AI transforms loyalty programmes, links discovery to purchase, report says

AI will influence $780b in global retail e-commerce sales by 2029.

Loyalty programmes are connecting artificial-intelligence (AI)-led discovery and purchase, enabling brands to recognise and reward customers, according to a Euromonitor report. 

AI is helping brands improve their ability to assess the commercial return on loyalty investment, anticipate reward liabilities and optimise costs.

The result, the report noted, is a shift from static programme structures to propositions that adapt continuously to context and customer needs.

“Consumers are already using AI to review products, find relevant deals, navigate programme rules and compare benefits,” Euromonitor said. It added that 51% of connected consumers use ChatGPT.

The report projects that AI will influence $780b in global retail e-commerce sales by 2029.

In Australia, Adore Beauty reported in August 2026 that active loyalty membership had reached 538,000, up 22% year on year, following the launch of its “Ask Aura” chatbot.

However, the report said that as the behaviour scales, programmes that fail to remove friction, complexity or inertia will become increasingly exposed.

“To influence an AI-mediated transaction, member identity, eligibility and benefits need to be machine-readable, accessible in real time and connected to the wider commerce ecosystem.”

Loyalty can no longer operate as a closed engagement layer; interoperability, Application Programming Interfaces, authentication, and secure access have become strategic capabilities.