Lowe’s wants to hook Gen Alpha on home improvement with the introduction of theLowe’s Kids Club, a rewards program with perks like in-store workshops, access to digital content, and a lollipop with every visit.

• Upcoming activities include building a mini-lawn mower and designing a terrarium.

While offering a loyalty program is now an expectation in retail, the amount consumers are willing to use is limited. 51% only actively use one membership, according to an October 2025 Deloitte survey. This has forced marketers to think beyond the traditional model of collecting points and accessing discounts.

Building family ties can give brands a competitive edge, but involving children comes with more room for error.

“Gen Alpha are these mini influencers in the household, but what’s important to keep in mind is that they are still the children and we are still the adults,” said Nina Rossello, SVP of strategy at Allen & Gerritsen.

Considering age-appropriate angles

Given the effectiveness of in-store events and Gen Alpha’s impact on purchase decisions, Lowe’s loyalty program makes business sense.

• Participation in community events is a motivator for US adults to join a loyalty program, according to an October Deloitte survey.
• 70% of Gen Alpha reports that the adults in their lives often purchase the items they suggest, according to MG2.

“Lowe's understanding that there is a need for more third spaces and offering skills that adults probably want to teach their kids….I don’t have as much of a problem with that,” said Rossello.

While kids influence their parents’ spending, that doesn’t give marketers a free pass to speak to them like fully developed consumers, said Rossello.

“I would, however, have a problem with Lowe's sending badges and notifications directly to children, where you're activating that part of the brain that is just not fully developed.”

Brands wanting to include Gen Alpha in their loyalty programs must look beyond metrics and do so with added care, said Mark Mamone, cofounder of brand safety platform VwD.

“There’s a meaningful difference between creating educational, community-driven experiences and engineering early behavioral loyalty loops,” he said. “When engaging younger audiences, brands should prioritize transparency, age-appropriate messaging, and restraint in data practices.”

Considering what families want from brands

The brands that bring children into their rewards programs must consider how they can fulfill real family needs, which include in-person activities and third spaces, said Rossello.

• 73% of Gen Alphas prefer to shop in stores, according to a January MG2 report.

“There are these pretty significant social gaps that brands have been asked to fill, and now they have to just do it in a way that feels responsible,” she said.

Lowe’s rewards program focuses on joint family experiences, which aren’t as available to parents in digital formats. Only 20% of US parents know “all or most” of the influencers their Gen Alpha children follow, according to June 2025 DKC data.

“Brands should also be conscious of the trust asymmetry between creators and young viewers,” said Mamone. “Influence in that context carries amplified responsibility.”

If marketers treat Gen Alpha outreach like another performance campaign, they risk reputational damage and miss out on the long-term loyalty they wanted from the start.

“Long-term brand equity with families will increasingly depend on whether companies are seen as protective stewards of youth engagement, not just effective growth marketers,” he said.

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