Salvatoré surprises Québec by jumping straight to the top spot, while Canadians appear to be reaching a plateau in their use of loyalty programs

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 29, 2026 /CNW/ -- Are loyalty programs becoming a restaurant industry phenomenon? That's what the LoyauT 2026 rankings suggest—a study conducted by adviso in partnership with Ad Hoc Research, which annually analyzes the performance of loyalty programs in Quebec and Canada. This 9^th edition is based in part on responses from 15,000 Canadians and an evaluation of 83 loyalty programs, providing a comprehensive picture of consumer habits and expectations.

This year, the rankings reveal a particularly marked shift in the market: restaurant and coffee programs now occupy eight of the top ten spots in Canada—a dramatic rise compared to previous editions. In Québec, they account for half of the Top 10.

Another notable development: Salvatoré has jumped straight to the top of the Québec rankings, ahead of well-established programs such as Tim Hortons' FidéliTim and Domino's Rewards.

The restaurant industry takes the lead in Canada's Top 10

TOP 10 CANADA

Eight of the ten programs in Canada's Top 10 are now associated with fast food or coffee, compared to just four in 2025 and only one in 2024.

The arrival of Chipotle Rewards is particularly noteworthy: absent from last year's rankings, the program immediately rose to the top of the rankings, dethroning Burger King, which held the top spot in 2025.

Tim Hortons' rise is also notable. The program moved from 14^th to 9^th place, a jump of five spots.

In Québec, Salvatoré makes a big splash

TOP 10 QUÉBEC

This is a major shift from 2025, when the top three were Domino's, McDonald's, and PC Optimum. Salvatoré has thus immediately moved ahead of several of the country's best-known loyalty programs, while Tim Hortons has climbed from sixth to second place.

Loyalty programs are also becoming a way to save money

In a climate where the cost of living remains a major concern, the financial value of these programs remains central to their appeal.

As a result, 69% of Canadians say loyalty programs help them save money, while 67% use them to earn more rewards and discounts.

These programs also have a tangible influence on consumer choices. The proportion of Canadians who say they often or very often change their product choices to maximize their points will reach 37% in 2026—the same level observed in 2025—after rising from 23% in 2021 to 37% in 2025.

This stability could signal a shift in dynamics: after several years of growth, certain loyalty-related behaviors appear to be leveling off.

An average of 22 programs… but only 9 are used regularly

This trend is particularly telling when we look at the number of programs consumers are enrolled in.

Canadians are members of 22 loyalty programs on average, but use only 9 of them regularly. Both of these figures remain unchanged from 2025.

The conclusion is clear: consumers continue to have access to a multitude of programs, but their engagement and active use are no longer growing.

For brands, the challenge is therefore no longer simply to recruit new members, but to succeed in becoming one of the programs that consumers actually choose to use.

Trust remains a challenge: Fraud affects nearly half of Canadians

The proliferation of programs and accounts also raises trust issues. According to LoyauT 2026, 42% of Canadians have been victims of at least one instance of fraud related to a credit card or loyalty program.

Here are the details:

• 18% have been victims of fraud related to a loyalty program;
• 37% have been victims of credit card fraud;
• 42% have experienced at least one of these two situations.

As these programs increasingly rely on personal data and digital interactions, trust has become an essential component of the loyalty experience.

18- to 34-year-olds: More loyalty programs, greater interest in premium benefits

Young adults once again stand out for their level of participation in loyalty programs.

On average, 18- to 34-year-olds are enrolled in 24 programs and use 10 of them, compared to 21 and 8, respectively, among those aged 35 and older.

They are also more likely to join paid premium programs: 44% of 18- to 34-year-olds are members of at least one such program, compared to 24% of those aged 35 and older, excluding Costco and Amazon Prime.

These results illustrate an interesting paradox: younger consumers are both the ones who subscribe to the greatest number of programs and the ones who seem most willing to pay for added value. Young people also have the lowest loyalty threshold and the highest expectations when it comes to customer experience (UX).

"Loyalty programs have come of age. Today, we're seeing highly advanced initiatives in virtually every industry, with brands going well beyond traditional reward mechanisms or segmented communications. The real question is no longer whether to launch a program, but how to build a distinctive loyalty experience that truly reflects the brand and gives consumers a reason to stay engaged. The programs that stand out are those that succeed in making this experience simple, relevant, and generous. This year, restaurant loyalty programs illustrate this evolution particularly well."

"Furthermore, seeing a Quebec program take the top spot—ahead of several of the biggest international programs—is certainly one of the surprises of this year's edition. But beyond the rankings, this result above all illustrates just how much consumer expectations have evolved: the top-performing programs are no longer content to simply offer rewards. They create a consistent, distinctive loyalty experience that is deeply rooted in their brand identity."

— Simon Éthier, consultant, omnichannel commerce, monetization, and strategy, adviso

ABOUT ADVISO

For more than 20 years, adviso, a business and marketing consulting firm, has been supporting Quebec's and Canada's leading brands in their most strategic decisions by putting them into action through a combination of business intelligence, creativity, and technology. Our expertise in relationship marketing and customer loyalty was further strengthened with the acquisition of R3 Marketing in 2022.

ABOUT AD HOC RESEARCH

For more than 40 years, Ad Hoc Research has helped organizations better understand their markets, customers, and audiences. A recognized marketing intelligence firm known for its agile and rigorous approach, Ad Hoc combines research expertise with a deep understanding of business challenges to turn data into meaningful insights and concrete opportunities for action.

SOURCE adviso