Last month, I talked to a store owner who was doing everything "right."

Traffic was up 40%. Conversion rate was solid at 3.2%. Facebook ads were printing money.

But profit? Barely breaking even.

The problem wasn't traffic. It wasn't conversion. It was that customers were buying one $35 item and leaving. His average order value was stuck at $37, and after ad costs, shipping, and product costs, he was making about $4 per order.

Four dollars.

Meanwhile, his competitor down the street—similar products, similar traffic—was pulling $89 average orders. Same customers, same market, completely different business.

The difference? She'd figured out something most store owners miss: getting someone to spend more is easier than getting someone new through the door.

• Think about it. You already did the hard part—you got them to your site, convinced them to If you're implementing this, also check out how to personalize customer journeysyou, and got them to pull out their credit card. The marginal cost of getting them to add one more thing? Almost zero.

Yet most stores treat every order like it's supposed to be a single item. One product, one transaction, done.

That's leaving a ridiculous amount of money on the table.

In this guide, I'll walk you through 15 ways to increase your average order value—stuff that actually works, not theory from someone who's never run a store. These are tactics we've seen lift AOV anywhere from 18% to 67%, depending on the industry and how you implement them.

No tricks. No sleazy upsells. Just smart psychology and good store design.

What Is Average Order Value (And Why Should You Care)?

Average order value is exactly what it sounds like—the average amount someone spends per transaction.

Formula: AOV = Total Revenue ÷ Number of Orders

If you made $10,000 last month from 250 orders, your AOV is $40.

Simple enough. But here's why it matters more than almost any other metric you're tracking:

Increasing AOV is the fastest way to scale profitability without touching your ad budget.

Let's say you're spending $30 to acquire a customer, and they buy one item for $40. After costs, you're barely profitable—maybe $5-8 per order.

But if you can get that same customer to spend $65 instead? You just doubled or tripled your profit per transaction. Same traffic, same ad spend, way better outcome.

Here's the math:

Same number of customers. 250% more profit.

That's why AOV is one of the first things I look at when a store's margins are thin. Because if you can't make more per customer, you're stuck in a volume game that never ends well.

What's a "Good" Average Order Value?

This depends entirely on what you're selling, but here are rough benchmarks:

If you're way below your industry average, there's likely low-hanging fruit. If you're already near the top, you're doing something right—but there's probably still room to push it higher.

15 Ways to Increase Your Average Order Value

Alright, let's get into it. These are organized roughly by impact and ease of implementation, but honestly, the best results come from stacking a few of these together.

1. Set a Free Shipping Threshold (Just Above Your Current AOV)

This is the easiest win.

If your AOV is $40, set free shipping at $50. If it's $75, set it at $90.

The psychology here is simple: people hate paying for shipping. They'll add another item just to avoid it.

We tested this with a beauty brand last year. They moved their free shipping threshold from $35 to $55. AOV went from $42 to $58 in two weeks. Didn't touch anything else.

Pro tip: Don't just say "Free shipping over $50." Say "You're $12 away from free shipping"—with a progress bar. That visual nudge works.

2. Bundle Products (But Do It Right)

Bundles are obvious, but most stores screw them up.

Bad bundle: Three random products with 10% off.

Good bundle: Three products that make sense together, priced so it feels like a steal, and named something specific.

Example:

• ❌ "Skincare Set - 10% Off"

• ✅ "Complete Morning Routine ($89 value, yours for $65)"

The second one tells a story. It positions the products as part of a system. And it anchors the value at $89, so $65 feels like a no-brainer.

We've seen bundles increase AOV by 30-45% when done right. The key is making them feel curated, not random.

3. Use "Frequently Bought Together" Recommendations

Amazon does this because it works.

If someone's buying a yoga mat, show them a mat, a strap, and a block together—one click to add all three.

The magic word here is "together." Not "You might also like" (too vague). Not "Recommended for you" (too algorithmic). Just "Frequently bought together" (social proof + convenience).

