Slyp

A couple of weeks ago, the Slyp team had the pleasure of participating in one of Amazon Web Services (AWS)' AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Lifecycle) workshops, to get hands-on with how agentic AI is reshaping the way modern software gets built. We're not ready to share the specifics yet (some things are worth the wait), but here's what we can tell you. It's another way we're investing in the engine behind our loyalty experience, so we can keep building smarter, faster, more personalised solutions for the retailers we work with. Because here's a truth we think more of the industry needs to hear. A swanky loyalty app doesn't create loyalty. Customers only ever see the tip of the iceberg, the rewards app. The real value sits below the surface, in everything powering it - the loyalty engine, AI personalisation, customer intelligence, the data platform, analytics and insights. Skip that layer, and you get generic experiences, manual effort, slow and costly innovation, murky ROI, and inevitably another app replacement in 2–3 years. That's exactly why we obsess over what's underneath. We're not just building an app, we're building the infrastructure that turns everyday transactions into real, measurable loyalty. More to come soon. A big thank you to Rosy L. and the AWS team for hosting us!

Ask a retailer which loyalty platform is the best one in Australia, and most will answer with a brand name before they can explain why. But the question itself is worth pausing on before reaching for an answer. A loyalty platform isn't a product you rank on a feature checklist. It's infrastructure sitting between your point of sale, your payments, and your customer relationship, and what makes one genuinely better than another has very little to do with brand recognition or price. It comes down to three things: whether it changes customer behaviour rather than just tracking activity, whether a retailer can actually run it without an enterprise-sized technical team, and whether the cost of the platform is being weighed against its impact on margin, rather than compared as a sticker price. Programs that simply offer points balances have never answered any of those questions. They tell you what was redeemed, not what was influenced. We wrote up the full framework, explaining what "best" should actually mean for a retailer evaluating loyalty platforms in 2026, and why the cheapest option is rarely the same as the most cost-effective one.

We’re thrilled to announce that Happy Rewards, from The Happy Apple, is now live in the Go Rewards app! The Happy Apple is known for its focus on fresh produce, quality products, and a genuine connection to the local community. With a loyal customer base at its core, it’s a brand built on trust, care, and great food. We’re excited to see Happy Rewards become a natural extension of that - giving customers even more reasons to feel valued, recognised, and rewarded every time they shop. A huge thank you to The Happy Apple team for being incredible partners throughout this launch. We're excited to see this finally come to life!

It's been a busy start to the year! Here's looking back at some of the recent highlights and news coming out of Slyp.

We’re thrilled to announce SPAR Australia Ltd has launched their brand new loyalty program, powered by the Slyp. Now the fun starts, as we continue to work with SPAR Australia to realise the full potential of loyalty — helping to better understand how customers shop, deliver more personalised experiences, and unlock new growth opportunities. Looking forward to seeing the new SPAR Rewards program roll out across the country and the impact it delivers for both their retailers and customers. Read more on the exciting news here 👉 https://lnkd.in/g3piwAAp

70% increase in spend. 27x return on investment. 1 loyalty campaign. This is what happens when loyalty moves beyond discounts and starts influencing behaviour. Introducing Hill Street Rewards, the revamped loyalty program from Tasmanian favourite, Hill Street Grocer. Despite already having a much loved rewards program in place, the team at Hill Street recognised how a new program could help them to to better understand their customers and provide them with personalised offers more suited to how they shop. The result? Bigger baskets. More frequent shops. Measurable growth. A huge credit to the team at Hill Street for showing how modern loyalty is helping to fuel growth for independent retailers. 👉 Read the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/g-Rpe5ec

Are you sure your loyalty program is actually working? Not “working” as in: • Customers are earning points • People are signed up • It’s running in the background But working as in: • Changing how often customers visit • Increasing basket size • Influencing what people buy next Because if it’s not doing those things… it might just be costing you margin. Curious - what’s one thing you wish your loyalty program did better?

Australia’s major supermarkets aren't winning on loyalty because they’re bigger. They're winning because they've built systems around understanding customer behaviour. Flybuys and Everyday Rewards work because they’re: • Effortless • Behaviour-driven • Designed to reinforce frequency For independent retailers, the opportunity isn’t to copy the majors feature by feature. It’s to combine what they already do brilliantly, with modern loyalty infrastructure. In our latest article, we unpack: ✔ What Coles & Woolworths get right about loyalty ✔ Why loyalty is now non-negotiable in grocery ✔ How independents can compete on relevance, not scale Loyalty isn’t about size. It’s about systems.

Most loyalty programs don't fail because of technology. They fail because they're built around transactions, not people. Points, discounts, tiers - none of these create loyalty on their own. What actually works? • Relevance at the right moment • Low friction to earn and redeem • A clear value exchange customers understand Independent retailers actually have an advantage here with often closer customer relationships, local context and flexibility. The challenge isn't caring about customers. It's having the tools to act on that intent. What's the biggest frustration you've had with loyalty programs (as a retailer or a shopper)?

Loyalty isn’t optional anymore. - 89% of grocery customers say loyalty influences where they shop. - 83% are already part of a loyalty program. Having a loyalty program is now the baseline. The real differentiator is how well you understand your customers. Points still matter, but insight is what turns loyalty into growth. Independent retailers - as we kick off the new year, consider how you can compete on loyalty without competing on scale. 🔗 Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gtBtRHhW