In a rapidly changing retail environment, building strong relationships with customers, and improving customer loyalty, is more important than ever.
To explore what’s next, Loyalinks hosted its third event titled “Loyalty & Retail Evolution 2025: Creating Customer Love in Retail” at White Spaces – Randa Tower in Jeddah. The event gathered experts and professionals from across the retail sector to discuss new strategies, tools, and ideas shaping the future of customer loyalty.
Organized by Resal, the event is part of a broader initiative to create open conversations among loyalty specialists and retail decision-makers. The gathering made it clear that customer loyalty is no longer just about rewards, it’s more about building long-term emotional connections and offering real value to both brands and their customers.
A clear vision from Resal
The evening opened with remarks by Hanan Zugail, head of marketing communications at Resal. She spoke about the goals of the event and Resal’s mission to support businesses in improving customer loyalty through modern tools and smart partnerships.
Zugail highlighted that today’s retail experience must evolve to meet rising customer expectations. “At Resal, we believe customer loyalty is built through consistent, meaningful engagement. It’s about more than just points or perks, it’s about understanding and connecting with your customer.”
Going beyond points: A new approach
One of the event’s highlights was a keynote presentation by Ahmed Islam, Senior CRM Specialist at Abyat. His talk, titled “Beyond Points: Building Emotional Loyalty in Retail”, focused on how brands can move beyond transactional programs and focus on emotional connections that support long-term customer loyalty.
Islam shared examples of how brands can use data and context to create more personalized experiences. “When customers feel understood, they stick around. Real customer loyalty is driven by emotion, not just discounts.”
Case study from the region
The conversation moved from theory to practice with a case study shared by Rabya Tariq, Loyalty Programs Manager at Majid Al Futtaim Group. She presented a real-life example of how thoughtful program design and execution led to stronger engagement and measurable growth.
Her story presented and demonstrated that with the right strategy, customer loyalty programs can directly impact business performance. From personalized messaging to consistent communication, small details can make a big and evident difference.
Insights from the panel
The evening ended with a panel discussion moderated by Hanan Zugail. Panelists included Ahmed Islam, Rabya Tariq, and Adil Asif, Marketing Manager at Manuel. The group discussed key trends, challenges, and priorities shaping customer loyalty today.
Some takeaways included:
The importance of personalization in loyalty strategies
The need to use customer data responsibly
Simplifying loyalty programs for better user experience
Adapting to changing shopping behaviors post-pandemic
All speakers agreed that customer loyalty must now be treated as a core part of any brand’s business strategy, not just a marketing function.
Moving forward
Events like these help retailers and marketers rethink how they build customer loyalty. With valuable insights from leaders in the field, the evening reinforced that the future of customer loyalty lies in emotion, personalization, and innovation.
As customer behavior continues to shift, businesses that invest in deeper connections and more human experiences will be better positioned to earn lasting customer loyalty.
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