Wendy’s ranks among top five burger chains for customer loyalty in Simpli.fi study

# What the study measured Simpli.fi released an inaugural "Loyalty in the Real World" report that analyzed hundreds of thousands of anonymized mobile location visits to the top 20 burger-focused quick-service and fast-casual chains. Researchers tracked behavior across 20 U.S. metro markets over an eight-week period. The report was published ahead of National Cheeseburger Day (Sept. 18).

# How loyalty was defined The analysis divided customers into two groups: loyalists, who visited only one burger brand during the study window, and samplers, who visited two or more burger brands. That binary classification produced two headline metrics used throughout the report: the share of loyalists and the share of samplers.

# Top findings Shake Shack posted the strongest loyalty figure in the sample, with a 99% loyalty rate. Wendy's, Smashburger, Sonic and Steak 'n Shake rounded out the top five. Across the entire sample, 61% of burger customers were loyalists and 39% were samplers.

McDonald's results are notable for a different reason. The chain recorded a roughly 60% loyalty rate, similar to the overall category average, but showed the most overlap with other brands. In short, McDonald's customers were frequently seen at competing burger chains, making McDonald's the chief cross-brand competitor in the study.

# What appears to drive loyalty

# Where opportunities exist The report identifies a clear opportunity to convert samplers into repeat customers. Practical tactics it calls out include loyalty programs, localized advertising, competitor-targeted campaigns and marketing tied to specific meal occasions. Those strategies aim to give samplers a concrete reason to favor one brand for more visits.

# What this means for Wendy's and other chains Wendy's presence in the top five indicates it retains a sizable base of single-brand visitors during the measured period. That positioning leans on signature menu items and brand familiarity. However, the broader category dynamics — notably McDonald's role as a frequent overlapping destination — show that even high-loyalty brands operate in a competitive field where converting samplers remains a growth lever.

# Quick practical takeaways for operators

• Use distinctive menu items as a retention tool: promote the products that make your brand unique.
• Treat localized marketing and meal-occasion campaigns as conversion tools for samplers.
• Consider competitor-targeted tactics to reach customers who visit multiple burger brands.
• Track real-world visitation if possible to identify overlaps and prioritize markets where a loyalty push could shift sampler behavior.

# Bottom line The Simpli.fi study maps real-world movement across the burger category and shows that a majority of customers stick with one brand during an eight-week window. Wendy's ranks among the top five chains for single-brand visitation in that sample, and the findings point to menu differentiation and targeted marketing as practical levers to increase repeat visits.