Francesca Roche sits down with Dr. JR Slubowski, VP, Strategic Consultancy at Kobie, to explore how retail loyalty is being tested as product discovery moves away from brand-owned websites and into social media feeds, AI-powered search, and other third-party channels where retailers have less control over the relationship.
ESW Signal report revealed that nearly 45% of consumers discover products through social media, while almost 35% already use AI for product research, creating a clear challenge for programs historically designed to reward activity around checkout rather than shape the earlier moments when customers form preferences.
Slubowski argues that loyalty should have a role from early consideration through to the next repurchase.
“Those who are running programs with a traditional mindset really need to broaden their aperture.”
He describes loyalty as a potential “customer operating system” that can bring product, finance, marketing, and operations closer to the customer relationship, giving CX leaders a broader view of how people engage with a brand across the full lifecycle.
The immediate impact of AI-led purchasing may still be emerging, with Kobie’s research finding that about 21% of consumers use AI in an agentic way to make a purchase or take the next step for them, but Slubowski warns that the pace of change will accelerate quickly.
“The train is coming in the tunnel, so to speak,” he says, adding that AI could take on far greater prominence across the purchase process within “six to 18 months,” rather than three to five years.
That shift does not mean brands lose their ability to influence customers, but it does place greater importance on emotional loyalty, brand visibility, and creating enough value that customers actively include a preferred brand in the social research and AI prompts that inform their decisions.
Slubowski says customers with an intense emotional connection to a brand become “much more unshakable in their loyalty,” which can help keep the brand top of mind when shoppers are reviewing recommendations beyond the retailer’s own channels.
For CX and marketing teams, the interview highlights the value of tracking signals that reveal more than a completed transaction, including churn risk, repeat purchase behavior, basket growth, purchase frequency, community participation, and customer-generated content.
Slubowski offers retailers a way to recognize and strengthen engagement before a customer reaches checkout.
“These behaviors are a proxy for deeper emotional connection.”
The interview also considers what comes next as AI agents begin to act on customers’ behalf, including the potential rise of business-to-agent commerce and the challenge of recognizing loyalty when an agent, rather than the customer, completes part of the shopping journey.
Watch the full interview to hear how retailers can make loyalty relevant in the discovery phase, defend customer relationships across third-party channels, and prepare for the AI-driven shifts already approaching.
