Brighton and Hove have become home to some 16,000 businesses. All are in pursuit of a similar broad goal of growing their customer bases and increasing revenues. On the latter, it’s well-known in the business world that customer retention is more cost-effective and more lucrative than acquiring new buyers.
Stats and estimations vary, but generally, the cost of acquiring new customers tends to be between five and ten times more than getting an existing customer to buy again. Further, existing customers will spend around two-thirds more than a newcomer. So, it’s well worth the effort to foster customer loyalty and repeat business.
Brighton Businesses Can Leverage Local Benefits
Brighton has embraced its place as a hub for business in Britain. Easily one of the most highly anticipated events each year for locals is the Brighton Business Expo 2025. Not only is it a great place to connect with other businesses and network, but it also puts on a strong slate of punchy, informative free seminars.
First on the billing in 2025 was Social Media That Sells: How to Turn Scrolls into Sales. Hosted by the CEO of IntelligenceMKT, Daniele Penariol, it was a particularly useful session for those looking to foster greater customer loyalty. As it goes, social media is a very powerful tool for reaching the right audience and creating loyal followers.
Beyond the expos that take place away from the eyes of customers, there are plenty of other useful schemes for building a more loyal customer base. Back in 2014, for example, VisitBrighton furthered its partnership program to offer local businesses marketing and PR support. It was a strong way to promote promotions for all customers.
Plus, there’s a Brighton-specific gift card that businesses can join. In a form of loyalty reward for people who shop and spend around Brighton, the Brilliant Brighton Gift Card lets customers easily spend at a whole host of local and high street stores. Joining this scheme could make fans of the card even more inclined to come back for another shop.
A Need to Be Constantly Competitive Online
Along with competing in stores and learning how to leverage online platforms like social media, some businesses that rely more on online customers need to constantly have a competitive offering. One arena in which businesses can emerge as even more competitive is in promotions, bonuses, vouchers, and discount codes.
Stats reveal that nine in ten British customers have used a discount code, that over 75 per cent of people use digital coupons for food shops, and that around 80 per cent of adults are part of one or more loyalty schemes. Businesses that offer a way to claim a promotion before making a purchase will see their basket conversions rise.
Some arenas are so competitive that promotions are essential for both new customers and existing ones. You can see this in play at the Great Britain casino. While the Penny Roulette, Cashback Blackjack, and Streak of Luck Double Dice are what customers come for, they certainly explore the promotions page to get free spins and bingo.
Having a dedicated page that people can go to for discount codes, free samples, and other such promotions can work as a big selling point for new and existing customers. For existing customers, emails have become the preferred method for receiving marketing. Apparently, almost two-in-three want to receive emails with new offers.
Brighton is a very business-friendly environment that offers firms multiple tools to encourage customer loyalty. Of course, this can only go so far, and new avenues need to be explored to increase customer retention rates – particularly in the online space.
