What: Selfridges enhances loyalty program with AI-powered personalization and clienteling tools, integrating digital and in-store data to deliver tailored customer experiences.

Why it is important: This transformation illustrates the retail industry's shift toward data-driven personalization while maintaining the human touch through enhanced clienteling services.

Selfridges has significantly enhanced its loyalty program since its 2023 launch, developing a sophisticated system based on extensive customer feedback. The program features four loyalty tiers, culminating in VSP (Very Selfridges Person) status, and was designed through direct dialogue with shoppers. A key innovation in the "Membership 2.0" update, launched in February, is the introduction of an advanced clienteling tool that enables deeper personalization for high-net-worth individuals. This system allows staff to store and utilize detailed customer information, from anniversaries to preferences, and is being rolled out to personal shoppers across all locations. The retailer leverages artificial intelligence to analyze data from multiple sources, including clienteler inputs, transaction history from tills, web, and app interactions, to match customers with relevant experiences such as celebrity meet-and-greets. This comprehensive approach enables Selfridges to understand and respond to customer interactions more effectively.

IADS Notes: Selfridges' evolution of its loyalty program reflects broader transformation in retail engagement strategies. According to WWD's February 2025 coverage , the 'Selfridges Unlocked' program innovatively rewards both purchases and experiential engagement through digital "keys," moving beyond traditional points-based systems to create a more sophisticated loyalty ecosystem. Inside Retail's May 2025 analysis revealed how luxury department stores are reimagining customer relationships, with Selfridges' COO highlighting their distinctive five-tier program that enables VSP status through both spending and experiential participation. BCG's December 2024 report showed how consumer expectations are evolving beyond traditional points-based systems, with over 50% of younger consumers planning to cancel traditional memberships in favor of more personalized, digitally integrated experiences. Inside Retail's April 2025 coverage highlighted how successful loyalty programs are learning from airlines' strategic partnerships and psychological engagement techniques, mirroring Selfridges' approach of combining AI-powered clienteling with experiential rewards. The integration of transaction data and personal shopping insights demonstrates how retailers can leverage technology to create more meaningful customer relationships.

A look at Selfridges Unlocked loyalty program