Rethinking digital customer loyalty: AI, gamification and apps as success factors in retail

by Sandra Katzenberger

With EagleAI, Eagle Eye has developed a solution that goes far beyond traditional discount promotions. Instead of sending out general vouchers or standard promotions, the system analyses the shopping behaviour and preferences of individual customers and creates hyper-personalized offers. This is not just about short-term incentives to buy, but about strategically increasing sales. For example, a Coca-Cola fan could receive a reward if they slightly increase their average Coke consumption within a month. The highlight: this AI-based approach ensures that promotions only take effect where an increase in sales is actually achieved – classic discount losses due to planned purchases are therefore a thing of the past.

The big advantage: while many retailers fail to scale personalized promotions, our solution automates this process efficiently and effectively,” says Alexander Proske, Regional Director at Eagle Eye.

EagleAI quickly puts retailers in a position to implement hyper-personalized promotions. The solution is therefore particularly easy to implement and does not require any complex integration into existing systems. For each campaign, retailers work with their suppliers to create a pool of brands from which AI-optimized promotions are generated and can rely on the system to create them fully automatically. Another highlight is the gamification component, which uses interactive challenges to motivate customers to change their consumer behavior in a playful way.

This form of personalized, AI-supported customer loyalty promises to increase the efficiency of marketing budgets, as only those customers who are willing to increase their sales are actually incentivized. At the same time, the system creates a more personalized customer experience that strengthens brand loyalty in the long term. For the first time, retailers are able to make marketing truly scalable and profitable.

hello again offers customized white-label loyalty apps with dashboards that enable companies to reach their customers directly via smartphone. These apps are designed entirely in the corporate design of the respective company so that customers experience an individual application of their preferred brand. 

The success speaks for itself: over 900 companies in 25 countries are already using the hello again solution, including well-known retailers such as the Müller drugstore chain. By using the app, they have been able to demonstrably increase their customer frequency and sales. 

“A well-structured customer loyalty program not only increases interaction with the brand, but also sales. Our data shows this: Customers who participate in a loyalty program buy 25 to 30 percent more on average – because they come back more often and are motivated by incentives such as discounts or rewards,” explains Miki Müller-Kochs, VP Sales at hello again.

To enable seamless digital customer loyalty, hello again relies on various technological approaches:

Interaction via the receipt

The classic paper receipt becomes a digital touchpoint. By scanning a QR code on the receipt, customers can collect loyalty points that they can exchange for individual rewards. This method enables a direct customer approach without the need for additional hardware at the point of sale (POS). 

Integration into existing systems

For smooth use, the solution can be connected directly to the retailer's existing systems. This allows customer interactions and transaction data to be processed in real time. Retailers gain valuable insights into purchasing behaviour, can derive targeted marketing measures and address their customers in an even more personalized way.

Thanks to its flexible adaptability to different sectors – from retail and gastronomy to sports clubs - the solution offers a versatile way to strengthen customer loyalty in the long term. In addition to collecting and redeeming bonus points, there are numerous gamification elements such as wheels of fortune, scratch cards or seasonal promotions (e.g. a digital Easter egg hunt). These playful elements not only motivate customers to interact with the brand and have fun, but also ensure a higher purchase frequency.

Another highlight is direct customer communication via the app. Retailers can send personalized offers via push messages, conduct customer satisfaction surveys or improve Google ratings in a targeted manner. This creates an interactive loyalty program that goes beyond the mere purchase and ensures stronger customer loyalty in the long term.

The examples of Eagle Eye and hello again make it clear where customer loyalty in retail is heading: Away from blanket discounts and towards personalized, digital experiences. If you really want to reach your customers today, you need to know their needs and respond at the right time with relevant content or offers. Modern technologies such as AI-supported promotions or individually configurable loyalty apps enable precisely this – they create a sense of connectedness, increase interaction and make loyalty measurable. Both approaches show that the future of customer loyalty will be data-driven, interactive and, above all, individualized. Retail is therefore at a turning point – retailers who address these issues now have the opportunity to build customer loyalty on a completely new level.