The best U.S. retail loyalty programs are…

A mixture of national and regional retail chains take top honors in a new ranking of the top retail loyalty programs across a wide range of verticals.

Partnering with global research firm Statista, Newsweek has compiled the 2021 ranking of America's best loyalty programs based on the results of an independent survey of more than 4,000 U.S. customers who are members of loyalty programs of retailers or service providers in the U.S. 

Following are the top five-ranked rewards programs in five key retail verticals, with total scores for each. The full report is available here.

Apparel
1.    Buckle – Buckle Rewards (8.2)
2.    Zumiez – The Zumiez Stash (7.98)
3.    Hollister – Club Cali (7.98)
4.    Urban Outfitters – UO Rewards (7.81)
5.    Old Navy – Navyist Rewards (7.67)

Department Stores
1.    Bealls – Coast 2 Coast Rewards (8.18)
2.    Kohl’s – Kohl’s Rewards (8.03)
3.    Burke’s Outlet – MORE Rewards (8.03)
4.    Bloomingdale’s – Loyallist (7.92)
5.    Dillard’s – Dillard’s Rewards (7.8)

Home Goods & Décor
1.    Kirklands – K-club (8.43)
2.    Bed Bath & Beyond – My Fund (7.74)
3.    At Home – insider perks (7.43)
4.    West Elm – The Key Member Rewards (7.21)
5.    HomeGoods – TJX Rewards Credit Card (7.1)

Home Improvement
1.    Menards – Menards Big Card (8.08)
2.    Lowe’s – Lowe’s Advantage Card (7.68)
3.    True Value – True Value Rewards (7.18)
4.    Ace Hardware – Ace Rewards (7.1)
5.    Tractor Supply Co. – Neighbor’s Club (5.8)

Supermarkets
1.    H-E-B – Points Club Rewards (9.15)
2.    County Market – Max Card (8.82)
3.    Schnuck Markets – Schnucks Rewards (8.46)
4.    Redner’s – Redner’s Rewards (8.43)
5.    Winn-Dixie – Winn-Dixie Rewards (8.37)

The final assessment and rankings were based on six evaluation criteria:

1. Ease and enjoyment: measures the value of the perks of being in the rewards program.

2. Benefit: measures whether the rewards are, in the customer's perception, worth being part of the program.

3. Overall satisfaction: measures whether personal expectations were fulfilled and whether the customer is satisfied with the experience of the loyalty program overall.

4. Customer support: measures the level of assistance provided to customers when signing up for the program or having trouble redeeming benefits.

5. Trust: measures the trust in the loyalty program around how they use the personal data provided through the program.

6. Recommendation: measures the likelihood of recommending the program to friends and family.