7 examples of sportswear and fitness loyalty programs smashing their goals
Look around, and it’s no surprise that the global athleisure market is absolutely booming.
Annual growth is almost at 10%, and it’s expected to be worth $844 billion by 2034.
That’s not to say that a rising tide lifts all boats. It’s a highly competitive market, and only certain brands will come out on top. You can probably name those most popular among your own friend group.
Securing a customer’s long-term loyalty is the gold medal of athleisure commerce right now. A great loyalty program raises customer lifetime values, creates advocates through referrals and word-of-mouth – and steals them away from potential purchases with rival brands.
But, what does it take to secure a customer’s loyalty in the competitive sports market?
Here are the brands making it happen – and growing super-fast as a result.
1. Montirex: An athleisure loyalty program that scales with growth
Rapidly expanding British athleisure brand Montirex has doubled revenue in just one year. With a US launch on the horizon, it needed a sportswear loyalty program that could keep up with its bold moves.
So, they chose a LoyaltyLion program to support every new initiative
Montirex now has a loyalty program that’s agile and ready for anything:
- To surprise and delight loyal customers, they deploy regular points multiplier events
- To attract new members, they customized their loyalty page with a dynamic look and feel
- To protect against returns losses, they turned on tier recalculations
- And to maximize revenue from their pop-up stores in Liverpool, they integrated the loyalty program with Shopify POS, allowing customers to earn points and redeem rewards in-store
The impact:
Since the upgrades to the program, supported by Velstar agency, the loyalty program’s impact has grown rapidly. It helps grow the brand significantly, contributing 13% of revenue and boasting over 200k members.
2. Huk: Making loyalty easy, however customers want to shop
Fishing apparel brand HUK has a multi-channel approach. It’s the reason they featured in the LoyaltyLion Awards!
So, they’re nurturing loyalty everywhere a customer shops
HUK actively encourages members of their Captain’s Club to use the loyalty program both online and in its 16 stores, thanks to a LoyaltyLion program that seamlessly integrates with Shopify POS.
Why it works:
The brand confidently encourages loyal customers to shop in-store as well as online, as they have full trust that loyalty data captured online syncs seamlessly with Shopify POS, and vice versa.
3. The North Face: Solving customer problems with VIP perks
Legendary brand The North Face spotted something different about apparel shoppers who love the outdoors: they can’t properly test-drive new gear without going outside!
So, they deployed their loyalty program to turn that into growth.
The North Face team invented a unique VIP perk: members get a unique extended returns package.
Twice a year, items can not only be returned within 30 days of purchase but also with signs of reasonable wear from limited use.
Why it works:
It means members are more likely to choose The North Face for their next purchase because they know that, unlike other retailers, they won’t be penalised for giving it a proper test drive. Plus, other shoppers will feel FOMO and enrol in the program.
4. Atletica: Cleverly incentivizing customer advocacy
Gym equipment company Atletica knows that anyone setting up a home gym doesn’t purchase power racks or benches without reading reviews.
So, they use their loyalty program to encourage customer reviews
Loyalty program members who leave Google reviews of their new Atletica equipment receive 500 points. An additional photo review can get you an extra 200 points, too.
Why it works:
It works because that total of 700 points is enough to redeem a EUR35 voucher off your next purchase.
It may sound overly generous, but it’s the carefully calculated value Atletica places on reviews other customers can use, and a bonus on top of a general points equivalency of 5%.
5. Darn Tough: Collecting data that makes fast growth easier
Sport sock company Darn Tough knows the value of asking customers questions. Not only does hearing their preferences enable 1:1 personalization, but consumer panels also capture direct feedback on what audiences want.
So, their loyalty program nudges customers to share valuable data
Members get 10 points for completing the Sock Finder quiz. Customers share their demographics and preferences on material and height, before the brand recommends the best products for them. It’s a loyalty strategy lots of Shopify’s top fashion brands are using.
Customers also get points for joining their consumer panel, which collects data on designs and sock features. For longer surveys, members can also earn bonus points.
Why it works
Collecting this data means Darn Tough can tailor comms to account for individual preferences, and use the panel data to ensure new products are exactly what customers want.
They gain knowledge, and the customer gains points that can be spent in a future purchase – a double whammy, and super smart thinking from Darn Tough!
6. Vanquish Fitness: Perfect points equivalency
We love the VQFit Club, the activewear loyalty program from Vanquish Fitness! They wanted members to be able to earn points and redeem rewards, but without damaging their margins.
So, they got their athleisure loyalty program points equivalency spot on
Vanquish Fitness’s sportswear loyalty program has the optimal points equivalency we recommend, at 5%. That’s because you earn 5 points per £1 spent, and a £10 voucher can be redeemed for 1000 points.
Want to earn points even faster? No problem. Simply engage with the brand in other ways: follow their socials (25 points each), sign up to receive emails (50 points) and successfully referring a friend earns you a huge 1000 points (redeemable on your next purchase for a £10 off voucher).
Why it works:
Members earn rewards quickly enough to feel they can redeem a reward soon, but not too quickly that the brand’s margins could be hurt. This program hits the Goldilocks zone!
7. Constantly Varied Gear: Smart loyalty program choices across the board
Sports leggings brand Constantly Varied Gear (CVG) knew there were lots of possible incentives to retain customers and encourage them to raise their customer lifetime value.
So, they tailored their sportswear loyalty program to smash specific customer retention goals
- Personalized care for the most valuable customers: Top-tier members have access to the brand’s VIP support line
- Top-tier members get better shipping perks: Members of the top tier have a lower threshold to receive free US shipping at $50, compared to a threshold of $100 in the first tier.
- Incentivizing app downloads: Members get points for downloading CVG’s mobile app
- Encouragement to meet other members: Join the Reddit community for points
Why it works:
Every interaction a customer has with the brand earns points which can only be redeemed for a reward during a future purchase – so having lots of different loyalty incentives gives lots of reason for customers to come back again and again.
Want to supercharge your sports brand’s customer retention?
These brands have proven it’s more than possible. All you need is a high-quality loyalty program, and our experts’ advice.
Get in touch today to discover how it works, and how your brand can capture customer attention and imagination with a sports loyalty program.
