What is loyalty? Nine drivers and four major benefits of Loyalty

Providing a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience is crucial.

This includes a user-friendly website that is efficient, uncomplicated and inclusive to all users (total NL 77% + DE 84%),  Fast (NL 50% + DE 47%) and secure transactions (NL 36% + DE 49%),  and reliable customer support (NL 40% + DE 42%).

Pricing plays a significant role in shopper loyalty.

Competitive pricing, regular discounts codes (NL 42% + DE 36%), promotionaloffers, (NL 39% + DE 52%)  and a payment method that is connected to a loyalty program where shoppers earn points and discounts encourage customers to choose a particular brand or webshop over others (total NL 21%, Heavy shopper 26% + DE total 19%, Heavy shopper 26%).  

Noteworthy is the difference in lifestages and the use of discount codes: in the Netherlands the lifestages of Pre-family (47%), Post Family (46%) and Seniors (45%) use most discount codes in check out. However, the German shoppers in the Family stage (57%) are the biggest users of discount codes. Segment-specific: Rational & Efficient shoppers are the top users of discount codes (NL 71% + DE 57%). 

Brands that effectively communicate their values, mission, and story tend to attract and retain customers who resonate with those ideals. Shoppers often become loyal to brands that align with their personal beliefs and values.

Conscious shopping is becoming more important over time. The Dutch (36%) and German shoppers (34%) say to be most conscious online purchase-makers among the Europeans. Over a third now takes seeks for an experience, (local) business and/or products that holds mindful and intentional approach to making purchasing decisions, that are aligned with their personal values and beliefs. It involves being aware of the social, ethical, and environmental impact of the products and brands we choose to support. 

The goal of conscious shopping is to make informed choices that have a positive impact on both individuals and the planet. It is fair to say that there are some differences in the level of consciousness in both markets. The older generation of shoppers (NL age 65+ 49% + DE age 65+ 43%) is more Conscious than the younger shoppers. In short, the older the buyer, the higher the need for a conscious buying decision. 

Of course the segmented shoppers contains disparity: Conscious & sustainable shoppers care most about Consciousness (NL 68% + DE 67%). However, the Exclusive & Premium segmented shoppers say they seek alignement too in Consciousness (NL 41% + DE 34%). Noteworthy: 37% of the German Bargain shoppers say they seek for a Conscious value driven brand or product, too. The Dutch Bargain shoppers level at 36%. 

As much ground is already won for being conscious, the prioritization of Purposful Consumption is lagging behind in the statistics, for whole of Dutch and German shoppers (NL 8% + DE 14%). The segmented Conscious & sustainable shoppers (NL 11% + DE 17%), Shopping Lovers (NL 11% + DE 13%) and the Exclusive & Premium shoppers (NL 10% + DE 13%). 

Lastly, Purposful Consumption is present in the shoppers who have been subjected to debt collection some time in the last six months (NL Debt collection subjected shopper 20% + DE Debt collection subject shopper 14%), while the overall Dutch and German share of Purposful Consumption is low (NL 8% + DE 14%).  

Providing a consistent and integrated experience across various channels, such as website, mobile app, social media, and physical stores, helps create a cohesive brand experience and increases shopper loyalty. 

Mobile applications not only make the shopping user-experience on a smartphone better, it also takes advantage of mobile features like touch gestures and push notifications (e.i. stock alerts, discount codes or payment reminders). An app on a shopper’s phone creates a bigger presence in their life and add to feeling connected and/or feel loyal to a brand. Shops and brands who also have an app is especially favoured by the heavier shoppers who also tend to use a BNPL-payment product (NL total 15%, NL BNPL-user 18%, NL Heavy shopper 18% + DE total 17%, DE BNPL-user 17%, DE Heavy shopper 21%). 

Cross-channel availability of a brand or product makes the online shopping experience better. The wide availability taps into convenience and speed of online shopping. The shoppers in the Netherlands have a higher preference of cross-channel availability than the German shoppers. The biggest difference is visible among the Dutch Bargain Shoppers, where a 3 in 5 shoppers who hunt for great and quick deals want their preferred brand to sit across channels (NL total 22%, NL Heavy shopper 18%, NL Bargain shoppers 61% + DE total 16%, DE Heavy shopper 21%, DE Bargain shoppers 12%). 

Physical stores will always play a role in the lives of shoppers. For some a bigger role, for others a small role. It inspires the buying audience, provides a hands-on and sensory experience, social interaction, adds to trust, helps with doing product research, and ,while online shopping offers convenience, returning or exchanging items can sometimes be a hassle. Physical stores provide the advantage of easy returns and exchanges and play a more sustainable role in returning items (instead of the post). The integration of both physical and online channels can provide a holistic shopping experience and cater to the diverse preferences of customers. 

Shoppers of the Netherlands a slightly bigger need for physical stores compared to their German neighbour shoppers (NL total 12% + DE total 7%). Both countries see the Smart & Innovative shopper segment to have the highest desire to also be able to visit a physical store (NL Smart & Innovative shoppers 16% + DE Smart & Innovative shoppers 12% - while all other shopper segments are below 10%). The Smart & Innovative shopper may prefer physically examining products before making a purchase. They possibly want to assess the quality, size, or suitability of an item, or compare different options side by side. Physical stores allow for this hands-on evaluation, which can be crucial for certain products, such as clothing, furniture, or cosmetics. 

As mentioned earlier, Dutch consumers tend to exhibit a certain level of loyalty to online retailers such as Picnic, Bol.com, Zalando, Just Eat (Thuisbezorgd), and Amazon.nl, whereas the German e-commerce platforms in Germany include Zooplus, Booking.com, Amazon.de, Zalando, Otto, Just Eat (Lieferando), and eBay.de. 

These companies have established a strong presence in the Dutch e-commerce market and have gained a reputation for providing good customer service and a wide range of products. These major brands and retailers understand what the consumer wants and needs and try to cater this to their audience, as best as they possibly can, and also stay on the lookout for and adapt to changing needs and behaviors.  

The abovementioned stores tick (almost) every box of our tips in this article:  
Exceptional Customer Experience, Product Quality and Variety, Competitive Pricing and Discounts, is credible and trusted, has personalized elements to suprise their shoppers, has a place to leave and read reviews from others, offers exclusive Benefits and Rewards, create a Seamless Omnichannel Experience, communicates their brand identities and values, and, some have physical stores.