Abstract

Retail loyalty programs are normally used as a mechanism to develop a retailer-consumer relationship. Retailer had clear relationship drivers, yet little research examines consumers’ relationship drivers towards loyalty program. To address this gap, this article investigates the true reason of why consumers engage in relationship with retailers through loyalty programs. A qualitative study involving six focus groups of 60 members of various Malaysians’ loyalty programs resulted in four types of relationship drivers such as monetary saving, recognition, social benefits, and entertainment. This article discusses managerial implications of the findings and suggests improvement for future research.

Key words: Relationship drivers, loyalty programs, retailing.