Loyalty Software Baumarkt: Projektkunden dauerhaft binden

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Loyalty Software in Home Improvement Stores: Why This Will Be a Priority in 2026

Industry revenue of €24.84 billion, with only a slight stabilization, demonstrates just how important existing customers have become in the DIY retail sector. After two years of decline, the German home improvement market stood at -0.8% in 2024, while major chains such as Bauhaus, OBI, and Hornbach were only just able to escape the downward trend. In such an environment, loyalty software is no longer a nice-to-have but a tool for driving repeat purchases, first-party data, and profitable growth. Those who wish to delve deeper into the fundamentals will find further insights in our article on customer loyalty software.

Gleichzeitig steigen die Erwartungen der Kunden an digitale Programme spürbar. Laut der Studie der IFH MEDIA ANALYTICS und MEDIA CENTRAL nutzen bereits 55 % der Baumarktkunden Loyalty-Apps; 77 % wollen Punkte sammeln und 75 % Rabatte digital einlösen. Der Kundenmonitor Deutschland 2025 zeigt zudem eine verbesserte Zufriedenheit im DIY-Einzelhandel mit einem Durchschnittswert von 2,21. Service, App-Komfort und reibungslose Prozesse am POS werden also messbar wichtiger.

Die Branche modernisiert ihre Programme bereits sichtbar. Globus Baumarkt baut Bonuskarte und App aus, hagebau ersetzt Sofortrabatte durch Bonuslogiken, OBI stärkt mit heyOBI Profi den B2B-Kanal. Die zentrale Frage lautet deshalb nicht mehr, ob ein Baumarkt Loyalty braucht, sondern welche Software das komplexe Zusammenspiel aus Filiale, Online-Shop, App, Couponing und Statusmanagement zuverlässig abbilden kann.
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Why standard loyalty software often falls short in the DIY retail sector

Project-based purchasing instead of daily usage

Home improvement store customers shop based on specific projects, not on a weekly basis. Someone renovating a bathroom or building a deck will have a large shopping cart for a few weeks and may then disappear for months. Loyalty software for home improvement stores must therefore identify project phases, encourage follow-up purchases within a project, and effectively re-engage customers once the project is complete. A simple points system without context quickly loses its relevance in this context.

Retail and business customers require different approaches

The dual B2C/B2B structure is one of the most important selection criteria. Retail customers expect inspiration, coupons, digital receipts, and seasonal perks. Business customers, on the other hand, want clear pricing structures, purchase on account, employee cards, faster processes, and service-oriented benefits. If a platform cannot accommodate both worlds within a single set of rules, data silos and duplicate operational structures will reemerge.

Omnichannel, seasonal factors, and customer service must work together

In the home improvement market, it’s not a single channel that matters, but the sum of all touchpoints. POS, online store, click-and-collect, app, wallet pass, service counter, and workshops must all be interconnected. Especially in the DIY segment—with its gardening season, renovation cycles, and high demand for advice—simply sending out coupons isn’t enough. The software must consolidate events from all channels and derive personalized actions from them. The growing online share in the industry—such as Hornbach’s 12.9% online revenue share in 9M 2025/26—also demonstrates the relevance of this approach.

A Comparison of Loyalty Programs at German Home Improvement Stores

The market is clearly shifting from static loyalty cards toward digital rewards and service ecosystems. This is particularly evident in programs that combine apps, rewards systems, and omnichannel services. When selecting the right loyalty software, it is therefore worth taking a look at current industry standards.

The most challenging step is often the transition from instant discounts to a smart rewards system. The hagebau example illustrates this perfectly: customers need to understand the new value proposition, while the software must simultaneously and seamlessly implement new rules, status levels, coupons, and POS processes. Globus also highlights the trend toward making the app the central hub for purchases, rewards balances, and digital receipts.

For decision-makers, this market overview is more than just a competitive analysis. It highlights the minimum capabilities a platform must have today: multi-tenant functionality, POS integration, flexible rules, omnichannel couponing, and segmented communication for both private and business customers.
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What features does loyalty software really need in a home improvement store?

POS integration and offline capability

The point of sale (POS) is where loyalty programs succeed or fail in everyday use. Bonus inquiries, coupon verification, status recognition, and digital identification must run in real time, ideally without any noticeable delay at the checkout. At the same time, offline capability is essential in home improvement stores, particularly in warehouse or garden center areas with inconsistent network coverage. A viable platform therefore requires robust POS integrations and clean fallback logic. You can find more on this in the Tech and Integration section.

Regulatory frameworks for B2C, B2B, and partnership structures

A DIY platform must support various business models within a single system. This includes annual sales tiers, status-based benefits, employee cards for tradespeople, local campaigns at individual locations, and centralized governance. Especially in cooperative models like hagebau, a finely tuned system of roles and permissions is crucial so that headquarters and local locations can work with the same platform without interfering with one another.

