Fashion Fizzles: 3 Brands We Expected Better Rewards From
Last month, we cheered on four Gen Z fashion brands that brought surprisingly strong loyalty programs to the table. It was a nice change of pace after the letdowns from Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Gap Inc., and others in retail. But what about retailers appealing squarely to the millennial-friendly fashion crowd?
In this post, we looked at the rewards programs from Ann Taylor, Anthropologie, and J.Crew. Sadly, we found ourselves back in disappointment territory—with some letdowns bigger than others.
(💡Helpful tip: when we talk about about “return value”, we mean how much you get back in rewards compared to what you spend to earn it. Example: If you spend $100 to earn $10 worth of points or credits, your return value is 10%. The higher the percentage, the better!)
ann taylor & loft
Ann Taylor and it’s sister brand, LOFT, are known for their women’s workwear —the kind that won’t get you into trouble with your HR department. If you work in finance, legal, or at any company where leggings and sundresses are not acceptable attire, then Ann Taylor and LOFT might be your go-to.
Program: StyleRewards
✨ Benefits:
2 Tiers: Insider ($0–$499 spend) and VIP ($500+ spend)
2 points per $1 spent (Ann Taylor, LOFT, and factory stores)
1,000 points = $10 Reward
Birthday Reward: $10 (Insider) or $15 (VIP)
Free shipping certificates: 1 for Insider, 2 for VIP
Bonus 500 points every 3 months if you shop both brands (max $20/yr)
Rewards are stackable with other promos
⚠️ Watchouts:
Points expire 1 year after earning, no matter what
Rewards auto-issue at 1,000 points and expire in 90 days
Max $40 in rewards per transaction
💰 Return Value: Without bonuses, the return value is 2%, which is on par with The Gap brands and some other retailers. But nothing to be impressed by. You can add up to $30-$35 in extra rewards annually between the birthday and multi-brand benefit, which isn’t bad.
👩🏻⚖️ Our Verdict: Meh
The return value is weak, the shipping perks feel stingy, and we’re not fans of points auto-generating to a reward.
anthropologie
The antithesis of Ann Taylor’s sleek professional attire, Anthropologie demands you find your inner bohemian aesthetic. It’s whimsical, colorful, comfy, and not for those who want to hide in the background. In addition to clothing, they sell home décor to add a vintage touch to your surroundings.
Program: AnthroPerks
✨ Benefits:
$20 welcome gift (but read the fine print)
20% off during your birthday month
Free shipping on $50+
Member-only events, early access, styling services
⚠️ Watchouts:
Welcome gift only works on full-price items and doesn’t stack with other discounts/offers.
Events are limited and location-specific
👩🏻⚖️ Our Verdict: Pass
The welcome gift comes with strings. Events are few and far between. And styling services? Shouldn’t those be free for everyone willing to have their wedding or home decor covered in Anthro? It’s as if basic retail benefits have been shrouded behind a loyalty program.
j.crew
J.Crew has been around for decades and is known for its classic, preppy style, which falls somewhere between H&M and Ralph Lauren in terms of price. They’ve struggled a bit over the years, now operating only 116 US stores (excluding their Factory stores), but do have a robust online presence. Similar to Anthro Perks, J.Crew’s program does not have points, which were phased out in January of this year.
Program: J.Crew Passport
✨ Benefits:
3 Tiers:
Green (<$500)
Navy ($500–$999)
Gold ($1,000+)
Birthday reward ($15–$25 depending on tier)
$10 half-birthday reward
$10–$20 anniversary reward
Free shipping
Free monogramming for Navy/Gold
“Exclusive” perks like VIP hours and events
⚠️ Watchouts:
Monogramming = full-priced items only
No details on what those “exclusive” perks actually are
Birthday/anniversary rewards expire in 1 month
💰 Return Value: Around 5–9%, depending on how close to the tier ceiling you spend.
👩🏻⚖️ Our Verdict: Meh
The return values on the Rewards are quite good, but you don’t control when you get them (unless you lie about your birthday…but you didn’t hear that from us), and the 1-month expiration is stingy. The Free shipping is strong, but annoying that monogramming is only on full-priced items. Finally, J.Crew is trying to learn into “experiences”, but the lack of details feels like empty promises.
🎯 summary:
Overall, this was a disappointing round-up.
Ann Taylor StyleRewards: 😐 Meh. Best of the bunch, but that’s not saying much. Low return value and stingy perks.
AnthroPerks:❌ Pass. Overhyped. Welcome and birthday perks are nice, but the rest feels like window dressing.
J.Crew Passport: 😐 Meh. Good return value on Rewards, but restrictive issuing. Rest of the benefits are vague.
If you’re already shopping at these stores, by all means, sign up for the (limited) perks. But don’t go out of your way expecting to be wowed. These programs aren’t rewarding loyalty, they’re just politely acknowledging it to get your information.
Leave us a comment! Do you agree or disagree? Any further tips about about any of these Reward programs?
