10 Grocery Loyalty Programs That Drive Customer Retention in 2025

Grocery store loyalty programs have always been a high-frequency, low-margin game. But in 2025, the stakes have never been higher. With AI redefining personalization, supply chain volatility pushing prices, and customers demanding omnichannel experiences, grocery retailers must evolve beyond points and discounts. Loyalty is no longer just about retention – it’s about building an ecosystem that anticipates needs, rewards behavior, and earns trust at scale.

Shoppers are more selective than ever, favoring grocers that offer real value, digital convenience, and consistent product availability, whether in-store or online. As competition heats up, grocery retailers must double down on loyalty strategies that deliver both retention and revenue.

In this article, we explore the 10 best grocery store loyalty programs in 2025 and analyze what makes them effective in today’s challenging retail environment.

10 examples of successful grocery loyalty programs

In 2025, the grocery industry finds itself at the crossroads of disruption and reinvention. Tariffs, inflationary pressures, AI-driven personalization, and a highly competitive omnichannel retail landscape have forced even the most traditional grocers to rethink how they engage and retain their customers. Loyalty programs, once simple “points for purchases” schemes, are now fully-fledged customer relationship ecosystems — blending personalization, convenience, and increasingly, purpose.

Below, we explore 10 grocery loyalty programs that have evolved or launched significant updates in the past year, each reflecting the new demands of modern grocery shoppers.

1. Kroger's Boost

Kroger’s “Boost” program represents one of the most advanced evolutions in U.S. grocery loyalty. Built as a paid-tier add-on to the retailer’s already-robust free loyalty scheme, Boost offers loyal shoppers benefits like free delivery, double fuel points, early access to promotions, and exclusive savings. Two membership tiers – $59 and $99 annually – cater to differing household needs, with the premium tier focusing on high-frequency shoppers and families.

In 2025, Kroger expanded Boost’s benefits to include senior citizen-specific savings and dynamic, AI-driven personalization at both national and local levels. The use of real-time behavioral data allows the platform to push relevant offers, recommend substitutions, and generate basket-level incentives. The performance has been strong: Boost members show markedly higher engagement and a longer lifetime value, thanks in part to the frictionless integration with Kroger’s app and ecommerce channels.

2. Albertsons for U

Albertsons Companies revamped its loyalty architecture to create “Albertsons for U,” a streamlined program focused on customer convenience, cross-brand integration, and immediate value. Unlike traditional punch-card or spend-based programs, this initiative is rewarding customers with instant discounts at checkout, personalized free item offers, and birthday perks.

The 2025 upgrade brings AI-powered meal planning tools into the experience. By analyzing past purchases and dietary filters, the system can suggest meals, automatically generate shopping lists, and apply digital discounts in real time. Loyal shoppers using the service reportedly spend more per trip and return more frequently. What sets Albertsons for U apart is its seamless applicability across multiple grocery brands (Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco), giving program members a unified experience across hundreds of locations.

3. Club Publix

Publix’s loyalty platform, Club Publix, continues to focus on ease and value – two things its customer base highly values. It provides early access to weekly ads and exclusive coupons that are easy to activate and redeem through the app.

What’s new in 2025 is the program’s growing focus on wellness-based rewards. Members can now earn points or discounts for purchasing healthy foods, joining challenges (e.g., step counts, plant-based days), or engaging with seasonal wellness promotions. This alignment with broader health trends helps Publix position itself as not just a grocery store, but a wellness partner.

4. My H-E-B

My H-E-B, the retailer’s mobile-first loyalty initiative, offers smart digital coupons, predictive list tools, and localized offers tied to store behavior.

In 2025, the retailer added a new family-sharing feature, which allows household members to pool loyalty points and benefits  perfect for multi-generational families or roommates. Perhaps most compelling, however, is H-E-B’s focus on values-based loyalty: shoppers can opt to donate their loyalty points to local food banks or schools, reinforcing brand trust and emotional connection.

