To build loyalty, brands first need to establish a foundation of trust by delivering on the basics. From there, brands can use subscription programs to ramp up purchase frequency and social media to engage with brand advocates. But to keep customers coming back, brands need to be constantly optimizing. Here’s some advice from executives at DoorDash and Taco Bell on how to build brand loyalty and what it takes to retain a loyal customer base.

Amazon, Costco Wholesale, and other retailers now face an uphill battle to win recurring revenues in the era of subscription fatigue.

McDonald’s had the most downloaded app of any quick-service restaurant in the US in March, with 3.5 million downloads, about 2 million more than No. 2 Starbucks, according to Apptopia. Taco Bell, Subway, and Domino’s Pizza rounded out the top five.

The labor market is extremely challenging for retailers and restaurants: Quit rates are on the rise, which is making it difficult for companies seeking to improve the customer experience.

Consumers are trading down to value-oriented QSR brands: That trend helped Yum Brands and Subway post strong gains in Q4, while higher-priced restaurants like Chipotle disappointed.

Food delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and SkipTheDishes—a Winnipeg-based homegrown competitor to the US-based services—had already established a foothold before the pandemic. The greater need for delivery last year elevated their influence in food service, even though the fees they charge have raised concerns in the restaurant industry and for regulators.

Brands have sought after millennials since the segment was identified as a demographic phenomenon reminiscent of the boomers. There’s been heavy investment in the creation of products and services that fit within an evolving consumer culture, one increasingly defined by this influential cohort. Growing independence and earning make this group the most digitally connected of all.

Consumers are embracing mobile delivery as they get comfortable with mcommerce, and quick service restaurants are seizing the opportunity.

What once sounded fantastical—stores where shoppers could walk out with purchases without waiting in line—is becoming a reality for more than a select few.

Katherine Debicki, senior marketing manager of media, digital and ecommerce at KFC Canada, discusses how the brand is looking beyond demographic boxes to target millennials based off their interests.