Couponing, Automation, and Project Support

Modern home improvement store loyalty programs reward not only purchases but also relevant behavior. This includes app registrations, workshop participation, product reviews, reactivation after a project is completed, or project-related cross-selling offers. For example, someone who buys tile adhesive and grout is likely working on a bathroom project and should receive different content than a gardening customer in April. This is precisely where loyalty, couponing, and engagement converge into a single discipline.

• Real-time functionality at the POS is a must. Points, bonus credits, and coupons must be available at the register without any disruption in service.
• Segmentation shouldn't stop at individual customers. Business customers, teams, and multi-card plans need their own sets of rules and benefits.
• Seasonal automation reduces the operational workload. Campaigns for the gardening season, renovation season, or winter services should be able to be launched based on predefined rules.
• Client and role-based concepts are often decisive factors in purchasing decisions within the DIY segment. Centralized control and local flexibility must be possible simultaneously.
• Project-based approaches are more effective in the home improvement market than generic loyalty programs. The software should be able to derive specific follow-up actions based on shopping carts and purchase patterns.

Convercus becomes particularly relevant when home improvement stores want to manage these components through a single platform. The solution combines a loyalty engine, couponing, engagement, and API-first integration for complex retail environments. With clients such as OBI and toom, as well as over 40 million loyalty accounts and over 116 million transactions, it is clear that such requirements can be effectively managed even on a large scale.
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Data Privacy, API Performance, and Operational Security

Implement the GDPR properly

Loyalty programs in home improvement stores are always also data protection initiatives. As soon as purchase histories, app usage, digital receipts, and personalized communications are combined, a clear legal basis is required. Of particular relevance are Art. 6(1) GDPR for the processing of personal data, Art. 25 GDPR for privacy by design, and Art. 28 GDPR for data processing by the SaaS provider. For push notifications, email, or app tracking, a consent mechanism may also be required; for access to end devices, § 25 TTDSG must also be observed.

Enterprise Performance at the POS

Legal certainty alone isn’t enough when transactions slow down. In the home improvement market, APIs must remain stable even during high volumes of concurrent transactions, weekend rushes, and seasonal peaks. Key questions for the provider are therefore: How fast is the response time? Are there monitoring, retry mechanisms, and offline scenarios in place? How are online and offline data merged without creating duplicates or delays? Especially with millions of customer accounts, scalability is not just a technical detail, but a matter of securing revenue.
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The Business Case: How Loyalty Software Pays Off in the DIY Sector

Illustrative calculation example for a chain store

Even small changes in behavior can have a major impact on sales at a home improvement store. Let’s take a chain with 100 locations, 500,000 loyalty members, and an average annual revenue of €400 per member. If 10% of these members make an additional purchase with an €80 shopping cart through improved reactivation, this results in 50,000 additional purchases and thus €4 million in additional revenue. If the same retailer increases its share of wallet per member by just 5% and we assume a DIY budget of €1,200 per household, this represents a further €30 million in potential. These figures are illustrative but demonstrate the scale of the opportunity.

Which KPIs Really Matter

In the DIY retail sector, customer lifetime value is usually a more meaningful metric than simple purchase frequency. Focusing solely on coupon redemption overlooks whether projects are extending, shopping carts are growing, or professional customers are becoming more loyal. In loyalty setups with Convercus, repurchase rates of up to +274%, shopping cart values of +134%, and a 5x ROI have already been achieved; a white-label app can also contribute to 8x higher customer engagement. Such figures are not a general DIY industry average, but a realistic indication of the potential inherent in well-orchestrated programs.

• The repurchase rate shows whether reactivation is truly effective. It is a key indicator, especially when customers have gone a long time without making a purchase.
• Share of Wallet measures strategic impact. It shows whether a larger portion of the project budget is allocated to your brand.
• The shopping cart total highlights the benefits of upselling and cross-selling. This is particularly relevant for renovation and gardening projects.
• Redemption rates alone are not enough. They should always be evaluated in relation to margin, additional revenue, and customer value.
• Building a first-party data foundation is a key component of ROI. Every registered identity improves segmentation, media efficiency, and personalization.
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Trends for 2026: The Future of Customer Loyalty in the DIY Sector

AI-powered personalization and project clustering

The future of home improvement store loyalty is project-based, not just transaction-based. AI-powered models can identify purchasing patterns such as bathroom renovations, the gardening season, or flooring projects, and automatically trigger relevant follow-up communications. Instead of generic newsletters, these models generate triggers for project progress updates, accessories, services, or post-completion re-engagement. For retailers, this means less wasted reach and more relevant touchpoints throughout the entire project cycle.

ESG Incentives and Values-Based Benefits

Sustainability is evolving from a communication topic into a loyalty mechanism. According to the IMS Retail Loyalty Study for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH), 72% of consumers surveyed want loyalty programs to promote social trends such as climate neutrality. In the home improvement sector, this translates into concrete actions: rewards for sustainable products, recycling services, repair workshops, or donation-based rewards. Younger target groups, in particular, increasingly expect a brand to demonstrate not only price advantages but also a commitment to social responsibility.

