Running a Shopify store comes with its challenges. And one of the major ones is standing out in a crowded market while getting customers to stick around. While getting new buyers is important, how do you ensure those who’ve already hit "purchase" return and spend more? That’s where upselling comes in.
Big brands have mastered upselling to turn one-time buyers into repeat, high-value customers. According to Forrester Research, upsells account for 10-30% of online revenue. You can also apply similar tactics to your own Shopify store.
Here are just a few ways upselling can benefit your business:
- You can suggest add-ons or upgrades at checkout to increase the average order value (AOV).
- Upsell lets you encourage buyers to return by offering premium products or services.
- Tailored upsells make customers feel like they’re getting more value, which builds loyalty.
If you’re wondering how to make this work for your Shopify store, CROKit can help. It’s a tool designed to simplify upselling, allowing you to create customizable offers that seamlessly fit into your sales flow.
In this article, we’ll dive into real-world examples of how the world’s largest brands use upsells to multiply their profits. And more importantly, we’ll show you how you can do the same and help you transform upselling into a powerful strategy for your Shopify store's growth.
Reasons to Use Upselling for Your Shopify Store
Let’s explore why integrating upselling into your Shopify store is a must for any e-commerce manager looking to increase profits.
Stand Out from Competitors
In the crowded e-commerce space, upselling helps you stand out. By offering personalized, premium options, you highlight your unique selling proposition (USP), whether that’s higher quality, added convenience, or exclusive features. This not only differentiates your products but also positions you as an expert in your niche.
Think of upselling as a way to showcase your authority and build credibility, establishing your brand as the trusted go-to for your customers. For instance, If you’re selling high-end headphones, offering an upsell for noise-canceling tech could make you the top choice over competitors.
Boost Your Revenue
Upselling can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Take a page from Vimeo’s playbook—they use email marketing to get users to upgrade to a more expensive plan. By targeting customer curiosity with the promise of more powerful features, they encourage higher-value purchases.
This builds trust while increasing sales. The more value you offer upfront, the more likely customers are to stick around and invest in premium versions of your products.
Increase Your Average Order Value (AOV)
When you encourage customers to buy more, add extra features, or choose a higher-priced option, each sale becomes more profitable. For instance, if you run a Shopify store selling sports gear, upselling a bundle that includes both the base product and accessories (like offering shoes alongside sportswear) can significantly boost your revenue per transaction.
Create More Upselling Opportunities
Upselling isn’t just about making a one-time sale—it’s about fostering long-term relationships. Each successful upsell increases your customer lifetime value (CLV), meaning customers are likely to return and buy from you again. When they trust your product, they're more likely to buy add-ons or upgrades in the future.
Offering upsells like extended warranties or premium versions can reduce churn and turn one-time buyers into repeat customers. Plus, satisfied customers often spread the word, bringing in valuable referrals.
Ready to start turning browsers into high-value customers? Sign up for CROKit and begin incentivizing purchases on your product pages with tiered offers, upsells, and psychological triggers.
5 Largest Brands Leveraging Upselling to Increase Revenue
|
Brand |
Key Upselling Strategies |
Outcomes |
|
McDonald's |
- Low-cost add-ons (e.g., “Would you like fries with that?”) |
15-40% increase in annual revenue |
|
- Buy-more-save-more discounts |
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- Timely upsell suggestions after purchase |
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|
Amazon |
- Personalized homepage and product page recommendations |
35% of total revenue comes from upselling |
|
- Cross-sell and upsell on the cart and thank you pages |
||
|
Adidas |
- Tiered pricing and promotions |
€22.51 billion in 2022, with 57% from footwear |
|
- "Complete the Look" feature |
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- Customization options during checkout |
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|
Slack |
- Upsell prompts after hitting message limits |
35 million active users, large upsell potential |
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- Contextual upsells during key user actions |
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- Clear call-to-action buttons for upgrades |
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|
Spotify |
- Freemium to Premium conversion prompts |
12% increase in Premium subscribers |
|
- Ads as upsell reminders for ad-free experience |
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- Clear, simple call-to-action for upgrades |
Upselling isn’t just about making quick money, it's a strategic tool that the world’s most successful brands use to drive long-term growth. From subtle prompts to personalized offers, these brands have mastered the art of upselling, transforming one-time buyers into loyal, high-value customers.
Let’s explore how these 5 largest brands use upselling to multiply profits and why their strategies are worth replicating for your Shopify store.
#1 McDonald's
For over 25 years, McDonald's has mastered the art of upselling. Their famous line, "Would you like fries with that?", has become a staple in fast food. This strategy doesn’t require employees to assess individual customer needs—every customer gets the offer. Even entry-level employees can contribute to increasing the average order value (AOV), which directly impacts McDonald's bottom line.
