Balancing human and digital aspects in the retailers’ loyalty measurement

In the contemporary retail sector, characterized by high dynamism and frequent customer switching behaviors, customer loyalty represents a strategic cornerstone. The multidimensional nature of loyalty, fierce competition between alternative formats, and evolving company-customer interactions in digital and physical contexts are leading retailers to reassess their customer loyalty measurement strategies. In this evolving scenario, loyalty increasingly emerges not only as a transactional outcome but as a relational construct grounded in trust and continuous human interaction. This research aims to investigate how retailers measure and manage customer loyalty and how retailers plan to improve customer loyalty measurements in the future, considering the relevance of human-to-human and human-to-technology relationships. To address these objectives, the study applies a qualitative exploratory methodology, following the Gioia approach, based on in-depth interviews with Italian grocery retailers. The findings reveal key issues crucial for the innovation of loyalty measurement strategies. Five aggregate dimensions emerge from the analysis, namely: 1) Overemphasis on behavioral/transactional loyalty measurements; 2) Phygital touchpoints; 3) Loyalty measurement governance; 4) New loyalty perspectives; and 5) Trust-based relationship with customers as a crucial loyalty strategy to preserve relationships. Across these dimensions, the research highlights how achieving trust-based loyalty represents a journey in which organizations tend to continuously improve their measurements to capture not only purchase behavior but also emotional attachment, commitment, and long-term relational value. The study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the centrality of trust and relational dynamics in loyalty measurement systems and offers practical implications for professionals seeking to develop a more human-centered and customer-centered KPI framework.