The idea

When you launch a tiered programme, count what customers bought before the programme launched. A regular gets the tier they would have earned had the programme been running all along, rather than starting from zero next to someone who walked in yesterday.

From day one, the programme shows customers that the brand recognises what they've already done. Their past purchases count, and nobody has to prove their loyalty all over again.

It doesn't suit everyone. But for e-commerce, content platforms, banks, insurers, airlines, hotels and anyone else who identifies the customer at every sale, we think it deserves a serious look.

Example 1: Kith (USA)

Kith announced its programme on 25 January 2024, and it went live in the app the next day. At launch, members were credited with their entire purchase history.

• Status for life: tiers are based on lifetime points and never drop. Lifetime status deserves its own article, so we'll leave it there.
• Points exist only to earn status: they can't be spent and don't expire.
• How points are earned: more for Kith's own products and collaborations than for other brands; "Moments" for checking in at Kith pop-ups and stores; "Achievements" for tasks unrelated to buying, such as completing preferences in the app or taking part in competitions.
• Every tier: a welcome reward, a birthday reward, early access to sales and selected products, and tier-only products.
• Top tier: access to Kith Vault archive re-releases, skip-the-queue entry and checkout at selected stores, and invitations to private Kith events.

That's not the full list of benefits.

Example 2: HUGO BOSS XP (UK)

HUGO BOSS XP launched in the UK in June 2024, in Germany and France that October, then in China and the US in 2025.

• At UK launch, members of the previous HUGO BOSS Experience scheme went straight into a tier based on their purchases over the previous 12 months. Germany did the same at its own launch, counting the 12 months beforehand.
• Points decide the tier and can't be exchanged for cash. Tier status is reviewed every 24 months.
• Rewards come as tokens in the app, earned through store visits and purchases from selected collections.
• From the first tier: a personal stylist, a free alteration on a full-price suit, a birthday gift, receipt-free exchanges and members-only products.
• Silver and Gold add repairs, a VIP welcome in store, free alterations on every full-price item, limited editions, invitations to special events and priority service.
• Black: unlimited repairs, a personal concierge for requests such as restaurant bookings and travel, and global events by personal invitation only. And that's not the full list.

Two approaches

Kith counted everything and made status permanent. HUGO BOSS looked back one year and reviews status every two years, so the top tiers belong to the people who are active now rather than to customers who stopped buying long ago. What the two have in common: service and emotion, rather than savings, sit at the heart of both programmes.

What HUGO BOSS's public figures show (all markets)

• more than 10 million members by the end of 2024, up 25% YoY;
• more than 13 million by the end of 2025;
• more than 14 million by mid-2026, up 16% YoY, with young shoppers making up almost half of new members.

What it does for the business

• Engagement from day one: members already hold a status, and losing something hurts more than never having it.
• Goodwill from day one, and members who promote the programme for you: the brand has real member stories to tell from launch.
• A more accurate P&L: you budget on the actual tier mix from day one, not a forecast.
• Brand perception: while competitors promise, you've already delivered.

What to take away

1. Crediting past purchases is the quickest way to show regular customers that the programme was built for them.
2. Decide how far back to go depending on your goal: the full history rewards long-standing customers; the last year rewards active ones and keeps the cost of benefits in check.
3. Before launch, work out how many customers will land in each tier on day one, and check that the programme can afford the top-tier benefits.

How much history would you credit your customers with, if you could: all of it, or just the last year?

LOYALZ is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of the companies mentioned. This review is based on publicly available sources and reflects LOYALZ's opinion. Company and programme names are used for identification only and belong to their respective owners.

Figures are taken from the sources cited and were checked on 10 October 2026. Programme terms may change. If you spot an inaccuracy, let us know and we'll check it and put it right.