One in three people feel loyalty towards restaurants, cafes and coffee shops, with slightly fewer (28%) doing so for pubs and clubs, according to a new report that says the economic downturn has led to the rise of the “promiscuous customer” with no obvious loyalty. The report from Ipsos Mori and The Logic Group found that restaurant/cafes/coffee shops were fifth on a list of 19 consumer-facing businesses in terms of generating customer loyalty, behind banks/building societies (66%), supermarkets (62%), mobile phone network operators (53%), and mobile handset manufacturers (33%). Below the bars/pubs/clubs category were the likes of clothes shops (26%), cinemas/theatres (23%) and garden centres/DIY stores (20%). Hotels generated the least loyalty, with just 12% of customers saying they feel loyalty towards them. The report, which tracked trends in consumer attitudes since 2009, found that sustained economic uncertainty since then has created the “promiscuous consumer”, who displays no obvious loyalty, instead choosing to shop around for the best bargains and, quite often, holding multiple loyalty scheme memberships. More than three quarters of consumers subscribe to loyalty schemes, the report adds, and the uptake has been strongest for online voucher discount organisations, although satisfaction with these types of schemes is amongst the lowest. “The definition of customer loyalty has undergone a fundamental change in the past four years of economic uncertainty, and the Internet has necessitated a rethink of customer engagement strategies,” said Jon Worley, director of customer interactions at The Logic Group. “Promiscuity on part of the consumer is a reflection of the perceived value of their interaction with merchants and brands. Consumers want more bang for their buck.” The report also highlights the rise in on-line shopping in the UK. It says that today online shopping is more popular in the UK than in any other country in the world, with British consumers now spending an average of £1,083 a year - in 2009, more than 50% of the public did no on-line shopping at all. Nearly one in six (16%) of British consumers admit to openly using their mobile phone to check product details, prices and reviews while shopping in-store. In fact, one in ten consumers have requested loyalty scheme offers on their mobile phones, and over one in ten have received them on their devices. The report says that 2012 also saw a new breed of social consumers, willing to explore “brand engagement” via social networking. In total 22% of British people visited the Facebook site of a company to which they are loyal, while only 8% have followed a company they feel loyal to on Twitter. Just under a tenth (9%) of adults in Britain have received a loyalty offer via a social networking site. “The rapid proliferation of mobile technology and digital social communications will play an important part in the multichannel customer engagement strategies in 2013,” said Worley. “Today, consumers place maximum emphasis on ‘honesty and integrity’ when judging a company’s reputation. Merchants should integrate mobile and social communications channels to understand their customers better and to encourage a favourable reputation through tailored engagement.”