Customer loyalty has been one of the main goals of any company for decades. Point programs, benefits clubs, mobile applications, discounts, and all kinds of formulas designed to make the customer return have been developed. For a long time, they worked well, but more and more organizations are finding that, despite having more tools than ever, they struggle to build lasting relationships with their customers.
The explanation is usually sought in technological transformation, the rise of e-commerce, or increased competition. All of this is true, but perhaps it is not the core of the problem. Perhaps the real issue is much deeper: the customer has changed, and many companies are still trying to retain them as if they were still living in the same world of 20 years ago. It had never been so easy to capture someone's attention. A video, a viral campaign, or an aggressive promotion can generate notoriety in a matter of hours. But it had also never been so easy to lose it. Competition is no longer only on the next street; it now permanently accompanies the consumer on their mobile phone. Every purchase decision coexists with hundreds of immediately accessible alternatives.
Given this reality, many companies have intensified their investments in marketing and acquisition, but there is a question that rarely occupies the central place it deserves in management committees: what real reason does a customer have to return?
The answer is not usually found on a points card. Nor in a temporary promotion. True loyalty is born when a company manages to be relevant to people's lives. And that relevance is rarely built from the transaction, but from the experience.
People forget discounts. They forget promotions. They even forget advertising campaigns that at the time seemed memorable. What they remember is how they felt, the establishment where they were well attended, the professional who helped them solve a problem, the brand that delivered on its promises, or the business that made their life easier when they needed it most. This is why it is increasingly evident that loyalty is not just a commercial issue. It is, above all, a human issue.
A few days ago, I observed a new marketing action by VICIO. Creative, striking, and designed to generate conversation. It perfectly achieved its goal of attracting attention.
However, the truly important question begins once the campaign ends. What happens when the customer walks through the door? Do they find an experience consistent with the promise made? Do they perceive enough value to return? Is there a reason that justifies a second visit?
People forget discounts. They forget promotions. What they remember is how they felt, the establishment where they were well attended, the professional who helped them solve a problem.
The difference between notoriety and loyalty is usually found precisely there. The first can be bought. The second must be earned.
In this sense, it is interesting to observe seemingly simple initiatives such as the returnable packaging system promoted by BonÀrea. At first glance, it can be interpreted as a measure linked to sustainability. And it is. But it also constitutes an intelligent recurrence strategy. The customer finds a reason to return. And they don't come back because they are pressured by a promotion, but because the service itself generates a continuous relationship with the establishment.
The best loyalty strategies of the future will probably resemble this more than traditional models and will not be based so much on rewarding purchases as on generating habits. They will not only seek to increase the frequency of visits, but to integrate naturally into people's daily lives.
This reflection takes on special importance in cities like Barcelona, where millions of visitors constantly generate new sales opportunities. Tourism, location, or visibility can guarantee a continuous flow of first visits. But no solid business is built solely on customers who come only once. Truly sustainable projects are born when a part of those customers decides to return voluntarily. And for that to happen, the experience remains decisive.
The real question for retail is whether we are capable of generating experiences valuable enough for someone to want to return.
For years we have talked about digital transformation, automation, Artificial Intelligence, and data analysis. All of them are extraordinary tools and will continue to play a fundamental role in the evolution of commerce. However, there is a risk of forgetting that, behind every data point, there is still a person. A person who seeks trust. A person who seeks to feel understood. A person who wants their time to be valued.
Perhaps that is why the big question for retail in the coming years will no longer be how to attract more customers, nor even how to retain them. The real question is whether we are capable of generating experiences valuable enough for someone to want to return. Because in a market full of alternatives, loyalty is no longer bought. It is earned.