Research indicates that customers will spend more to qualify for a free shipping offer. In the U.S., the National Retail Federation found 65% of shoppers look up free-shipping thresholds before adding items to their cart.³

In order to work effectively the threshold should be set at a level above the current average basket value, but not so high as to price customers out. There’s research suggesting that 30% higher could be the sweet spot,⁴ but you should consider what’s most appropriate for your business.

An alternative to offering product bundles is to cross-promote and up-sell certain items to customers before they check out – for example products that complement the ones being bought.

Shopify recommends using this strategy with low-value items to maximise the chance of converting the sale.⁶ Many e-commerce platforms offer plugins that allow retailers to create targeted up-sell offers and promotions, so it can be simple to set up

As well as securing valuable repeat business, loyalty programmes can encourage customers to increase their spend.

There are different models you could use. These include allowing customers to accrue redeemable points based on how much they spend, or offering tiered schemes with different levels of rewards for those who spend over certain thresholds.

Finding one what suits your business could be rewarding. One recent study found that more than half of customers were prepared to spend more with a brand they were loyal to, even when there were cheaper options available.⁸