Shopify has apps that do this automatically based on your order history. Set it up once, let it run.

4. Offer a "Complete the Look" or "Complete the Set" Section

This works especially well for fashion, but it applies to almost anything.

If someone's looking at a jacket, show them the pants that go with it. If they're buying a coffee maker, show the grinder, beans, and filters.

Outdoor Voices does this really well. Every product page has a "Style It With" section showing how other customers paired that item. It's subtle, but effective.

The key is to make it feel helpful, not pushy. You're solving a problem (What else do I need?) not cramming more stuff down their throat.

5. Add a "Buy More, Save More" Tiered Discount

This one's simple math that customers love.

• Buy 1: Full price

• Buy 2: Save 10%

• Buy 3: Save 20%

It works for consumables, gifts, anything people might want multiples of. Socks, candles, skincare products, supplements—anything where buying in bulk makes sense.

Fair warning: This can lower your profit margin per item, so make sure the increased volume makes up for it. But if you're selling something with good margins already, this is a solid play.

6. Upsell at Checkout (Post-Purchase is Even Better)

Most stores miss this entirely.

Someone just added a $50 item to cart. Right before they check out, show them a one-click add: "Add [complementary item] for just $15?"

Keep it small. Keep it relevant. Keep it one click.

Even better? Post-purchase upsells. After they've already bought, hit them with a "Wait! Add this to your order for 20% off—no extra shipping."

Shopify apps like Zipify or ReConvert handle this automatically. We've seen post-purchase upsells add 10-15% to AOV without hurting conversion rate at all, because the buying decision is already made.

7. Use Quantity Discounts on Single Products

This is different from bundles. Same product, just more of it.

"Buy 2, get 15% off. Buy 3, get 25% off."

Works great for gifts, consumables, or anything people stock up on. Think supplements, candles, coffee, snacks.

A tea brand we worked with did this and saw AOV jump from $28 to $41. People who were buying one tin started buying three.

8. Show "X People Are Viewing This" or "Low Stock" Alerts

Scarcity and urgency. Tale as old as time.

If someone's on the fence about adding another item, a little nudge like "Only 3 left in stock" or "12 people have this in their cart" can push them over.

Just don't fake it. Use real data or people will smell it a mile away.

9. Offer Gift Wrapping or Premium Packaging

This is pure margin.

Add a $5-8 gift wrap option at checkout. Costs you maybe $1.50 in materials and labor. Instant AOV boost, and some customers will take it just because it's there.

We added this for a jewelry brand and 22% of customers opted in. That's an extra $1,800/month in almost pure profit on a small store.

10. Use a "Build Your Own" or Customization Option

Let people build their own bundle or customize the product.

Function of Beauty built an entire business on this (custom shampoo). But you don't need to be that fancy.

If you sell coffee, let people mix three bags. If you sell skincare, let them pick their routine. If you sell snacks, let them build a box.

It feels personal, and people almost always add more than they would've bought otherwise.

11. Add a Loyalty Points Preview

If you have a loyalty program, show people how many points they'll earn—especially if they're close to a reward.

"Add $15 more to your cart and unlock a free product!"

This works because it taps into the same psychology as free shipping. People don't want to leave value on the table.

12. Use Exit-Intent Popups with Incentives

Someone's about to leave with a $30 cart. Hit them with an exit popup:

"Wait! Add one more item and get 15% off your entire order."

Yes, you're discounting. But you're getting them to spend more, so the net effect is usually positive.

Just don't overdo it. If every visit triggers three popups, you're annoying people, not helping them.

13. Promote Higher-Ticket Items on Product Pages

If someone's looking at your $40 product, show them your $75 product right next to it.

"Most popular" or "Best value" tags work here.

You'd be surprised how many people will just grab the higher-priced option if you position it right. It's called anchoring—the $40 item makes the $75 one feel reasonable.

