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Most loyalty programmes don’t change behaviour.

They simply reward what customers were already going to do.

In this episode of Retail Voices, I’m joined by Mark Mortimer Davies, CEO GCC at Choithrams and one of the most experienced leaders in retail loyalty, customer behaviour, and engagement systems.

With decades of experience spanning Air Miles, BOUNZ Rewards, Dubai Points, and large-scale customer engagement platforms, Mark shares what actually drives repeat visits, trust, and long-term value in retail.

This is not a theory discussion — it’s real-world insight from someone who has built and operated loyalty systems at scale across multiple markets.

In this conversation we cover:

• Why most loyalty programmes fail to change behaviour
• What Air Miles got right — and what’s been lost
• The gap between retail data and real customer behaviour
• Why emotional engagement beats transactional rewards
• The role of culture in loyalty and customer engagement
• How gamification and lotteries can drive participation
• The importance of trust in customer systems
• Loyalty in grocery retail — frequency vs margin
• Why discounting damages long-term value
• The future of loyalty in the next 5 years

If you want to understand how to build real loyalty, not just repeat transactions, this episode is essential.

⏱️ CHAPTER MARKERS

00:00 Welcome to Retail Voices

00:18 Introducing Mark Mortimer Davies

01:53 How Did Your Early Years Shape Your Customer Ethos?

08:00 Why Do Most Loyalty Schemes Just Subside Existing Spend?

15:58 What Did Air Miles Get Right?

19:17 Where's The Disconnect Between Data And Behavior?

27:13 Why Is Emotional Engagement So Important?

32:56 What Do Global Brands Misunderstand About The Region?

41:52 What About Gamification and Lotteries As Engagement Tools?

44:56 What About Trust And Transparency?

49:41 How Do You Think About Loyalty And Prices?

56:54 What Will Loyalty Need To Do To Remain Relevant?

01:00:18 The Three Simple Things

01:01:40 Closing Thoughts

#CustomerLoyalty #RetailStrategy #RetailLeadership #CustomerExperience #RetailVoices #Retail101online #RetailVoices

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Customer experience isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s a profit driver.

In this episode of Retail Voices, I’m joined by Vance Morris, former Disney leader, entrepreneur, and founder of Chesapeake Service Solutions, to explore how customer experience can become a true competitive advantage in retail.

Vance’s journey is anything but conventional — from Disney leadership to business failure, to rebuilding as a successful entrepreneur. Today, he helps businesses stop losing customers quietly and turn service into measurable growth.

Drawing on his experience at Disney and beyond, Vance shares how retailers can create signature moments, improve customer loyalty, and directly impact sales through better service design.

In this conversation we cover:

• What Disney really teaches about customer experience
• Lessons from opening Chef Mickey’s at Walt Disney World
• What makes the Disney service model so effective
• How to apply Disney-level service in everyday retail
• The power of “signature moments”
• Common customer experience mistakes retailers make
• Training teams to deliver consistent service

If you want to improve customer loyalty, increase repeat business, and drive real commercial results, this episode is packed with practical insight.

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Retail transformation isn’t just about technology — it’s about understanding how people actually behave.

In this episode of Retail Voices, I’m joined by Andy Ellwood, Founder & CEO of Stretch, to explore the intersection of AI, human behaviour, and transparency in grocery retail.

Andy’s journey is anything but typical — from launching a business at 12, to working in aviation, to leading startups acquired by Facebook and Google, to co-founding Basket — one of the first platforms focused on grocery price transparency.

After navigating personal and professional reinvention, Andy has returned to his core mission: closing the gap between retailers and consumers using real data and real insight.

In this conversation we cover:

• Why grocery retail has been slow to embrace transparency
• What Andy learned building Basket
• How AI must be grounded in real human behaviour
• The reality of how shoppers actually make decisions
• Why “clean data” often doesn’t reflect real-world behaviour
• The importance of trust in modern retail
• How Stretch is helping reshape the grocery experience
• Practical advice for retailers adopting AI

This is a powerful conversation about technology, trust, resilience, and the future of retail.

#RetailInnovation #AIinRetail #GroceryRetail #CustomerExperience #RetailVoices #Retail101online

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