How to Increase AOV on Shopify: 7 Practical Strategies

Getting more customers is one way to grow your Shopify store. But it is not the only way. You can also increase how much your existing customers spend each time they place an order.

That is where average order value, or AOV, becomes useful.

From product bundles and free shipping thresholds to relevant upsells and post-purchase offers, there are several ways to encourage shoppers to add more to their carts without simply raising your prices. The key is to do it in a way that still makes sense for the customer and protects your profit margins.

In this guide, we will look at how to increase AOV on Shopify with seven practical strategies, plus tips for choosing the right approach and measuring whether it’s working.

Average order value, or AOV, is the average amount a customer spends each time they place an order on your Shopify store.

The basic formula is:

Average Order Value = Total Revenue ÷ Number of Orders

For example, if your store generates $12,000 in revenue from 200 orders, your AOV would be: $12,000 ÷ 200 = $60

This means customers spend an average of $60 per order.

AOV matters because increasing it can help you generate more revenue from the traffic and customers you already have. If two stores receive the same number of orders, but one has an AOV of $50 and the other has an AOV of $70, the second store earns more revenue without needing additional purchases.

A higher AOV can also help you get more value from customer acquisition. For example, if it costs $20 in advertising to acquire a customer who places a $35 order, your margin may be tight. If that same customer spends $60, the economics of acquiring them can look much better.

Larger orders can also make shipping and fulfillment more efficient because those costs are spread across more products.

However, AOV should not be viewed on its own. You can technically increase it with large discounts, expensive free gifts, or aggressive upsells, but if those tactics reduce conversion rates or eat into your margins, the higher AOV may not improve profitability.

The goal is not simply to make the number bigger. It is to increase the value of each order by helping customers discover products, bundles, and offers that genuinely improve their purchase.

There is no single AOV strategy that works for every Shopify store. A fashion brand, a skincare store, and an electronics retailer may all need different approaches.

The following seven strategies are good starting points.

1. Create Product Bundles

Product bundles are one of the most straightforward ways to increase order value. Instead of selling each item separately, group related products and encourage customers to buy them as a package.

For example, a skincare store could bundle a cleanser, serum, and moisturizer into a complete routine. A coffee brand could sell a tasting bundle containing four different blends. A clothing store could offer a shirt, trousers, and matching accessory as a complete look.

Choose the Right Type of Bundle

Bundles can take several forms.

• A fixed bundle where the products are already selected. 
• A mix-and-match bundle where customers choose their preferred items 
• A multipack where customers buy several units of the same product.

Keep the Bundle Relevant

Do not bundle unrelated products simply because you want to increase the cart value. The bundle should make the purchase easier or more useful for the customer.

A good bundle should make someone think, “I probably need these together anyway.” You can also give the bundle a small price advantage over buying the products individually, as long as the discount still leaves enough margin.

For example, if three products normally cost $75 separately, you might offer the bundle for $69.

The customer saves a little, while you increase the number of products sold in a single order.

2. Set a Free Shipping Threshold

Free shipping is another common way to encourage customers to spend more. Instead of offering free shipping on every order, you can make it available once the cart reaches a certain value.

For example: Free shipping on orders over $65

Suppose your current AOV is around $52.

A customer with $58 in their cart may be willing to add a $10 product if doing so removes the shipping charge. That additional purchase can raise your average order value.

Choose the Right Free Shipping Threshold

The challenge is choosing the right threshold.

If the threshold is too low, customers may already qualify without changing what they buy. If it is too high, shoppers may decide reaching it isn’t worth the extra cost.

A good starting point is to look at your existing AOV, common cart values, product prices, shipping costs, and profit margins. The threshold should usually feel achievable by adding one more reasonable product to the order.

For example, if your average customer spends around $60 and many of your smaller products cost between $10 and $20, a free shipping threshold around $70 or $75 may feel more realistic than setting it at $120.

You can make the offer more visible using a cart message or progress bar.

For example: You’re $12 away from free shipping.

This gives customers a clear reason to continue shopping.

3. Offer Quantity Discounts

Quantity discounts encourage customers to buy more units of the same product. They work particularly well for products that people regularly use and eventually need to reorder.

Examples include:

• skincare products
• food and beverages
• pet supplies
• supplements
• household products
• personal care items
• consumables

For example, instead of selling one bottle for $20, you could offer:

1 bottle – $20

2 bottles – $38

3 bottles – $54

Another option is to use simple tiered discounts such as:

Buy 2, save 5%

Buy 3, save 10%

Customers get better value per item, while your store receives a larger order.

Protect Your Profit Margins

The important part is not to discount too aggressively. A higher AOV doesn’t help much if the extra discount wipes out the added profit.

Before launching a quantity offer, calculate the margin at each tier. If a customer buys three units instead of one, the larger order should still leave your store in a better position after product costs, shipping, payment fees, and discounts.

Quantity discounts tend to work best when buying multiple units feels natural.

A customer may happily buy three bags of coffee or several packs of dog treats. The same strategy may be less convincing for products that people usually purchase only once.

4. Add Relevant Upsells and Cross-Sells

Upselling and cross-selling are two of the most widely used AOV strategies, but they work best when the recommendations are closely related to what the customer is already buying.

