SMEs and B2B loyalty schemes drive rapid market growth
| The Proposal | The Past | The Present | The Future |
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AI analysis of data from B2B loyalty schemes offers a competitive edge by raising revenues and enhancing customer retention. |
On-site membership cards have given way to B2B loyalty apps and cloud-based data. |
Half of all loyalty scheme operators expect to include AI capabilities by the end of 2026. |
90% of B2B buying will be via AI agents by 2028. |
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Digital B2B loyalty apps offer insights that can remove complexity from the customer’s purchase journey and reduce buyer regret. |
B2B loyalty schemes are growing at 17.5% per year in 2026-31. |
Early AI adopters see a 5.2x ROI on loyalty programme investment. |
£11 trillion per year will be spent in this way. |
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Businesses should embrace AI-enabled, API-equipped cloud IT platforms. |
Customer retention is key to generating sustainable revenues and continuing growth. For B2B brands and suppliers, that means giving business buyers what they want and ensuring that they continue to see the value in their purchase.
B2B loyalty schemes are a fantastic way to tick both boxes. A loyalty programme by definition collects data about each customer, allowing you to offer true personalisation without it feeling like an invasion of privacy.
At the same time, loyalty rewards add perceived value to business buyers’ purchases after the face, helping to overcome buyer remorse and keep clients engaged for longer.
In this article we’ll look at the rapid rise of B2B loyalty programmes, how they can help SME customer retention, and what AI means for loyalty scheme management in the years ahead.
How fast are B2B loyalty schemes growing?
B2B loyalty schemes are growing at a rate of 17.5% per year in 2026-31.[1] In comparison, the total loyalty management market (B2B and B2C combined) is growing at 14.6% from its 2026 value of $16.44 billion (£12.31 billion).
Almost two fifths of the global market value (37.5%) already derives from B2B loyalty programmes. At the current growth rate, this will reach 50% in 2037, by which time the B2B segment alone could be worth around $38.67 billion.
What is driving B2B loyalty programme growth?
Several trends are shaping growth in the loyalty management market, including B2B loyalty schemes:[2]
- 44% CAGR in cloud-based loyalty schemes in 2026-31
- 26% CAGR in SME loyalty programme spend – faster than large enterprises
- AI-driven personalisation is adding 2.8% to short-term CAGR forecasts
Across B2C and B2B loyalty programmes, half of all operators expected to adopt generative AI personalisation by the end of 2026 – and early adopters saw a 5.2x return on their investment into loyalty schemes.[3]
Why are B2B loyalty programmes good for growth?
Loyalty programmes in general are an excellent way to add long-term value to customers’ spending, effectively gamifying shopping and offering lasting rewards for one-time purchases and fast-moving consumable goods.
This is not only effective in the B2C market – it also applies to B2B relationships. Daniel Hawkyard, director analyst in the Gartner Sales Practice, said:
“In today’s competitive market, retaining and expanding relationships with current customers is not just a priority – it’s essential for sustainable growth.
“As sales organisations strive to retain and grow their customer base, they must address the value gap, which will lead to lower retention, advocacy and growth if not managed effectively.”[4]
Sales chiefs look to loyalty to drive growth
Mr Hawkyard’s comments came in mid-2025 as Gartner published a survey[5] of nearly 250 chief sales officers (CSOs), which found that:
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- 73% prioritised growth from existing customers
- 57% rated account retention and growth a top-three priority
He added: “CSOs must ask themselves and their teams what truly differentiates their value proposition, and how it helps customers achieve their business objectives.”
By their very nature, B2B loyalty schemes add value and improve retention, giving organisations of all kinds the necessary tools to tackle the value gap and encourage brand advocacy among clients.
How can AI help with B2B loyalty?
Generative AI is driven by information, which makes the digital data collected from clients via B2B loyalty apps useful in a number of ways.
AI-powered personalisation allows you to steer customers towards the products that solve their problems, shortening the procurement process and removing exit opportunities. Research shows that this is exactly what business buyers want.
According to Accenture’s Client Buying Index:[6]
- 50% of B2B buyers say decisions are harder due to collaboration and cross-functional complexities
- 65% believe providers could do more to simplify the buying process
- 91% use AI to mitigate risk, enhance transparency and get faster answers during procurement
More than 350 enterprise-level decision-makers were consulted for the survey in spring 2025, each responsible for investments valued at more than $500,000.