5. Amazon Fresh via Prime

Amazon leverages its vast data and logistics ecosystem to make Amazon Fresh via Prime one of the most convenient grocery loyalty solutions available today. Loyal customers enjoy free delivery, access to AI-powered substitutions and product suggestions, and dynamic pricing based on inventory, shopping habits and household preferences.

New for 2025 is Amazon’s “Green Rewards” initiative, offering loyalty credits for low-emission delivery windows or for choosing sustainable packaging. By gamifying sustainable behavior, Amazon turns logistics efficiency into a loyalty benefit. With a vast data infrastructure already in place, Amazon can personalize grocery recommendations with unmatched precision — though its long-term success still hinges on shopper trust and privacy.

6. Lidl Plus

Lidl’s omnichannel loyalty program, Lidl Plus, has become a key part of its strategy across Europe and in select U.S. markets. It emphasizes simplicity, offering scratch cards, digital coupons, and weekly surprise offers directly through the app.

In 2025, Lidl added budget tracking tools, digital receipts, and deal alerts based on store location behavior. These updates are especially valuable to budget-conscious shoppers, a demographic that has grown as economic uncertainty lingers.

7. Co-op Membership

The Co-op grocery store in the UK overhauled its traditional “member pricing” model in favor of a new cashback-based loyalty system in 2025 following member feedback and new customer preferences. Members now earn cashback on select Co-op-branded products, credited to a digital wallet inside the Co-op app.

This new system also includes community-giving features – allowing members to allocate part of their cashback to local charities – as well as gamified tasks, digital receipts, and member-only pricing alerts.

8. Tesco Clubcard

Tesco’s Clubcard loyalty program is one of the most established programs in Europe, and it has remained competitive by integrating AI and personalized rewards into its loyalty framework. Clubcard Prices now adjust dynamically at the shelf level via smart digital signage, and the mobile app includes a new Tesco AI Assistant that helps users build shopping lists and find personalized deals.

Tesco’s loyalty data strategy is particularly notable: by collecting and analyzing granular purchase data, the company can offer tailored value at scale – and tie that value to partnerships across travel, fuel, and dining. With “Clubcard Plus” as a paid tier and “Your Clubcard Prices” launching in 2025, Tesco continues to prove that a mature program can evolve without losing its roots.

9. Pick n Pay Smart Shopper

Originally a South African innovation, the Smart Shopper program has recently expanded into new markets, including the UK, thanks to loyalty tech partnerships. It blends points collection with banking integration (via FNB), allowing customers to earn additional eBucks when paying with affiliated cards.

In 2025, the loyalty program introduced mobile-exclusive challenges, specialist clubs (e.g., for wine, pets, wellness), and cross-brand earning through affiliated retailers and fitness partners. It’s one of the few programs that merges financial and grocery loyalty, opening new behavioral incentives and earning paths for loyal customers.

10. Carrefour Bonus

Carrefour’s Bonus loyalty program has become an ecosystem of rewards spanning grocery, fuel points, and pharmacy. In 2025, the company introduced sustainability scoring – shoppers can now earn bonuses and personalized discounts for selecting products with lower carbon impact, such as local produce or minimal packaging.

The Carrefour app uses AI to optimize baskets for price, health, and sustainability, helping shoppers not only save but make more conscious choices. Family accounts allow loyalty to be shared across household members, while real-time deal personalization drives higher app engagement and retention among loyal shoppers.

Features You Need for a Successful Grocery Store Loyalty Program

All best grocery store loyalty programs offer perks and rewards associated with three core drivers of customer loyalty – transactional, emotional, and behavioral value. Here is a quick rundown of top features of rewards program from grocery stores and supermarket chains:

