How to cross sell on Shopify? Ultimate guide [2025]

Cross-selling means recommending complementary products to customers who are already purchasing from your store. This strategy increases your average order value (AOV) by encouraging customers to buy additional items that add value to their original purchase.

Successful cross-selling requires strategic product placement, timing, and the right tools to present offers when customers are most likely to convert. The key is making relevant suggestions that genuinely add value to the customer's shopping experience.

The following 8 methods will help you implement effective cross-selling strategies that boost revenue while improving customer satisfaction.

How to Cross-sell in your Shopify Store?

1. Set Up Product Bundles and Mix-and-Match Offers

Product bundles group complementary items together at a discounted price which makes it easy and appealing for customers to purchase multiple products. This approach works particularly well for items frequently bought together.

Create Quantity-Based Bundle Discounts

Quantity breaks encourage customers to buy more by offering better prices for larger purchases. Set up tiered pricing where customers save more as they add more products to their cart.

Use advanced Shopify apps like Quantity X to create automatic discounts based on quantity thresholds. For example, offer 10% off when customers buy 2 items, 15% off for 3 items, and 20% off for 5 or more items.

Implement Buy One Get One (BOGO) Promotions

BOGO offers create immediate value perception and encourage customers to purchase additional items. These promotions work especially well for clearing inventory or introducing new products.

BOGO examples include:

• Buy Product X (or multiple items) and get Product Y for free.

• Buy Product X and let the customer choose a free item from a list.

• Buy X + Y and automatically get Product Z added to cart for free.

For example, you can set conditions like "Buy 2 phone cases, get 1 screen protector free" to cross-sell related accessories.

2. Add Strategic Cross-Sell Sections to Product Pages

Product pages are prime real estate for cross-selling because customers are already engaged with your products. Strategic placement of related items can significantly increase purchase likelihood.

Display Frequently Bought Together Items

Show products that other customers commonly purchase alongside the current item. This is one of the social proof approaches that leverages buying patterns to suggest relevant additions.

Add a "Frequently bought together" section below the product description. Include 3-4 complementary items with clear pricing and easy add-to-cart functionality.

⭐️ Recommended Shopify app for displaying cart drawers: Cartly

Highlight Volume Discount Opportunities

Make quantity discounts visible on product pages so customers understand the savings available for larger purchases. Clear discount communication increases the likelihood of bigger orders.

Display quantity break pricing directly on the product page using tables or progressive discount bars. For detailed strategies on implementing these discounts effectively, check out our guide on quantity discount strategies for Shopify.

⭐️ Recommended Shopify app for displaying volume discounts: Quantity X

3. Use Strategic Popup and Widget Placement

Well-timed popups and widgets can capture customer attention without being intrusive. The key is presenting offers at moments when customers are most receptive to additional suggestions.

Use Exit-Intent Popups

Trigger cross-sell offers when customers show signs of leaving your site without purchasing. These last-chance promotions can recover potentially lost sales while introducing new products.

Learn about cart recovery vs exit-intent popups to choose the most effective approach for your store's customer behavior patterns.

Add Attention-Grabbing Widgets

Place visually appealing widgets on high-traffic pages that showcase cross-sell opportunities without disrupting the user experience. Focus on benefits and savings rather than just product features.

Use bundling widgets for higher AOV to display package deals prominently on your homepage and category pages.

4. Create Compelling Cross-Sell Widgets

Visual widgets draw attention to cross-sell opportunities and make it easy for customers to add recommended items. Well-designed widgets integrate seamlessly with your store design while highlighting value propositions.

Design Attention-Grabbing Bundle Displays

Create visually appealing bundle presentations that clearly show individual items, bundle savings, and total value. Use contrasting colors and clear typography to make offers stand out.

Position bundle widgets prominently on product pages, in the cart, and during checkout to maximize visibility. For tips on creating effective bundle presentations, read our guide on bundling widgets for higher AOV.

Implement Exit-Intent Cross-Sell Popups

Capture customers who are about to leave with targeted cross-sell offers based on their browsing behavior. These last-chance offers can recover potential lost sales while introducing relevant products.

