Britain has become a nation of subscribers. By 2021, 81% of UK households had at least one subscription, with the market valued at £1.8 billion. In the past nine years, the subscription economy hasn’t just expanded, it’s multiplied sixfold, reshaping the way we consume. Netflix alone grew from just 4.2% household penetration in 2014 to nearly 25% by late 2023​, while Amazon Prime Video’s UK subscriber base jumped from 1.2 million in 2014 to 13 million in 2023​.

Not long ago, we owned our entertainment—DVDs, CDs, and physical video games stacked high. Then came Netflix and Spotify, offering instant access to vast libraries for a small monthly fee. Suddenly, access replaced possession: why buy one song when you can stream thousands? Why own a box set when entire genres are at your fingertips? What started as a shift in media soon rippled across industries.

The rapid growth of the subscription economy highlights a fundamental shift in consumer expectations—people now demand convenience, personalisation, and increasingly, cross-brand value. “Consumers no longer view loyalty in isolation,” says Zappit, a UK-based company specialising in digital couponing and cashback technologies. “Being loyal to just one brand feels restrictive when loyalty can unlock a network of interconnected benefits.” To address this shift, they recommend building a network of reasons to stay, making unsubscribing feel like walking away from valuable benefits you use every day. Digital couponing plays a key role in this strategy, creating interconnected brand ecosystems—such as a fitness subscription offering grocery discounts or a meal kit service providing savings on cooking essentials. The future of loyalty lies in dynamic, multi-brand engagement, where a single membership unlocks a network of benefits.​

While ecosystems and everyday relevance are essential, emotion remains a core driver of loyalty. For Element, a specialist prize and incentive agency, the most powerful loyalty moments are often the unexpected ones. In their recent Golden Ticket promotion with meal-kit brand Gousto, Element transformed a routine recipe delivery into a moment of surprise, delight, and discovery. Inside their regular boxes, lucky Gousto customers found golden tickets confirming them as prize winners—unlocking rewards such as free meal kits, one-month subscriptions, holidays, weekend breaks, cinema memberships, and cultural experiences.

What made the campaign stand out was the careful selection of prizes that echoed Gousto’s broader message. International destinations like Mexico, Greece, New York, and Vietnam were tied to recipe themes, while cinema rewards and Royal Albert Hall experiences aligned with Gousto’s ‘Steal the Show’ advertising campaign. This campaign reinforces that great loyalty doesn’t always have to be transactional—it can be emotional, playful, and personal. And in a subscription world where unsubscribing is just a click away, these moments of unexpected joy can make all the difference.

In 2025, winning the retention battle belongs to brands that build a network of reasons to stay, making unsubscribing feel like walking away from benefits they use every day. By offering more than a product or service—through digital couponing, surprise rewards, or cross-brand perks—they can create promotions that transform a routine recipe delivery into a moment of surprise, delight, and discovery. However, as the subscription economy grows, so do the risks of “subscription traps”, where consumers are unknowingly signed up for recurring payments due to unclear terms or complicated opt-out processes. The ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) has made it clear that such practices undermine consumer confidence and can run the risk of regulatory action. By building loyalty on a foundation of transparency, brands can build lasting relationships, protect their reputation, and continue to evolve with the subscription economy, ensuring that subscribers feel valued, informed, and loyal for years to come.