• American Express survey shows shoppers’ loyalty to retailers varies across the country

UK, 22 October 2023: With the peak festive shopping season on the horizon, American Express reveals its ‘Loyalty League Table’, highlighting how UK shoppers’ loyalty to retailers varies across the country.

American Express analysed responses from its survey of 2,000 consumers to create a loyalty ‘score’ for shoppers in 12 regions across the UK.1 Factors impacting the score included how many times respondents are willing to put up with bad experiences before choosing to shop elsewhere, how forgiving they are of poor service and the influence of things such as pricing, discounts and rewards.

Shoppers in London were found to top the table with the highest degree of retail loyalty, according to the analysis. Londoners, for example, say they have become more loyal to retailers over the past 12 months, with the capital’s shoppers the most likely to forgive poor service. They were also more likely than others to rank brand reputation and customer experience ahead of pricing and promotions. Shoppers in the South East and West Midlands similarly scored highly on the loyalty league table.

Conversely, at the foot of the table, the analysis found shoppers in the East of England and North East to be the least forgiving of poor experiences either in-store or online, and less likely to spend again with the same retailer as a result. What mattered most to shoppers in these regions was the price of items.

Dan Edelman, Vice President and UK General Manager, Merchant Services at American Express, said “The countdown to Christmas is underway and shoppers are thinking carefully about where to spend their money. While pricing and discounts remain important, our research shows that shoppers are influenced by a whole range of factors with customer experience hugely important. For retailers, a one-size-fits-all approach to loyalty won’t prove effective.”

Separate research from American Express released last month calculated shoppers had already spent £1.7 billion on the festive season this year, demonstrating the importance of the occasion with consumers flocking to the high street for festive purchases.

NOTES TO EDITORS

This research was conducted by Opinium Research on behalf of American Express. Sample was 2,000 UK adults (aged 18+) weighted to be nationally representative. Fieldwork was undertaken between 9-12 May 2023.

1The loyalty table analyses a range of indicators of customer loyalty, calculated at a regional level, by comparing responses from consumers in the 12 UK regions relative to the national average, and then averaging to create a single index score for each region.

AMERICAN EXPRESS

Mike Berry - Mike.Berry2@aexp.com

FIRSTLIGHT

Alice Ford/Jemima Wright - +44 (0)7796176044/ +44 (0)7538456324

alice.ford@firstlightgroup.io/ jemima.wright@firstlightgroup.io

ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS

American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com (https://www.americanexpress.com/en-gb) and connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AmericanExpress), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/americanexpress), Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-express), Twitter(https://twitter.com/americanexpress) and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/AmericanExpress)

Key links to products, services and corporate responsibility information:

Personal Cards (https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards)

Business Cards and Services (https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/business/business-credit-cards)

Travel Services (https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/travel/hotels)

Gift Cards (https://www.amexgiftcard.com/?extlink=us-giftcard-amextransitionredirect-home-vanity&extlink=dw-us-pr-bp)

Prepaid Cads (https://www.americanexpress.com/us/prepaid/american-express-prepaid-card/home.html)

Merchant Services (https://www.americanexpress.com/us/merchant/merchant-home.html)

Accertify (https://www.accertify.com)

Kabbage (https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/blueprint)

Resy (https://resy.com/?date=2023-10-19&seats=2)

Corporate Card (https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/business/corporate-credit-cards)

Business Travel (https://www.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com)

Diversity and Inclusion (https://www.americanexpress.com/us/company/global-diversity-and-inclusion.html)

Corporate Responsibility (https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/company/corporate-sustainability)

Environmental, Social, and Governance reports (https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/company/corporate-sustainability/ESG)

Logo

Images

Tags

More Like This

New American Express research reveals the British high streets with a winning formula for attracting shoppers

Metapack’s New 2025 Ecommerce Data Finds UK Consumers Are Redefining Loyalty

American Express Reveals 2024 Top Travel Trends

Survey Finds Half of the Shopping Done Online in the UK

UK businesses must prioritise payment technology to build customer loyalty and stay competitive: New research from Lloyds Bank and FreedomPay

UK Consumers Suffer Startlingly High Rates of False Declines and Negative Online Shopping Experiences, According to New Forter Study

Retail Banks Face a Loyalty Crunch as Card Experience Leaves Customers Underwhelmed

Airlines and holiday companies experience spending boom