• Real-time offer personalization – Use collected customer data or even better AI to tailor offers based on shopper behavior, basket size, time of day, or dietary preferences to launch better rewards.
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• Mobile-first loyalty program – Provide an intuitive app with digital receipts, exclusive discounts, rewards tracking, in-app coupons, and scan-and-go functionality to encourage repeat business. Physical loyalty cards are not enough.
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• Instant discounts & cashback – All successful grocery store loyalty programs go beyond points. Offer visible, immediate savings at checkout through price reductions, free grocery delivery, personalized discounts, or cashback.
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• Tiered or mission-based rewards – Reward frequency, spend, or specific actions (e.g., buying sustainable or local products) with extra perks.
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• Cross-brand and payment integration – Allow point accumulation through partners (banks, participating gas stations, travel) and seamless integration with payment systems.
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• Family or group sharing – Enable points/rewards sharing across households to increase retention and group loyalty to your grocery store.
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• AI-powered shopping support – Include smart features like recipe suggestions, list building, and meal planning tied to loyalty incentives to generate customer engagement.
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• Values-based incentives – Let loyalty members earn rewards for actions aligned with ethics (e.g., reducing plastic, buying organic) to incentivize specific customer behaviors.
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• Omnichannel sync – Ensure your grocery store reward system works consistently across in-store, mobile, self-checkout, and delivery/pickup experiences.
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• Transparent progress tracking – Give users a clear view of what they’ve earned, what’s available, and how to unlock more.

Key Strategies for Successful Loyalty Programs in Grocery Sector

1. Hyper-personalization powered by AI (or not)

Generic promotions are out. Grocery shoppers now expect offers tailored not just to who they are, but to when, where, and how they shop. AI and machine learning enable this through real-time data processing, allowing grocers to:

• Analyze purchase history, time of day, and even weather patterns to deliver context-aware offers.
• Predict replenishment needs (e.g., baby formula, pet food) and automate reminders or one-click reorders.
• Use computer vision and receipt scanning tech to personalize in-store experiences via mobile apps.

The leading programs no longer segment by broad personas – they personalize down to the individual basket. If integrating AI seems like too big of a task for now, try using a composable CDP and connecting it with your Promotion Engine to start personalizing loyalty discounts based on customer data you already have.

2. Look for value beyond discounts

Price sensitivity is high, but a race to the bottom on discounts is unsustainable. Instead, many retailers and top grocery loyalty programs offer layered value:

• Tiered loyalty structures reward frequency and basket size over time, encouraging greater spend (e.g., “Gold” shoppers get early access to promotions, free products, or free grocery delivery). Great example of that is Whole Foods Market loyalty program.
• Experiential perks and additional benefits like cooking classes, nutrition consults, or partner offers (e.g., fitness apps, local services) enrich the brand relationship.
• Integration with wellness tracking or meal planning tools creates utility beyond the transaction.

3. Build an omnichannel loyalty program

Loyalty must follow the customer – not the channel. Whether a shopper is in-store, buying online for curbside pickup, or scanning products via app, their rewards, customer preferences, and data should travel with them. This means:

• Unified customer profiles across web, app, and physical stores to properly track customer behaviors.
• Real-time loyalty accrual and redemption, including in self-checkout and scan-and-go environments, letting members accumulate points through any channel.
• Integration with voice assistants or smart fridges for frictionless ordering and loyalty use.

4. Build a trust-centric data strategy

Loyalty programs are fundamentally data exchanges. In a privacy-conscious world, grocery retailers must be transparent, ethical, and smart with how they handle personal data:

• Give customers clear control over their data to encourage them to share it freely – let them know what’s collected, why, and how it’s used.
• Build trust through predictive transparency (e.g., “You’re seeing this offer because…”).
• Use zero-party data – data customers willingly share (like dietary preferences) – to enhance personalization while reducing reliance on third-party cookies.

5. Include gamification and micro-engagement

Attention is scarce, and grocery shopping is routine. To drive frequency and engagement, leading loyalty programs employ subtle gamification tactics:

• Weekly challenges (e.g., “Buy 3 green vegetables and earn bonus points”).
• Progress bars toward rewards or milestones.
• Spin-to-win mechanics in apps for instant gratification.

6. Connect ecosystems and partnerships

No grocer or supermarket chain operates in isolation. The most advanced programs extend loyalty beyond their four walls and boost repeat purchases by partnering with:

• Fuel stations (e.g., accumulating points and grocery points redeemable for gas discounts).
• Fintech and payment providers (e.g., double points for using branded debit cards).
• Local services, subscription boxes, or even health insurance firms.

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