Data-Driven Approach to Customer Loyalty: Avril Supermarché Santé's New Strategy

In a context where competition is intensifying and consumer expectations are evolving rapidly, loyalty can no longer rely on a simple system of points and rewards. Data now plays a central role in retailers’ ability to understand their customers and deliver personalized experiences. Loyalty has therefore become a strategic lever to engage, retain, and create lasting value.

This article presented by stratLX and Numea explores how Avril Supermarché Santé, a fast-growing Quebec-based company competing with major grocery chains, has begun a data-driven transformation to reshape its loyalty program and strengthen customer relationships.

This transformation was driven by member input. A comprehensive survey identified expectations, preferences, and pain points, providing valuable insights to guide the redesign. In parallel, behavioral analyses enabled segmentation of the customer base and modeling of growth potential by product category and customer profile.

The overhaul of the Marguerite loyalty program also paved the way for greater flexibility and enhanced personalization. Each component of the program is guided by tangible data, enabling more relevant rewards and tailored communications.

With this approach, Avril Supermarché Santé no longer simply rewards transactions — it goes beyond the transactional to build a truly personalized, lasting, and value-creating relationship with each member.

Through its loyalty program redesign, Avril Supermarché Santé laid the groundwork for an ambitious data strategy focused on data unification and activation. Whether transactional or behavioral, customer data had previously been dispersed across multiple systems, limiting its potential. Centralizing this data within a unified platform created a 360° customer view, forming the foundation for deeper and more proactive understanding of customer needs.

Beyond member experience, this initiative transforms data into a strategic asset: the customer insights generated extend beyond marketing to influence decisions related to assortment, operations, and even expansion strategy. This increased autonomy reduces dependence on external providers and gives Avril full control over its data ecosystem.

Finally, the implementation of a modular development framework ensures flexibility and long-term scalability. Avril Supermarché Santé can now enhance its ecosystem at its own pace, integrating new use cases without compromising the overall architecture.

Data unification is only the first step — activation is what unlocks true value for both the business and its members. At Avril Supermarché Santé, insights generated from the centralized platform are used to identify precise opportunities — whether to improve the member experience or optimize operational performance.

Use cases range from personalized offers and communications to the development of custom applications designed to distribute and fully leverage available insights. Once opportunities are identified, targeted and personalized actions are deployed to maximize impact — both in terms of engagement and long-term member value.

Each initiative is rigorously monitored, with key performance indicators used to continuously refine strategies and ensure ongoing improvement.

This activation also relies on internal transformation. Avril’s teams are progressively equipped to adopt data-driven practices, integrating data into their daily decision-making. This cultural shift ensures that the value of data doesn’t remain theoretical but translates into concrete, measurable decisions — reinforcing Avril’s agility and customer focus.

The transformation of Avril Supermarché Santé’s loyalty program has already yielded tangible results—driving sustainable growth, enhancing customer experience, and accelerating project delivery. By leveraging data in a structured way, the company can now activate new marketing and commercial levers while accelerating its digital transformation.