An upsell encourages customers to buy a higher-value version of a product. For example, instead of buying a 100 ml bottle, you might offer a 200 ml size with better value per milliliter.

A cross-sell recommends an additional product that complements the original purchase. Someone buying running shoes might be shown running socks, while a customer buying shampoo could be offered the matching conditioner.

Place Recommendations at the Right Stage

You can introduce these offers at different stages of the customer journey.

On the product page, you might recommend compatible accessories. In the cart or cart drawer, you could show products that pair well with the items already added.

The key is to keep the recommendation useful.

If someone is buying a camera, suggesting a memory card makes sense. Showing a random bestselling T-shirt does not.

Too many recommendations can also become distracting. Instead of filling every page with upsells, focus on a few high-quality recommendations that complete the original purchase.

5. Use Spend-Based Gifts and Rewards

Another way to increase AOV is to reward customers for reaching a higher cart value.

For example:

Spend $75 and receive a free sample.

Or:

Spend $100 and get a free full-size product.

This gives customers a specific target to reach. You can also create several reward tiers.

For example:

$50 – Free shipping

$75 – Free gift

$100 – Bonus loyalty points

A customer with $68 in their cart may add another small item to reach the $75 reward.

Choose Rewards With High Perceived Value

The best rewards feel valuable to the customer without costing your business too much.

A sample-size product, accessory, exclusive item, or slow-moving product can sometimes make a good gift without reducing your margin too heavily.

You can also show customers their progress directly in the cart.

For example: Add $9 more to unlock your free gift.

A progress message or cart bar can make the target feel achievable and give customers a clear reason to add another item.

Most importantly, make sure the reward is something customers actually want. If the incentive feels irrelevant or low-value, it is unlikely to influence their spending.

6. Personalize Product Recommendations

Not every customer should see the same product recommendations.

Someone shopping for men’s running shoes may have very different needs from someone browsing home decor. Personalized product recommendations make cross-selling more relevant by using information about what the shopper is viewing, buying, or has purchased before.

Recommendations can be based on signals such as:

• the product currently being viewed
• items already in the cart
• related collections
• previous purchases
• frequently bought-together products
• complementary product categories

For example, someone looking at a laptop bag could see a matching cable pouch. A shopper buying coffee beans could see filters or a grinder, while someone shopping for a dress could be shown a matching accessory.

Shopify merchants can use product recommendation features and merchandising tools such as StoreFrog Product Recommendations to surface related products across the storefront.

Focus on Relevance, Not Volume

The goal is not to show as many recommendations as possible.

It is to make the suggestions feel like a natural extension of the customer’s current purchase.

Relevant recommendations can increase AOV while also making it easier for shoppers to discover products they might otherwise miss.

7. Add Post-Purchase Offers

Most AOV strategies happen before checkout. Post-purchase offers work differently by giving customers a chance to add something after they have already completed the main purchase.

This can be useful because the customer has already made the main buying decision. You are not asking them to reconsider whether they want to purchase. You are simply offering something relevant that complements what they just bought. Opportunities such as Thank You page recommendations can suggest relevant products that complement what they just bought.

For example, someone who purchases a pair of running shoes might receive an offer to add three pairs of performance socks. A customer buying a coffee maker could be offered a starter pack of coffee beans, while someone purchasing skincare products could be shown a travel-size version of a complementary product.

Keep Post-Purchase Offers Simple and Relevant

Good post-purchase offers are usually:

• closely related to the original purchase
• lower in price than the main order
• simple to understand
• easy to accept or decline

Avoid turning the post-purchase stage into another long sales process.

One relevant offer is often more effective than showing several unrelated products.

The purpose is to add value to the original order without making the customer feel that the purchase they just made was incomplete.

You do not need to use all seven strategies at once. In fact, doing so could make your store feel cluttered or overly promotional.

The right strategy depends on what you sell, how customers normally shop, and your current AOV.

Match the Strategy to What You Sell

For consumable products, such as food, beverages, supplements, or personal care items, quantity discounts, multipacks, and bundles often work well because customers are likely to need the products again.

For fashion and beauty stores, complementary cross-sells, routine-based bundles, and spend-based gifts can encourage customers to build a more complete purchase.

For electronics, accessories such as cases, cables, chargers, memory cards, and protection products are natural cross-sells.

If you sell high-ticket products, avoid pushing customers toward another expensive purchase. A smaller, relevant add-on can increase order value without adding too much friction.

Start With What Customers Already Buy Together

Your existing order history is one of the best places to find AOV opportunities.

Look for products customers frequently purchase together, common add-ons, and orders that sit just below a potential free shipping or reward threshold.

These patterns can reveal natural bundles, cross-sells, and incentives that are more likely to work than offers created purely to increase cart value.

Start with one or two strategies that fit your products, measure the results, and expand from there.

Increasing AOV on Shopify isn’t about pushing customers to spend money on things they don’t need.

The best strategies make the original purchase more useful.

A relevant product bundle can save the customer time. A free shipping threshold can make adding one more item worthwhile. A useful cross-sell can help them get more from the product they were already planning to buy.

Start with one or two strategies that fit your products and customer behavior. Track how they affect AOV, conversion rate, margin, and overall revenue. Then refine your approach based on what your customers actually respond to.

A small improvement in average order value can add up quickly when it is applied across hundreds or thousands of orders.