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When do loyalty programs work? The moderating role of design, retailer-strategy, and country characteristics

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  • Bombaij, Nick J.F.
  • Dekimpe, Marnik G.

Abstract

Many grocery retailers carry a loyalty program (LP). However, little is known under what conditions these programs are more or less effective. We provide a contingency framework that considers various design, retailer, and country characteristics that can moderate an LP's impact on a retailer's sales productivity. We test the framework across a large sample of 358 grocery banners from a broad cross-section of 27 western and eastern European countries. We find a positive effect of the more basic LP variant that offers direct and immediate rewards. This positive effect, however, disappears when retailers operate a more complex progressive-reward system and when they are part of a multivendor program. An LP's impact also differs between retailers and countries: it is lower when operated by discounters, and higher in countries that are more individualistic and long-term oriented, and where fewer competitors also carry a loyalty program.

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  • Bombaij, Nick J.F. & Dekimpe, Marnik G., 2020. "When do loyalty programs work? The moderating role of design, retailer-strategy, and country characteristics," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 175-195.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ijrema:v:37:y:2020:i:1:p:175-195
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2019.07.003
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    4. Chen, Yanyan & Mandler, Timo & Meyer-Waarden, Lars, 2021. "Three decades of research on loyalty programs: A literature review and future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 179-197.
    5. Bombaij, Nick, 2021. "Effectiveness of loyalty programs," Other publications TiSEM 095c506d-5b5c-4ea3-9b41-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    6. Matilda Dorotic & Dennis Fok & Peter C. Verhoef & Tammo H. A. Bijmolt, 2021. "Synergistic and cannibalization effects in a partnership loyalty program," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(5), pages 1021-1042, September.
    7. Alex Belli & Anne-Maree O’Rourke & François A. Carrillat & Ljubomir Pupovac & Valentyna Melnyk & Ekaterina Napolova, 2022. "40 years of loyalty programs: how effective are they? Generalizations from a meta-analysis," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 147-173, January.
    8. Afonso Vieira, Valter & Agnihotri, Raj & de Almeida, Marcos Inácio Severo & Lopes, Evandro Luiz, 2022. "How cashback strategies yield financial benefits for retailers: The mediating role of consumers’ program loyalty," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 200-212.
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    10. Bies, Suzanne M.T.A. & Bronnenberg, Bart J. & Gijsbrechts, Els, 2021. "How push messaging impacts consumer spending and reward redemption in store-loyalty programs," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 877-899.
    11. Treiblmaier, Horst & Petrozhitskaya, Elena, 2023. "Is it time for marketing to reappraise B2C relationship management? The emergence of a new loyalty paradigm through blockchain technology," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
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