Alshaya Group, one of the world’s most dynamic retail franchise operators, has successfully partnered with Comarch to launch and scale “Aura,” a unified, multi-brand loyalty ecosystem. By deploying the high-performance Comarch Loyalty Management engine, the two companies have created a seamless customer journey that currently serves 8 million registered members across five countries, connecting over 50 international brands under a single digital pulse.
Expanding the Frontiers of Retail Loyalty
Headquartered in Kuwait, Alshaya Group acts as a critical bridge for global icons looking to expand into the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. Managing a vast portfolio including fashion, food, health, beauty, and entertainment, the group faced a “giant’s dilemma”: each brand operated with its own rhythm, but there was no centralized connection. To move away from siloed interactions, Alshaya required a technical architect capable of building a platform that was agile, scalable, and future-proof enough to harmonize 50+ distinct brand identities while supporting millions of real-time transactions across the GCC.
Aura: A High-Performance Engine for the Big Leagues
The solution arrived in 2022 with the launch of Aura, a lifestyle companion powered by Comarch’s API-first architecture. The system was integrated across Alshaya’s entire physical and digital footprint, ensuring that points hit a member’s account in real-time—whether they are grabbing a latte at Starbucks, a blazer at H&M, or shopping at global favorites like Victoria’s Secret, Foot Locker, M.A.C, and New Balance. While the engine is centralized, it provides individual brands the flexibility to run bespoke offers, debunking the “one-size-fits-all” myth of traditional loyalty programs. This phased masterpiece was rolled out across Kuwait, KSA, UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain, ensuring a smooth transition in every market.Industry-Leading Results and Global Recognition
The collaboration has yielded staggering results, including an 80% point redemption rate, cementing Aura as a daily companion for its members. This success has been recognized by the International Loyalty Awards with a streak of major wins:
- 2024: Best Loyalty Program – Food Retail & Non-Food Retail
- 2025: International Loyalty Program of the Year (The Middle East)
- 2026: Finalist in 7 categories as the program marches toward 10 million members
Executive Perspectives
“Managing loyalty for such a wide range of consumers and at different levels of expertise and experiences that need to be crafted is a challenging feat in itself,” noted Bijou Daniel- Head of Product & Operations at Alshaya Group.
“This is only just the beginning. We’ve got many exciting things planned ahead. Together with Comarch, Aura will become the very best loyalty program in the world,” said Paul Morris – Chief Customer & Technology Officer at Alshaya Group.
For more details on this partnership, the full case study and video documentation are available at: https://www.comarch.com/trade-and-services/loyalty-marketing/clients-success-stories/how-alshaya-group-and-comarch-created-a-unified-loyalty-ecosystem-that-glows/
About Alshaya Group
Alshaya Group is a dynamic family-owned business, first established in Kuwait in 1890. With a consistent record of growth and innovation, Alshaya Group is one of the world’s leading brand franchise operators, offering an unparalleled choice of over 50 well-loved, international brands to customers.
Alshaya Group’s portfolio extends across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Türkiye and Europe, with over 3,500 stores, cafes, restaurants, and leisure destinations, major logistics and food production operations, as well as over 125 online and digital businesses including one of the region’s biggest retail loyalty programmes, Aura.
Operating in multiple sectors including Fashion, Food, Health & Beauty, Pharmacy, and Hospitality & Entertainment, over 50,000 Alshaya colleagues are united by a commitment to authentically deliver great customer service and brand experiences.
From flagship stores and restaurants in prestige malls, through to local coffee shops, drive-thrus and online, Alshaya Group brings customers the experiences they want with the brands they love, in the ways they choose – including Starbucks, American Eagle, Footlocker, Victoria’s Secret, H&M, Bath & Body Works, Charlotte Tilbury, Raising Cane’s, Shake Shack, Chipotle, and Primark.
Learn more about Alshaya Group at www.alshaya.com
About Comarch
Founded in 1993 in Kraków, Poland, Comarch is a European leader in IT solutions for business and a pioneer of new technologies that delivers projects for leading brands from Poland and around the world across key sectors of the economy. It provides solutions for Loyalty, Communications, Finance, Retail, and ERP.
As an AI-first company, Comarch focuses on leveraging new technologies to optimize operational processes and on developing AI-driven solutions that deliver real business value to its clients. Comarch’s services have been trusted by tens of thousands of world-renowned brands in over 100 countries across six continents, including Allianz, BNP Paribas, BP, Carrefour, ING, Orange, Telefónica, T-Mobile, Vodafone, and Heineken. The company consistently holds high positions in rankings by leading IT analysts, such as Gartner, IDC, and Truffle 100. It currently employs 5,000 specialists across offices in more than 30 countries worldwide.
