At the heart of loyalty strategies are genuine connections with customers, formed by memorable experiences. These experiences are always behind an enhanced customer lifetime value. The focus is not merely on attracting new customers, but on nurturing existing relationships to bring sustainable growth.
Recognising this, Henry Christian, in his new role as head of loyalty & customer digital transformation at Metro Singapore, is prioritising customers and their experiences to foster loyalty.
In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Henry shares his strategies to make Metro Singapore’s customers feel valued, building lasting and meaningful relationships. To meet their expectations, his goal is to nurture true loyalty built on trust and value, enhancing customer journey.
Prioritising customer experience
As a leader in loyalty and customer relationship management, Henry’s primary focus is on caring for customers and making them feel these efforts. Recognising the importance of each customer, Henry prioritises creating remarkable experiences for them.
“It’s not just about transactions—it’s about making every touchpoint special and meaningful,” he said.
As Metro Singapore aims to attract new customers, Henry says it is also focusing on its current loyal customers, who are “at the heart” of their business. To him, caring for customers to make them feel valued is the company’s utmost priority.
“While we embrace innovation and nurture future customers, we must also recognise and reward our existing customers’ loyalty,” he said.
Building the ‘The Loyalty Program’
Prior to his appointment at Metro Singapore, Henry has held leadership roles in various companies, including GoTo Group and NTUC Link. Having a rich experience in ensuring customer loyalty, he shares his key strategy: enabling teamwork.
“It’s never about me—or any single individual in the company. Customer loyalty is never won by one person alone. It’s the collective effort of every team member working together. The entire company must think of itself as The Loyalty Program,” Henry said.
As he steps into his new position at Metro Singapore, he plans to bring a culture of collaboration with him.
“What’s more powerful than any single strategy is a culture—a culture where everyone collaborates to delight our customers through outstanding service and exceptional products. That’s the environment I aim to cultivate at Metro,” he shared.
However, fostering loyalty is not always a smooth sailing journey, especially as ever-changing customer expectations necessitate more complex strategies.
Henry also sees challenges in budget and how the strong Singaporean dollar draws customers away from local retailers and into overseas shopping. Nonetheless, he also sees opportunities to act upon.
“While ‘Design, Quality, and Value are table stakes in our business, the way we engage customers must evolve. There’s a huge opportunity to collaborate with our brand partners and external stakeholders to co-create a sustainable ecosystem—one that benefits Metro, our partners, and most importantly, our customers,” he said.
Innovating approach to brand loyalty
At Metro Singapore, Henry’s approach to innovation in brand loyalty is simple: a return to basics. To strengthen Metro’s loyalty strategies, he explains the essence of first understanding what makes the brand attractive to customers. Knowing its strengths, these characteristics can be amplified.
“At the same time, we can’t wait for future customers to walk through our doors—we need to meet them where they are. It’s about engaging them in their spaces and bringing Metro to them, rather than waiting for them to find us,” he said.
When asked about his vision for the future of marketing in Singapore’s retail landscape, he said, “I don’t have a crystal ball. But one thing is clear—every marketing leader is talking about the same thing: the disruption and amplification of marketing through AI.”
“If harnessed correctly, technology will help us do what we’ve been saying is important for years—personalisation, data-driven marketing, timely engagement, and experiential marketing,” he added.
However, Henry highlights the importance of strategy, citing how a bad one cannot be salvaged by even the best of technologies. To him, mastery of the basics should always be at the foundation of a business.
“Metro is celebrating its 68th anniversary this year—and I want us to celebrate our 100th and beyond. Staying relevant for the next decades means building the right foundation today, one that will carry us into the future,” he concluded.
As his vision for Metro Singapore transcends mere transactional relationships, Henry champions an approach where technology and the fundamentals of service are balanced. Through his efforts with his team, the company is paving a future where brand loyalty becomes the foundation on which Metro Singapore can build and maintain its legacy.