A year on, AI has become even more established and integrated into procurement processes, increasing the pressure to adopt generative technologies in B2B loyalty apps to deliver insights into buying trends while offering personalised value to clients.
How to avoid B2B buyer remorse
Research shows that personalisation in the B2B purchase journey makes buyers 1.8 times more likely to pay a premium price; however, care must be taken to prevent buyer remorse.[7]
At the end of 2024, Gartner surveyed nearly 1,500 B2B buyers and consumers in English-speaking countries around the world. The results painted a picture of contrasts:
- 53% of customers had a negative experience of personalised marketing
- 44% of those customers are less likely to purchase again
- Those buyers are 3.2 times more likely to regret the purchase
In general, customers who had a personalised purchase journey were 2.8 times more likely to feel time-pressured to proceed and twice as likely to feel overwhelmed by the wealth of data available to them.[8]
How can AI overcome B2B buyer regret?
B2B loyalty app insights can be a useful lever to cut complexity and confusion, allowing buyers to proceed at their own pace while accelerating their final decision. This enables a faster purchase process overall, while still reaping the benefits of personalisation.
Audrey Brosnan, senior director analyst in the Gartner Marketing Practice, listed some of the positive results of AI-enabled ‘active personalisation’:
“Chief marketing officers who leverage active personalisation strategies at key customer journey transition points will achieve deeper customer engagement, enhanced brand loyalty and superior commercial outcomes.”[9]
Loyalty is a closed loop: client data drives active personalisation, which deepens engagement, which generates repeat sales, which yields more data.
How are B2B businesses using customer data?
The technology used in B2B loyalty programmes has transformed within living memory, from on-site card-based schemes in the 1990s-2000s, to digital loyalty platforms with online access, smartphone mobile apps, cloud-based data and most recently, AI analysis.
In response, B2B brands must react to embrace the full potential of their customer data, combining information from loyalty schemes, newsletter subscriptions, client accounts and promotional activity, while using APIs to incorporate access to ERP and WMS systems.
“Leading organisations are reinventing how they grow by using customer and market insight to make clear choices about segments, customers and accounts, and by breaking down silos to unite their go-to-market through process, data, AI and deep customer insight to accelerate impact and unlock outsized results.”
– Accenture, 2025[10]
How do MRM use data in client campaigns?
At MRM we have seen this transformation first-hand and have developed the IT platforms needed to keep pace with the change.
This includes:
- Newton, our warehouse management system with the ability to intelligently automate business processes to save time and enhance fulfilment.
- Lodestone, our promotion management platform that supports points-based and tiered B2B loyalty programmes.
- APIs that allow your systems to send data to ours, enhancing automation seamlessly and reducing your administrative burden.
We use these technological tools as standard to optimise your promotional campaigns and loyalty schemes, to deliver maximum return on investment when you work with us.
What does the future hold?
Gartner predicts that 90% of B2B buying will be mediated by AI agents by 2028.[11] That’s just two years away and by that time, an estimated $15 trillion (£11 trillion) will be spent via B2B AI agents.
Under these circumstances, according to the analyst, “operational data becomes a currency”. This emerging ecosystem for business procurement is powered by data and digital trust.
“Products designed with composable microservices, API-first, cloud-native, headless architectures will establish a significant competitive moat. New commercial models will emerge, featuring high-frequency, frictionless sales powered by AI agents that can radically compress the sales cycle for a large range of business and technology purchases.”[12]
A simpler way to put it is this: Businesses can gain a competitive advantage by using AI to shorten the sales cycle, and by embracing modular IT systems equipped with APIs to pull in data from the cloud.
We’ve come a long way from simple ‘membership card’ B2B loyalty programmes, but the principles are the same. Reward your customers for staying with you, and they’ll likely stay with you for longer.
Get In Touch
We’d love to discuss B2B loyalty programmes – and especially B2B rewards apps – with you in person. Contact MRM today to start the conversation.
You can reach our team on 01858 410510 during office hours, or fill in our message form to book an initial no-obligation 15-minute meeting, and we can go from there.
[1] https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/loyalty-management-market
[2] https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/loyalty-management-market
[3] https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/loyalty-management-market
[5] https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-05-20-gartner-survey-finds-73-percent-of-csos-are-prioritizing-growth-from-existing-customers-for-2025
[6] https://www.accenture.com/us-en/services/marketing-experience/b2b-customer-growth
[10] https://www.accenture.com/us-en/services/marketing-experience/b2b-customer-growth