14. Offer Subscriptions (Even If You Don't Sell Consumables)

Hear me out.

Subscriptions aren't just for coffee and razors anymore. People subscribe to fashion boxes, skincare routines, even dog toys.

The beauty of a subscription is that it increases lifetime order value, not just the first one. And once someone's subscribed, they're way stickier as a customer.

If you sell anything people need regularly, test a subscription option. Even if only 10% of customers take it, that's 10% with way higher LTV.

15. Use the "Decoy Effect" with Pricing Tiers

This is sneaky, but it works.

Let's say you sell a product in three sizes:

• Small: $30

• Medium: $45

• Large: $50

Most people will buy the large because it's only $5 more than the medium. The medium is the "decoy"—it makes the large look like a steal.

This works for product variants, subscription tiers, anything with multiple options.

How to Actually Implement This (Without Overwhelming Your Customers)

Here's the thing: you can't do all 15 at once. You'll clutter your site and confuse people.

Start with 2-3 that make sense for your store:

If you sell fashion/apparel: Start with #1 (free shipping threshold), #4 (complete the look), and #13 (promote higher-ticket items).

If you sell consumables: Go with #5 (buy more, save more), #7 (quantity discounts), and #14 (subscriptions).

If you sell gifts/seasonal: Try #2 (bundles), #9 (gift wrapping), and #10 (build your own).

Test one, measure the results, then layer in another. The goal isn't to cram everything into your store. It's to find the 2-3 tactics that resonate with your customers and double down on those.

The Biggest AOV Mistake (And How to Avoid It)

The biggest mistake I see? Trying to increase AOV by pushing products people don't want.

If your upsells are random, if your bundles don't make sense, if you're just throwing stuff at people to see what sticks—it won't work. Worse, it'll hurt your conversion rate.

The best AOV strategies feel helpful, not salesy. They answer the question: "What else do I need to get the most out of this?"

That's it. That's the filter.

If an upsell or bundle or add-on passes that test, it'll probably work. If it doesn't, skip it.

Tools That Make This Easier

You don't need a dev team to do this stuff. Here are a few apps that handle most of it:

• Bold Upsell / Zipify OCU: Post-purchase upsells

• ReConvert: Thank you page upsells

• Bundler: Product bundles

• Free Shipping Bar: Progress bar for free shipping

• Frequently Bought Together: Amazon-style recommendations

And if you want the retention side handled—tracking who's buying what, when they're likely to reorder, and how to bring them back for a second purchase—that's where Evolvoom comes in. We automate the whole post-purchase journey, which directly impacts how often people come back and how much they spend over time.

→ See how Evolvoom works

Quick Wins: What to Do This Week

Don't overthink this. Here's what you can do this week to start moving the needle:

Today:

1. Check your current AOV (Shopify Analytics → Reports → Average Order Value)

2. Set a free shipping threshold 20-30% above your AOV

3. Add a progress bar showing how close customers are to free shipping

This Week:
4. Create 2-3 product bundles (pick your bestsellers)
5. Add "Frequently Bought Together" to your top 10 product pages
6. Test one post-purchase upsell (complementary product, small price, one-click add)

This Month:
7. Analyze which tactics moved the needle
8. Double down on what worked
9. Test one more strategy from the list above

The Bottom Line

Increasing AOV isn't about squeezing more money out of people.

It's about making it easy for customers to get everything they need in one go. It's about showing them what makes sense together. It's about removing friction and adding value.

Done right, you make more money and customers have a better experience. Win-win.

The store owner I mentioned at the start? After we worked together for two months, his AOV went from $37 to $61. Same traffic. Same products. Just smarter store design.

That's an extra $24 per order. On 200 orders a month, that's $4,800 in additional revenue—without spending a single extra dollar on ads.

That's the power of AOV.

Now go check yours, pick 2-3 tactics from this list, and start testing.