A clear opportunity to rebuild loyalty strategy on firmer foundations is open to Irish organisations willing to act on it. PwC's 2025 Customer Experience Survey, drawing on 5,511 consumers and 406 executives, finds that nine out of ten executives believe customer loyalty has grown in recent years, while only four in ten consumers agree. The gap is a strategic opening: Irish organisations in financial services, retail, and utilities that address it first will build durable retention advantages.

The PwC findings point to a measurement problem at the core of most loyalty strategies, not a service delivery one. Organisations are tracking signals that customers rarely send reliably, while underweighting the observable behaviours that actually indicate loyalty: repeat purchase, referral, and incremental spend. Three actions address it and together define a more productive approach to loyalty investment.

Redefining loyalty metrics is the clearest immediate lever available. PwC finds that 83 per cent of executives acknowledge needing better tools to understand what drives purchasing decisions, and 46 per cent say their current loyalty programme will be irrelevant within three years. The CXi Ireland benchmarking consistently identifies repeat purchase intent and referral behaviour as the most reliable loyalty indicators across Irish industry, validating the case for a behavioural redesign of programme metrics.

Personalisation anchored in behavioural data is the most powerful loyalty lever available to Irish organisations. PwC finds that consumers receiving relevant, intentional personalisation are significantly more likely to increase spend and refer others. The economics are well established: Bain and Company research shows that a five per cent improvement in retention can increase profitability by up to 25 per cent. Designing experiences around demonstrated purchase preference is the surest route to capturing that return.

Privacy-respecting data use is the prerequisite for sustainable personalisation, and Irish organisations are well placed to lead on it. PwC finds that 53 per cent of consumers say mishandling personal data will destroy brand trust entirely, while nine out of ten are willing to share data when the benefit is clear. Irish organisations subject to GDPR already hold the infrastructure to demonstrate responsible stewardship and build on it as a visible commercial trust signal.

Three steps would allow Irish CX leaders to rebuild loyalty on firmer foundations. First, redefine programme success around repeat purchase frequency, referral rate, and customer lifetime value, using CCPC Ireland consumer data to calibrate realistic targets. Second, invest in first-party behavioural data and segment customers by demonstrated preference rather than assumed profile. Third, publish clear data use commitments at every personalisation touchpoint, turning transparency into an active loyalty driver.

The most constructive finding in the PwC survey is that the components of a stronger loyalty model are already within reach. Organisations that connect behavioural measurement, purposeful personalisation, and transparent data practice into a coherent strategy will close the perception gap that limits loyalty investment returns. In Ireland, where CXi benchmarking shows trust and consistency as the primary retention drivers, this approach offers a path to loyalty that grows in value as customer relationships mature.

(The views expressed by the writer are his/her own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of BusinessRiver.)