5. Set Up Product Bundles and Quantity Discounts

Product bundling combines related items at a discounted price to encourage larger purchases. This approach works particularly well for complementary products that customers naturally use together.

Create Quantity Break Bundles

Quantity breaks reward customers for buying more units of the same product or related items. You can set up tiered pricing where customers save more as they purchase larger quantities.

For example, offer a skincare bundle where customers get 10% off when buying 2 products, 15% off for 3 products, and 20% off for 4 or more items. This quantity discount strategy encourages customers to explore your full product range.

Implement Buy More Save More Logic

Use progressive discount structures that increase savings with purchase volume. Set up rules like "spend $50 get 10% off, spend $100 get 20% off" to motivate higher order values.

Configure these discounts in your Shopify Admin under Discounts > Create discount > Buy X get Y, then set your minimum purchase requirements and corresponding discount percentages.

⭐️ Recommended Shopify apps for implementing quantity breaks and 'buy more, save more' widgets: Quantity X, MBC Bundles, MBC Bundle Builder

6. Create BOGO and Promotional Offers

Buy-one-get-one (BOGO) offers create urgency and perceived value while moving inventory efficiently. These promotions work especially well for introducing new products or clearing seasonal stock.

Design Buy X Get Y Campaigns

Structure offers where purchasing specific products unlocks discounts or free items from different categories. This approach introduces customers to product lines they might not have discovered otherwise.

Set up a "buy any skincare product, get 50% off makeup" promotion to cross-sell between categories and increase customer lifetime value.

⭐️ Recommended Shopify apps for displaying BOGO offers: Quantity X, MBC Bundles, MBC Bundle Builder

Use Stackable Discount Logic

Allow customers to combine multiple offers when they meet various criteria simultaneously. This flexibility can significantly increase average order values for qualifying purchases.

Create discount codes in Shopify Admin that can be combined, such as a quantity discount plus a category-specific promotion for customers who meet both requirements.

7. Use Cart and Checkout for Cross-Selling

The cart and checkout pages represent your last opportunity to increase order value before purchase completion. Customers at this stage have high purchase intent, making them receptive to relevant additional offers.

Present Last-Minute Add-Ons

Show small, complementary items that enhance the main purchase without significantly increasing the total cost. Focus on items under $20 that provide clear value.

Add a "Complete your order" section to your cart page featuring accessories, warranties, or consumables related to the main products. Keep the selection limited to 2-3 highly relevant items to avoid overwhelming customers.

Show Real-Time Savings Progress

Display how much customers are saving with current discounts and how much more they could save by adding items. This transparency builds trust while encouraging larger purchases.

Use progress bars or savings calculators that update as customers modify their cart contents. Learn more about implementing these features in our article about using volume discounts at checkout.

⭐️ Recommended Shopify apps for displaying cart popups and cart drawers: Cartly, MBC Bundles,

8. Add Cross-Sell Sections to Product Pages

Product pages are prime real estate for cross-selling because customers are already engaged with your products. Strategic placement of related items can significantly boost your conversion rates.

Use Frequently Bought Together Displays

Show products that other customers commonly purchase together with the current item. This social proof approach leverages customer behavior data to make relevant suggestions.

In your Shopify theme editor, navigate to Product pages > Add section > Product recommendations to display algorithmically generated suggestions based on purchase patterns.

Highlight Complementary Products

Manually curate product suggestions that naturally complement the main item. Focus on accessories, add-ons, or items that solve related problems for your customers.

For a camera store, cross-sell memory cards, camera bags, and tripods on camera product pages to create a complete photography solution.

Start Cross-Selling with Quantity X

Ready to implement effective cross-selling strategies on your Shopify store? Quantity X helps you create quantity breaks, bundle discounts, and BOGO offers that increase your average order value.

Install Quantity X from the Shopify App Store to start offering customizable quantity discounts and attention-grabbing upsell widgets across your product, cart, and checkout pages.

This article was created with assistance from vevy.ai and proofread, fact-checked, and validated by its author.