In convenience retail, success moves fast—and so do your customers. With high-frequency visits, impulse-driven buying, and razor-thin margins, loyalty programs must do more than engage customers. They must deliver measurable results.
That’s where KPIs come in.
A well-executed loyalty program is only as strong as the metrics behind it. Whether you’re optimizing campaign performance, driving repeat visits, or proving ROI to leadership, your ability to track the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will determine your program’s success—and its sustainability.
So, what KPIs should convenience retailers be watching? We’ve compiled insights from industry leaders like Forbes and ebbo, then paired them with PDI’s data-backed experience serving over 200,000 sites globally.
1. Loyalty penetration rate
What it measures: The percentage of total transactions made by loyalty members.
Why it matters: This KPI shows how well your loyalty program is being adopted at the store level. A low penetration rate can point to issues with associate engagement, signage, or the enrollment experience.
PDI tip: Use PDI Loyalty Dashboards to compare loyalty transactions versus total transactions to calculate your Loyalty Penetration Rate across locations. Set benchmarks and train underperforming sites to promote loyalty consistently.
2. Visit frequency per member
What it measures: How often loyalty members return during a given period.
Why it matters: According to ebbo, increased frequency is a core indicator of behavior change—the ultimate goal of loyalty.
PDI tip: Track frequency and layer on behavioral segmentation via PDI Experience Designer to reach customers with the right promotions at the right time.
3. Average spend per loyalty member
What it measures: The average transaction value for loyalty members.
Why it matters: Loyalty members typically spend more per visit than non-members. Measuring this helps you calculate incremental lift, not just program engagement.
PDI tip: Identify which product categories drive basket growth and use targeted offers to reinforce those behaviors—especially with cross-category CPG-funded promotions.
4. Offer redemption rate
What it measures: The percentage of offers redeemed versus those distributed.
Why it matters: A high redemption rate signals that your offers are relevant, well-timed, and easy to use. A low rate could mean poor targeting, unclear messaging, or a lack of product availability. How a loyalty program is configured impacts the base redemption percentage. Knowing your average redemption percentage allows you to identify higher- and lower-performing offer redemptions.
PDI tip: Segment your offer strategy by region, time of day, and customer type. Also, breaking down redemption rate by site will allow you to stack rank your stores and leverage any best practices.
5. Customer retention rate
What it measures: How many loyalty members stay active over a given timeframe.
Why it matters: Retention rate is critical for understanding long-term program value. Keeping existing members is much more cost-effective than acquiring new ones.
PDI tip: Create targeted, automated “Win Back” campaigns with PDI Experience Designer to automatically re-engage lapsed members.
6. Loyalty ROI
What it measures: The return on investment of your program: typically calculated as (incremental revenue – program costs) / program costs.
Why it matters: Forbes calls ROI the most important KPI in loyalty. It validates business value and secures long-term buy-in from leadership.
PDI tip: The PDI Loyalty Playbook includes ROI formulas and attribution models that help isolate loyalty-driven growth from other business trends.
7. Enrollment Growth
What it measures: The number of new members added during a campaign or over a given period of time.
Why it matters: Growth indicates awareness and appeal. But it’s only valuable if those members become engaged—so don’t track this metric in isolation.
PDI tip: Track conversions from every entry point. Incentivize store employees to promote your loyalty program by creating store-level competitions.
8. Account registration rate
What it measures: The percentage of loyalty members who have fully registered their accounts (i.e., provided personally identifiable information or PII).
Why it matters: Registered members are more engaged—and more valuable. They’ve shared data that allows you to personalize marketing efforts, influence behavior, and track results more precisely. A high registration rate often reflects strong associate engagement and effective in-store promotion.
PDI tip: Monitor registration rates by location to identify which stores are actively promoting your loyalty program. High-performing stores typically have well-trained staff who understand and advocate for the value of loyalty.
9. Active member growth
What it measures: The number of actively engaged loyalty members added over a given time period.
Why it matters: Active members are the heart of your program. Growth in this group reflects the “stickiness” of your program—not just initial signups, but sustained engagement. More active members mean more opportunities to increase share of wallet and long-term value.
PDI tip: Analyze which offers or campaigns are driving the most engagement. Use these insights to refine your promotions and allocate your marketing budget more effectively.
10. Average loyalty transactions per store
What it measures: The average number of loyalty transactions per store over a specific period of time.
Why it matters: This store-level performance metric helps identify which locations are excelling—and which ones may need support. It’s a helpful way to benchmark store engagement with the loyalty program and uncover best practices.
PDI tip: Stack rank your stores based on this metric and study your top performers. Often, successful stores have staff who consistently promote the program. Use those insights to train and uplift underperforming locations.
Final thought: you can’t improve what you don’t measure
At PDI, we don’t just help you launch loyalty programs—we help you manage them like a business. With real-time analytics, store-level insights, and built-in campaign testing, we make it easier to measure, iterate, and grow your loyalty program.
Looking to use KPIs to drive smarter loyalty for your program? Let’s talk.
Sources: PDI Technologies, Forbes Measuring The Success Of Your Loyalty Program With Optimal KPIs, and ebbo The 9 Most Important Loyalty Program KPIs.
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Be sure to attend his strategy sessions at Connections Live 2025 in Denver August 24-27.
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Check out C-Store Loyalty Insider for the latest in convenience loyalty—at PDI and across the industry.