Most brands still talk about “loyal customers” like it's a personality trait. We talk about how they identify with the brand, how they love and trust the brand and the people behind it. 

"That's why they stay!" marketing declares.

 But is that really true?

Let's go to the data. CouponFollow surveyed about 1,000 U.S. shoppers in March 2026. The picture is much colder.

• Eighty percent say they delay purchases waiting for a discount. Nearly one in four does it regularly. 
• OUCH!
• Eighty-eight percent hunt for a coupon before they buy. 
• NO WAY!
• Sixty-one percent actively avoid paying full price. 
• SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!
• Only 5% stay put at full price when a competitor flashes 20% off, while 37% switch immediately.
• WHAT? 
• Forty-four percent have walked away from a brand they liked once the discounts dried up.
• THAT LAST ONE HURTS BAD!

That is not a mysterious collapse of brand love. That is trained behavior. Retail spent years turning Black Friday into Black November, stacking Prime Day clones, member codes, and personalized markdowns on top of each other. 

PYMNTS put the same diagnosis on Walmart, Target, and Amazon in August 2026: 

The industry undermined the idea of a normal price, and shoppers learned to wait.

Loyalty that only shows up when the coupon does is not loyalty. It's brinkmanship with a smile. 

In Chapter 6 of my new book, Priced to Win, I warn about what happens when you reward staying with a lower number: “Loyalty turns into entitlement.” 

Victor Antonio

Sources: CouponFollow, March 2026 survey · PYMNTS, Aug 20, 2026