Upselling Strategy
McDonald's upselling strategy is both simple and effective. Here’s why it works so well and how you can apply similar tactics to your Shopify store:
- Low-Cost Add-Ons: McDonald’s typically cross-sells items that are lower in cost than the original order. For example, adding fries to a Big Mac costs less than the meal itself, making the decision easy for customers to justify.
- Buy-More-Save-More Offers: Discounts can be a powerful incentive. McDonald's occasionally bundles items or offers a discount on larger sizes, encouraging customers to upgrade. With CROKit, you can easily create upsell opportunities by using tiered offers that plug seamlessly into your sales flow, giving customers more reasons to upgrade.
- Perfect Timing: McDonald’s employees often suggest additional items like nuggets or desserts after the main order has been placed. This reduces the likelihood of the customer backing out of the sale.
- Simple and Consistent Offers: The simplicity of McDonald’s upselling is key. They offer the same upsell to every customer, making it an effortless part of the transaction. Consistency is crucial to make sure that your upsell offers are easy to understand and relevant to the original purchase.
Outcomes of Upselling
This upselling strategy generates impressive results for McDonald's, contributing an additional 15-40% in annual revenue. It’s proof that even small, low-cost upsells can lead to significant revenue when applied at scale.
#2 Amazon
Amazon’s homepage is packed with personalized product recommendations designed to keep shoppers engaged and encourage additional purchases. This personalized approach has made Amazon a leader in upselling and cross-selling, boosting both customer satisfaction and overall sales.
Upselling Strategy
Amazon has perfected the art of upselling and cross-selling through multiple touchpoints across its platform. Here’s how they do it:
- Homepage Recommendations: Upon opening Amazon’s homepage, you’re greeted with a variety of personalized product recommendations. These include categories like "New Products," "Your Recently Viewed Items," "Inspired by Your Browsing History," and "Related Products." These widgets are designed to show customers products they might not have thought of, increasing the likelihood of additional purchases.
- Product Page Recommendations: Once you’re on a product page, Amazon uses upsell techniques to keep you browsing and considering more items. Recommendations like "Customers Who Viewed This Also Bought" or "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" guide shoppers toward complementary or higher-value products. With CROKit, you can apply a similar strategy for your Shopify store, using variant upsell components to offer relevant product upgrades directly on product pages, increasing the time customers spend exploring and buying.
- Thank You Page Recommendations: On the "Thank You" page, customers are shown additional recommendations like "Related to Items You’ve Viewed," giving them a reason to come back and shop again. This tactic not only increases customer lifetime value (CLV) but also keeps shoppers engaged with the brand long after they’ve made a purchase.
Outcomes of Upselling
Amazon’s upselling strategies are responsible for 35% of its total revenue. By integrating these smart recommendation tactics, Amazon maximizes the value of every customer interaction.
#3 Adidas
Founded in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Adidas started as a soccer-focused company but has grown into one of the top sporting goods brands worldwide. Adidas’ success can be attributed not only to its products but also to its well-crafted upselling strategies that keep the brand active, relevant, and profitable on a global scale.
Upselling Strategies
Adidas employs a mix of upselling techniques designed to cater to various customer segments.
Here’s how they do it:
- Tiered Pricing and Promotional Offers: Adidas uses a tiered pricing strategy to cover a range of demographics. By maintaining a stable price point for premium items while offering periodic discounts and promotions, the brand incentivizes more purchases across different customer segments.
- Complete The Look: A standout feature in Adidas’ upselling strategy is its "Complete The Look" feature. For instance, in post-purchase emails, Adidas highlights additional products that can complement recent purchases, using eye-catching visuals and casual language. You can replicate this for your Shopify store with CROKit's upsell components, offering personalized recommendations that blend with your store’s branding.
- Customizations to Seal the Deal: While not always tied to a higher price, Adidas also uses upselling tactics to enhance customer satisfaction. For example, during checkout, Adidas may offer customization options for footwear, like adding a personal touch with initials or unique colors—free of charge.
Outcomes of Upselling
In 2022, Adidas reported total revenue of approximately €22.51 billion, with footwear contributing 57% of that amount. This showcases the importance of upselling within the footwear category and how strategically timed offers and personalized upsells can significantly boost sales.
#4 Slack
Since its launch in 2013, Slack has become a leading platform for collaboration and communication. Its intuitive interface and strong focus on user experience have made it the go-to tool for organizations of all sizes looking to streamline team communication. Slack's success is partly due to its strategic upselling, which encourages users to upgrade when they reach the limits of the free plan.
