By Huma Khan, UK country leader, Catalina
In a world of cautious consumers and fragmented attention, loyalty is being rewritten. Price still matters, but trust and timing matter more. After years of economic pressure, shoppers are savvier, more digital, and more selective about who earns their loyalty. For retailers, the challenge has evolved. It is not enough to reward transactions. We need to understand emotions.
For more than 40 years, Catalina has helped retailers connect with shoppers through the humble coupon, one of the earliest forms of personalisation. Those small slips of paper represented something simple yet powerful, a brand saying, we see you. We have carried that principle into a new era. Using AI, behavioural science and omnichannel innovation, we’ve turned coupons into connections, helping retailers understand not just what people buy, but why they buy, and respond in real time.
A new era for loyalty
Loyalty has always been about recognition. In 2025 the journey is no longer linear. It loops between in-store, online and mobile touchpoints. The opportunity is to connect these worlds, creating seamless, value-led experiences that feel consistent wherever the customer chooses to shop.
This is where Catalina’s evolution comes in. Our heritage in data and personalisation has powered both coupon-at-till and digital experiences for years. We combine print and digital with the intelligence of AI to make loyalty more dynamic and more human, a balance of technology and empathy that turns everyday interactions into moments of understanding.
Across more than two decades in FMCG brands and retail media, and most recently at Catalina, I have worked across sales, shopper insight and loyalty. I have seen first-hand how the definition of loyalty has shifted. When I started out, success was measured in points and promotions. Today it is measured in connection. My background in business psychology has shown me that real loyalty is not about discounts. It is about understanding motivation and emotion. That is what excites me about Catalina’s evolution. We are combining data with empathy to help retailers drive sales and understand their shoppers as people.
The AI advantage, from transactions to trust
AI is reshaping how we understand behaviour. At Catalina, we analyse billions of purchase patterns to reveal what is selling and what is shifting sentiment. AI helps us recognise micro-moments when a shopper may be ready to try something new, switch brands, or return to a favourite, and deliver the right message at the right time.
For retailers, this means fewer wasted offers, greater relevance, and stronger media return on investment. Technology alone does not create loyalty. The point is to make every offer feel like recognition, not just reward, value that feels personal because it is personal.
The science of surprise
Behavioural science shows that emotion drives decision-making. Coupons may seem functional, but their power lies in emotion, the joy of discovery, the satisfaction of a small saving, the feeling of being appreciated.
As part of Catalina’s recent Long Love the Coupon campaign, which celebrated the first National Coupon Awareness Month, I spent time with shoppers in West London to hear how they feel about coupons and savings today. People were not just talking about saving money. They were talking about feeling seen and supported in what helps them week to week.
Our research reflects that. Sixty-three percent of shoppers say they are more likely to redeem colour coupons, and nearly three quarters say personalised offers increase the likelihood they will return to the same supermarket. In tight budgets, these small connections matter. They turn the weekly shop from a necessity into an experience of recognition.
Evolving heritage, in print, digital and beyond
What makes this moment exciting for Catalina and for retailers is the convergence of heritage and innovation. Our legacy in shopper data and personalisation has long used AI and omnichannel engagement. What is changing in the UK is clarity and visibility. We are making proven, globally deployed capabilities more visible and accessible in the UK, including digital sampling, personalised challenges in app and mobile, e-commerce activations and light-touch gamification. Further UK innovation is already in flight.
“Our focus is orchestration, so people receive the right, meaningful reward at the right moment, wherever and however they shop.,” Simon Betts, Partnership development director, Catalina UK
From recognition to value confidence
The cost-of-living squeeze has reset shopper priorities. Consumers are looking for transparency, consistency and value they can feel. That is why the opportunity now is value confidence, a shopper’s reliable sense that a retailer gives fair value on the items that matter most, consistently and transparently. AI helps operationalise this, translating signals into timely, relevant interactions across channels. The shopper conversations and data point to a few practical moves that work across formats. Here is a simple way retailers can put value confidence into practice:
Value Confidence Playbook
- Get the basics right on the items that shape shoppers’ mental price map.
- Pair everyday pricing on key items with personalised rewards and digital challenges to create an earned savings story that strengthens relevance and value perception.
- Keep signals consistent across till, app and e-commerce so the basket tells a coherent value story.
Rebuilding loyalty through value and trust
The brands and retailers that win will combine empathy with intelligence, using data not to sell harder, but to serve smarter. At Catalina, we see this as the next chapter of loyalty, where offers are not just discounts, but meaningful interactions built on trust, timing and human understanding. The coupon, once a simple token of saving, has become a symbol of evolution. As we blend the art of empathy with the science of AI, its story is far from over.
In the end, loyalty is not something you buy. It is something you build, one connection, one moment, and one shopper at a time. What keeps me passionate about this industry is that behind every data point is a person. AI helps us see patterns. Empathy turns those patterns into meaningful action.
