Your e-commerce glossary

All the terms you need to know to succeed in modern e-commerce, explained simply and clearly.

Back to Glossary

What is Cross Selling?

Cross-selling suggests related products to enhance shopping and boost order value. Shopify merchants use apps to show recommendations during the customer journey.

Explanation

Cross-selling involves recommending additional products to customers based on their current selection or previous purchase behavior. The goal is to encourage customers to buy products that complement or enhance their initial choice, ultimately boosting sales and improving customer satisfaction. Shopify apps designed for cross-selling allow merchants to easily implement this strategy by automatically suggesting relevant products during checkout or on product pages.

Importance

  • Increased Average Order Value (AOV): By recommending complementary products, cross-selling can significantly raise the total purchase value.
  • Enhanced Customer Experience: Offering customers products that fit their needs or interests can improve their shopping experience, making it easier for them to find items they will love.
  • Boost in Sales: Cross-selling directly increases sales by promoting additional products that the customer may not have initially considered.
  • Better Inventory Movement: Cross-selling helps promote a wider variety of products, allowing for better stock management and reducing the likelihood of excess inventory.
  • Higher Conversion Rates: By presenting relevant product suggestions, merchants can encourage impulse purchases and increase conversions.

How It Works

  • Product Recommendations: Cross-selling apps use algorithms to recommend complementary products based on the customer’s current selection or browsing history.
  • Displayed at Key Points: Recommendations are shown at various stages of the customer journey, such as product pages, shopping cart, or checkout.
  • Customizable Offers: Merchants can set up rules for which products to recommend and how (e.g., products that complement a specific item, or popular purchases together).
  • Dynamic Suggestions: Some apps use customer behavior data (like previous purchases or browsing history) to dynamically generate relevant cross-sell recommendations.
  • Incentivizing Purchases: Apps often allow merchants to create promotional offers for cross-sell items, such as discounts on bundled products, to encourage more purchases.

Benefits

  • Increased Revenue: By encouraging customers to buy additional items, cross-selling directly contributes to higher sales and revenue.
  • Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Customers appreciate personalized recommendations that match their interests and needs, enhancing their shopping experience.
  • Higher Conversion Rates: Displaying relevant cross-sell offers increases the likelihood that a customer will make additional purchases.
  • Better Product Visibility: Cross-selling helps to highlight lesser-known products that customers may not have found on their own.
  • Boost in Customer Retention: By offering helpful, relevant product suggestions, businesses can create a more positive shopping experience, leading to repeat business.

Top Shopify Apps for Cross-Selling:

Abandoned Cart Recovery
Upsell & Cross Sell — Selleasy

- Provides automated product recommendations on the product page, cart page, and checkout.

- Allows customization of offers based on customer behavior.

- Helps increase AOV with bundled deals, discounts, and upsell promotions.

Abandoned Cart Recovery
ReConvert Upsell & Cross Sell

- Offers post-purchase upselling and cross-selling features, increasing AOV after the initial purchase.

- Personalizes product suggestions based on previous customer behavior and preferences.

- Helps create a seamless, automated experience for cross-selling during the checkout or post-purchase stages.

Abandoned Cart Recovery
FoxKit AIO Upsell Cross‑sell

- A comprehensive cross-sell app that allows for easy product recommendations based on a variety of customizable rules.

- Shows product suggestions at key touchpoints such as cart, product pages, and checkout.

- Includes features for creating dynamic offers and discounts to incentivize customers to purchase additional items.