Nike leads the athletic footwear category in the Brand Keys' 2025 Consumer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI) that identifies brands excelling in cultivating customer devotion.
The index surveyed over 81,000 consumers aged 16-65, analyzing attitudes toward 1,100 brands across 104 categories, revealing how loyalty predicts purchasing behavior, sales, and market share.
Nike is followed by Adidas and New Balance. Dick's Sporting Goods tops sporting goods retailers, with Academy and Big 5 rounding out the top three. Zappos takes gold in online shoes, with Amazon and a tie between Footlocker and Nike following.
Amazon dominates online retail, followed by Walmart and Etsy. Levi's leads apparel retail, with Zara, Old Navy, and Ralph Lauren also recognized. Macy's takes the top spot for department stores, while Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and Family Dollar lead in discount retail. Costco reigns supreme in price clubs.
Brand Keys emphasizes the increasing impact of loyalty on profitability. They found it costs significantly more to acquire new customers than retain existing ones. A mere 5 per cent loyalty increase can boost lifetime customer profits by up to 86 per cent, and even a 2 per cent increase can equal the savings of a 28 per cent cost reduction program.
Loyal customers are six times more likely to engage with a brand, think of that brand first, and make initial and repeat purchases. This engagement directly correlates with increased market share and stronger financial performance.
Noting the dramatic shift in the loyalty paradigm over the past decade, Robert Passikoff, President, Brand Keys, emphasizes, true loyalty is complex and must be measured, achieved, and leveraged strategically. More than just awareness or satisfaction, it is deeper connection that drives customer behavior and ultimately, business success, he says.
