The FIFA World Cup 2026 has kicked off!
While 48 nations are fighting it out on the pitch, we got to thinking…
What if loyalty programs competed instead of footballers?
Watch the first match in our NEW video series, or read on for the highlights.
The host nations: USA, Mexico, and Canada
Tubby Todd (USA) – Club Tub Rewards
Tubby Todd is a kids’ skincare brand selling via both owned and third-party channels, including retailers like Target.
It’s a classic loyalty challenge: how do you grow relationships with customers who love your prodults, but aren’t always buying directly from you?
Their answer is Receipt Upload – LoyaltyLion’s feature that allows customers to earn loyalty points by scanning receipts from retailers that Tubby Todd approves.
Just weeks in, the results are outstanding.
- It’s easy to use: 30% of customers have uploaded two or more receipts
- It’s growing the program: 17% of participants are brand-new loyalty members
The success of Receipt Upload isn’t a surprise! 78% of shoppers say it’s important to be able to access loyalty programs when they’re buying from another retailer, our new research found.
Tubby Todd is meeting that expectation perfectly.
Urban Utility (Mexico) – SkyClub
Mexican streetwear brand Urban Utility makes rewards feel exciting – rather than transactional.
That’s super smart: less than half of young shoppers say discounts drive repeat purchases, our stats show. Instead, experiential rewards are leading the way.
Urban Utility’s solution is mystery box rewards, offered in multiple sizes:
- Small: T-shirts, socks, and stickers. The designs you get are up to chance!
- Large: All of the above – plus a flask and early access to the next product drop
The mystery element creates genuine anticipation, powering repeat purchasing in order to unlock the reward. Austrian brand Waterdrop ran something similar and sold out in record time.
Urban Utility’s numbers show shoppers really value product rewards:
- Customers who redeem rewards have a 16x higher lifetime value than non-members
- Redeeming members order 10x more often
Boathouse Stores (Canada) – Boathouse Rewards
Canadian apparel and footwear retailer Boathouse uses VIP Tiers to encourage bigger annual spend.
The perks increase in value as customers spend more:
- Spend over $200/year: Get a points bonus, plus access to double points days
- Top tier: Free shipping, plus an even higher earn rate on every purchase
But what use is a great incentive if no-one hears about it?
That’s why Boathouse uses LoyaltyLion’s Klaviyo integration to motivate tier graduation.
The brand automatically messages customers when they’re approaching the next tier, giving them a nudge at exactly the right moment. They also warn of tier expiration: make another purchase to maintain your tier status and keep those perks.
The result is that top-tier members spend 3x more than bottom-tier members, the secret behind the brand’s excellent total customer lifetime value.
Europe’s finest loyalty programs
Nude Project (Spain) – Nude Members
Spanish streetwear brand Nude Project has an incredible, custom-designed loyalty page.
It means loyalty feels like it belongs to the brand – not bolted on as an afterthought or pop-up.
Beyond the design, the substance is also super-strong:
- Free product rewards – with some designs only available through the loyalty program
- VIP Tier perks, including access to member-only events
That exclusive event access is a proven loyalty strategy. Our research found that a huge 60% of shoppers say it matters to them in a loyalty program. How could your brand offer it?
By making member experiences unique and special, Nude Project sees members spend 3x as much as non-members. It’s the key to consistent growth in the competitive streetwear market.
Franklin Pet Food (France) – The Pack
Franklin Pet Food has a loyalty program that makes customers feel warm inside – and is the secret behind the brand’s fast growth.
When you join The Pack, their rewards are both practical and purposeful:
- Free product rewards – stock up on food, supplements, and accessories for your pet
- Charity rewards – donate your “Franki” points to provide free meals to dogs in need
Purpose-driven rewards like charity donations are really popular with shoppers, helping build emotional loyalty in a way that discounts simply can’t.
Paying it forward pays off for Franklin: a massive 40% of the brand’s total revenue now comes from loyalty program activity!
Nuud (Netherlands) – Happy Plan
Vegan deodorant brand Nuud runs popular double points events for their loyalty members.
However, the remarkable thing is that these loyalty campaigns are powered by AI.
Trained on 12 years of loyalty data and millions of shopper interactions, LoyaltyLion AI knows exactly how to optimize a points multiplier campaign. It advises Nuud on:
- When to run events based on what will have the most impact
- The best points multiplier (double or triple) for each VIP tier
It then sets everything up automatically, saving the team heaps of time.
Their most recent campaign achieved an incredible 68% conversion rate. That’s far above ecommerce industry averages for marketing campaigns, which sit in single figures.
It’s helped Nuud drive more repeat purchases during a typically quiet period – with minimal effort from the team. AI Campaigns are a no-brainer for busy teams with fast-growth ambitions.
Quickfire Round: Head-to-Head
Pureseoul (UK) – Cloud Club
Pureseoul is the UK’s fastest-growing Korean beauty brand.
Their loyalty program is a fantastic example of multi-channel success.
Their program integrates seamlessly with Shopify POS in their brick-and-mortar stores, and has been boosting customer lifetime value continuously since they launched it a year ago.
Now, their new Loyalty Passes grow the brand even faster in-store:
- Customers download the pass, and it appears on their phone when they’re near the store
- Once in-store, they scan the QR code at the in-store checkout
- They instantly earn points and access their rewards
Loyalty Pass makes earning and redeeming so easy that members shop in-store more often, and engage with the program on a deeper level. Sitting in their digital wallet, it also keeps Pureseoul top-of-mind for customers.
It’s no wonder Pureseoul’s redeeming members order 5x more than non-members – and the brand’s star keeps rising!
HOLY (Germany) – HOLY Rewards
German soft drinks brand HOLY has turned loyalty referrals into a serious growth engine.
The mechanics are simple – loyalty members share a code with a friend.
If that friend ends up becoming a customer, the friend gets a reward, the member gets points – and HOLY gets a new customer with a high chance of becoming loyal.
The results are outstanding:
- 27,000+ new customers acquired through referrals
- 5 million Euros in referral-driven revenue
As a result, the loyalty program now powers 30% of Holy’s total revenue.
Their LoyaltyLion program is a vital part of HOLY’s incredible growth trajectory – from a living room to €180m in sales in just 5 years!
So, who wins?
If the World Cup were decided by loyalty programs, all of these programs would progress to the Knock Out stages!
But, if we had to back three, we’d pick:
- The US – Tubby Todd’s Receipt Uploads are revealing previously hidden fans, and growing their loyalty to the brand.
- The Netherlands – AI Campaigns are driving exceptional results for Nuud, in far less time. A win-win!
- The UK (well, England really!) – London-founded Pureseoul is expertly growing loyalty across the multichannel, via the program’s Shopify POS integration and Loyalty Passes.
Post-match report
So, what have we learned?
The best loyalty programs feel effortless and generous for the customer – but are driven by strategy and tech that knows what really drives loyalty today.
We’re far from discounts here – and the results prove it.
Instead, great experiences are powering repeat purchases: whether in third-party retailers, through mystery rewards, or with the help of AI.
We’ll be putting more programs head-to-head as the World Cup progresses. Stay tuned!
Want a winning program like this? Book a demo.
