“Loyalty in retail is the absence of something better,” Walmart U.S. President and CEO and NRF Board Chairman John Furner said during opening remarks at Retail’s Big Show earlier this year. He underscored that shoppers are always looking for an improved customer experience. “When they find it, they’re gone.”

But clever use of the right data can help you deliver that improved customer experience – so your customers don’t find it elsewhere, according to David Witts, senior CRM manager for PUMA. And the global apparel company has enjoyed great success with referral data.

“That adds a whole new level to who is not just buying – but who is referring – and who are our real brand advocates,” Witts told SAP on the NRF 2023 show floor. “We need to rethink how we define loyalty.”