App-first, Wallet Pass, and gamification

The app is becoming the operational hub of modern customer engagement. Digital maps, wallet passes, couponing, push notifications, digital receipts, and appointment or workshop bookings are converging. In addition, gamification elements are gaining relevance, such as seasonal challenges, project milestones, or rewarded reviews. Those who want to delve deeper into this approach will find further practical insights in the article on App-First Loyalty and in the Engagement section.
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Selection Guide: How to Find the Right Loyalty Software for Your Home Improvement Store

A Realistic Assessment of Make vs. Buy

In-house solutions often look more appealing on paper than they are in practice. In the home improvement sector in particular, teams regularly underestimate the complexity of POS integrations, multi-tenant models, couponing rules, data protection, app logic, and ongoing optimization. A specialized SaaS solution significantly shortens the time to value, provided it is built with an API-first approach, delivers enterprise-grade performance, and understands the specific processes involved in DIY. Those who want to work on their strategies in parallel will also find helpful starting points in our articles on increasing customer loyalty and customer recovery.

7 Questions You Should Ask Every Provider

1. How does POS integration actually work? Let us show you how points, status, and coupons are processed at the register.
2. What offline scenarios does the platform support? Especially when network coverage is unreliable, you need robust fallbacks.
3. Can the software manage both residential and commercial customers within a single system? Without separate sets of rules, things can quickly get complicated in the DIY segment.
4. How are partnership or franchise structures represented? Multi-client support and role models are essential here.
5. What data and consent models are available? GDPR, consent, and data minimization must be taken into account at the product level.
6. Which KPIs are tracked by default? Focus on CLV, repurchase rate, and average cart value—not just coupon redemption.
7. How complex is it to migrate an existing program? Points, statuses, cards, histories, and digital receipts must be transferred accurately.

The best platform isn’t the one with the most features, but the one that best fits your specific retail reality. For home improvement stores, this means: a high volume of store operations, complex point-of-sale systems, project-based purchasing patterns, and seamless integration of service, commerce, and customer loyalty.

Conclusion: Loyalty software is a growth driver in the home improvement industry, not a side project

The DIY industry doesn’t need generic loyalty card software; it needs a robust loyalty platform. Project-based purchases, high-value shopping carts, professional customers, seasonality, and omnichannel processes make home improvement stores a unique case in retail. Software that fails to account for these specific characteristics may provide a program, but it won’t serve as an effective tool for driving repeat purchases, share of wallet, and first-party data.

If you want to implement a loyalty program in the home improvement sector in a way that’s both strategically sound and technically robust, it’s worth taking a closer look at Convercus. The platform combines a loyalty engine, couponing, engagement tools, and API-first integration for complex retail environments. If you’d like to find out how to modernize your existing rewards program or roll out a new one more quickly, you can take the next step with a personalized live demo.
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Frequently Asked Questions

How complex is it to implement loyalty software at a home improvement store?

The effort involved depends primarily on the POS system, the available data, and the complexity of the program. A clearly defined initial rollout featuring a digital loyalty card, coupons, and a few core rules can be implemented much more quickly than a full-scale relaunch that includes data migration, an app, and advanced customer logic. The key is to define a realistic scope for Phase 1.

Will the loyalty software work with our existing POS system?

Yes, provided the vendor follows an API-first approach and has experience with POS systems. Key considerations include real-time queries, stable interfaces, offline fallbacks, and thorough testing prior to rollout. Especially within a retail network, POS integration should always be tested early on.

Is loyalty software GDPR-compliant?

The software can be operated in compliance with the GDPR if processes and legal bases are properly implemented. Relevant provisions include Article 6 of the GDPR regarding processing, Article 25 of the GDPR regarding privacy by design, and Article 28 of the GDPR regarding data processing by a processor. In addition, consent procedures and data erasure policies should be taken into account from the outset.

Can we migrate an existing rewards program?

In most cases, yes, but migration is not merely a data transfer. Points, status levels, vouchers, card IDs, histories, and communication logic must be remapped according to business requirements. It usually makes sense to perform a migration that streamlines old rules and simplifies new mechanisms in a targeted manner.

How much does loyalty software cost for a home improvement store?

Costs depend on the number of users, transaction volume, channels, and the scope of implementation. Therefore, simple monthly estimates are usually insufficient. For a reliable calculation, you should always take into account POS integration, app features, couponing, analytics, and ongoing success management.

What should a hardware store start with?

The best place to start is with a clearly measurable use case. These often include digitizing a loyalty card, creating personalized coupons for seasonal campaigns, or reactivating inactive buyers after a project is completed. This quickly establishes a business case before more complex status and business logic is developed.