“Millennials—and younger consumers more generally—simply haven’t developed many of the household formation habits or reached the points in their careers when loyalty programs make the most sense,” eMarketer principal analyst Andrew Lipsman said. “If you’re not regularly buying food, medication and clothes for your household, you don’t have the same need. And if you’re not a frequent traveler, why belong to airline or hotel loyalty programs?”
Retail, supermarkets and pharmacies are the three most popular store category loyalty programs across all ages. And while millennials and Gen Zers are among those who participate most in retail memberships, they are still less likely to be members at supermarkets and pharmacies.