Restaurants should collect data on loyal customers, says report
Restaurants should collect data on regulars to offer tailored deals and build custom, while many loyal customers would be happy to hand over their personal data to access deals and perks.
That's according to a new report on customer loyalty by marketing analytics company Aimia, whose Loyalty Lens 2015 research polled 2,011 UK adults.
Over a third (39%) said they feel loyalty towards the coffee shops and restaurants they visit most frequently, marking their loyalty as between 7 and 10 on a 1-10 scale, where 1 meant no loyalty and 10 meant extremely loyal.
Similarly, over one in five people (22%) are part of a loyalty scheme at a coffee shop or restaurant, with 45% of consumers saying they would happily share their personal details to receive offers and discounts.
Costa Coffee topped the list of the loyalty schemes on the list, with 53% of respondents saying they are a member of its "Club". Subway came next, at 30%, while over a quarter (26%) of people said they had a Caffe Nero loyalty card, 23% had a Nando's card, while over on fifth (22%) are part of the Starbucks Rewards scheme.
Charlie Humphreys, Aimia's managing director, business development EMEA, said: "When consumers find a restaurant, café or coffee shop they like, they enjoy returning there time and time again. However, consumers expect something in return for their loyalty, with more than one in five consumers now being a member of a loyalty scheme."
He added: "There is a real opportunity for restaurants to grow the relationships they hold with their customers if they are able to collect data and use this to offer bespoke deals tailored to customer preferences."
Loyalty schemes, which usually involve taking at least a name and an email address, and giving the consumer a physical loyalty card, can range from awarding customers their sixth cup of coffee for free, to collecting points for free meals, trips, or branded merchandise.
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