly important:

50% switched due to a bad experience.
34% switched due to sustainability practices.

Loyalty is becoming more product-centric:

56% are more loyal to a specific product than the brand.
32% switched because loyalty rewards were difficult to use.

Expert Insights

Alexander König, Sales and Marketing Director, Adler Mannheim

"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."

Mark Ritson, Professor & Founder, MiniMBA

"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."

Michelle Grant, Global Head of Consumer Industries Go-To-Market, SAP

"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."

Conclusion

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:

Activate customer and business signals in real time.
Personalize engagement across every channel.
Deliver loyalty experiences grounded in customer context.
Scale programs with trusted AI and built-in governance.

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.

Methodology

Research conducted by Opinion Matters as part of global research.
Sample: 10,002 respondents across US, UK, Germany, and Hong Kong.
Data collected: 7–22 July 2026.
Opinion Matters abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Opinion Matters is also a member of the British Polling Council.

Historical comparisons draw from:

2025: 10,006 respondents across US, UK, Australia, Germany, and Taiwan (Opinion Matters).
2024: 12,041 respondents across US, UK, Germany, Australia, and UAE (Opinion Matters + 3Gem Research & Insights).
2023: 10,057 respondents across US, UK, Germany, and Australia (Opinion Matters).
2022: 9,063 respondents across US, UK, Germany, Australia, and France.
2021: 7,074 respondents across US, UK, Germany, Australia, and France.

Generation Definitions Used in This Report

Gen Z: 16–28 years old
Millennials: 29–44 years old
Gen X: 45–60 years old
Baby Boomers: 61–79 years old
Silent Generation: 80+

About SAP Engagement Cloud

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.

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