Synopsis: Fresh data from independent garden centers shows that loyalty programs are quietly transforming retail performance, from basket size to bottom line.
Walk into a big-box store and you’re just another transaction. But walk into a local garden center, and you’re more likely to be remembered by name. While larger retailers compete on volume, independent garden centers are focusing on something more personal: loyalty.
Rapid Garden POS analyzed data from 148 garden centers across the U.S. to see how loyalty programs influence small retail. With only 30% of stores currently using them, the findings show a clear advantage for those that do, from ticket size to year-over-year growth.
The following are findings from Rapid Garden POS’s original data analysis.
Key Findings:
- Loyalty programs now drive the majority of sales in participating stores, contributing 56.64% of total revenue across just 30% of garden centers.
- Loyalty customers spend more. Their median basket size is $106.75, a 5.24% increase over non-loyalty shoppers.
- Loyalty program sales are growing fast, with an average year-over-year increase of 36% across participating stores.
- Even early-stage programs show strong potential, with low-penetration stores seeing average year-over-year growth of 55.22%.
- Top-performing stores generate more than 75% of their total sales from loyalty members.
The Landscape of Loyalty Programs
Out of 148 independent garden centers analyzed, only 45 (30.41%) currently use a loyalty program.
While that may be a smaller portion, the impact loyalty programs had on those stores is anything but.
In the 45 stores that have these loyalty programs, their loyalty members were responsible for 56.64% of all sales this year, contributing $47.5 million of the $83.9 million in total revenue.
That total is up from 53.58% the year before, highlighting how these programs aren’t just active, they are growing. For the stores using them, loyalty is becoming a cornerstone of revenue and not just a marketing add-on.
Planting Loyalty: How Much Do Loyalty Programs Pay Off?
In stores with active loyalty programs, the payoff is clear; nearly half of these loyalty-using stores generate more than 50% of their total sales from loyalty members.
These high performers average 77.56% of revenue from loyalty programs. That level of engagement shows what is possible when loyalty programs are well integrated into daily operations.
Even beyond the top tier, loyalty programs drove meaningful results. Across all participating stores, the average share of revenue from loyalty members is 44.49%.
And those shoppers don’t just come back, they spend more too; the median basket size for a loyalty customer is $106.75 compared to $101.43 for non-members, a 5.24% increase.
Defying Seasons: Are Profits From Loyalty Programs Seasonal or Steady?
The data tells a steady story: loyalty sales were not just strong during peak planting months, they grew year-round.
Across all stores with loyalty programs, loyalty revenue increased by an average of 36% compared to the previous year. Even more striking, stores with low loyalty penetration (less than 10% of sales coming from members) saw an average year-over-year increase of 55.22%.
That kind of growth suggests these programs are more than a seasonal tactic. Loyalty programs appear to be shifting customer behavior in ways that continue to pay off, long after the busiest weekends of spring.
‘Loyalty’ As the New Subscription Model
It may be that you don’t need a monthly shipment to build customer habits.
What garden centers are seeing with loyalty programs mirrors the kind of engagement brands get through paid subscriptions. Research from the Journal of Marketing Research showed that subscribed customers typically show higher engagement, more consistent spending patterns, and increased predictability over time.
Similarly, loyalty shoppers returned more consistently, spent more, and seemed to view the store as a part of their routine, not just a place to browse once a season.
This shift toward habit-driven shopping gives garden centers a major advantage. Rather than competing on discounts or convenience, they can build relationships rooted in trust, familiarity, and ongoing value.
Don’t Become Wilted: The Cost of Inaction
Loyalty programs are no longer just a nice-to-have, they are becoming a competitive advantage.
With loyalty members driving more than half of total sales in participating stores, the gap between adopters and non-adopters is widening. And with only 30% of garden centers currently running loyalty programs, there is a clear opportunity for others to catch up, or fall behind.
For independent garden centers navigating economic uncertainty, big-box competition, and shifting customer habits, loyalty programs offer something rare: a reliable, relationship-driven path to growth.
Ready to Grow Customer Loyalty?
Rapid Garden POS makes it simple to launch and manage high-impact loyalty programs designed specifically for independent retailers. Click here to learn how you can get started today.
Methodology:
We analyzed sales data from 148 independent garden centers across the U.S., identifying 45 stores with at least one recorded loyalty sale as having an active loyalty program. We compared these stores against non-loyalty stores on total sales, percentage of revenue from loyalty members, basket size, and year-over-year growth. Loyalty stores were also grouped into three tiers based on program penetration (over 50%, 10–49.99%, and under 10% of sales from members) to highlight performance differences across program maturity levels.