Upselling Strategies
Slack’s upselling strategy is well-integrated into the user experience, offering prompts at just the right moments:
- Message Limit Trigger: Slack's free plan allows users to store and search only the most recent 10,000 messages. Once users hit this limit, Slack introduces its first upsell prompt. The message highlights the benefits of upgrading, like unlimited message history, making it clear that upgrading unlocks essential features.
- Action-Based Prompts: Slack doesn’t overwhelm users with constant upsell messages. Instead, it introduces them at critical points—like when a user tries to search their message history or scroll back to view older conversations. This method keeps the upsell contextual and user-friendly. You can also apply a similar strategy for your Shopify store by using CROKit to introduce upsells when customers take certain actions, such as adding an item to their cart or completing a purchase.
- Clear Call-to-Action: When a user encounters the message limit, Slack presents a bright green "See Upgrade Options" button that takes them straight to the pricing page. This streamlined approach ensures there’s no friction in the upsell process, making it easy for users to upgrade quickly.
Outcomes of Upselling
By 2022, Slack had approximately 35 million active users, representing a massive potential customer base for upselling to premium features. Slack’s upsell strategy, which focuses on value-based prompts at the right moments, has successfully converted many free users into paying subscribers.
#5 Spotify
Since its launch in 2006, Spotify has grown into the dominant player in the audio streaming market. Despite facing challenges like data leaks and criticism from major music icons, Spotify remains the top choice for listeners worldwide, setting itself apart with its freemium business model and smart upselling techniques.
Upselling Strategies
Spotify has integrated upselling into the user experience. Here’s how they keep their users engaged and push them toward higher-value subscriptions:
- Freemium to Premium Conversion: Spotify’s freemium model allows users to enjoy basic services for free, with some limitations like ads and a skip limit. When users hit that limit, instead of a hard stop, Spotify uses this moment to offer an upgrade. A simple, non-intrusive prompt appears, suggesting, "Hey, there’s more if you go Premium." This approach allows users to experience the inconvenience of the free version and understand the value of upgrading.
- Ad-Supported Revenue: While many users stick to the free version, Spotify’s ads generate significant revenue. At the same time, these ads serve as another upselling opportunity, reminding users that by upgrading to Premium, they can enjoy an ad-free experience.
- Simple and Clear Call-to-Action: Spotify’s landing page is designed to move users through the sales funnel with ease. With just one call-to-action button—"Get Spotify Free"—users are led to sign up for the free version. From there, Spotify nudges them to upgrade to Premium through various prompts and limited-time offers. As a Shopify store owner, you can also utilize this upselling strategy using CROKit, which allows for clear, simple calls-to-action and tiered offers that guide customers toward higher-value purchases.
Outcomes of Upselling
Spotify’s upselling efforts have been incredibly successful. They’ve seen a 12% increase in Premium subscribers, largely due to their strategic use of the freemium model and targeted upsell prompts. By guiding users through an enjoyable free experience and offering timely Premium upgrades, Spotify has mastered the art of converting free users into paying subscribers.
How You Can Upsell On Your Shopify Store Using CROKit
With CROKit, you can seamlessly integrate upsell strategies into your Shopify store without needing technical expertise. Let’s explore a few proven techniques and how CROKit can help you implement them.
Buy-More-Save-More Bundles
A great way to clear slow-moving inventory and drive sales is by offering discounts when customers purchase multiple items. This buy-more-save-more approach incentivizes buyers to add more products to their cart, particularly if the discount increases with each additional item.
With CROKit's flexible upsell components, you can easily create tiered offers that promote these bundles and attract shoppers to buy more. For example, you can use dynamic pricing columns to show customers how much they’ll save by purchasing additional products, increasing the likelihood of larger orders.
Quantity Discount Bundles
If your store sells replenishable or high-demand products, quantity discount bundles are an effective strategy. Offering discounts for buying in bulk encourages customers to stock up on their favorite items, whether it’s skincare products or popular accessories.
Using CROKit's variant upsell feature, you can add quantity discount offers directly to product pages, showing customers the benefits of buying multiples. This is especially helpful for your bestsellers, allowing you to boost AOV while giving customers more value.
Frequently Bought Together Bundles
Bundling complementary products is another upsell strategy that works wonders. By analyzing data on products often purchased together, you can create pre-packaged kits (like pairing shoes with socks or cameras with memory cards) that encourage customers to add more to their orders.
With CROKit, you can quickly set up "Frequently Bought Together" sections on your Shopify store—no coding required. CROKit’s no-code page builder allows you to customize product recommendation sections that fit your store’s style and branding, enhancing both user experience and conversions.
Add Scarcity and Urgency
Introducing a sense of urgency can make your upsells more appealing, but it’s crucial to use this tactic at the right time. Instead of overwhelming customers with scarcity messages on product pages, save them for later in the buying journey.
CROKit supports these tactics with features like a meta title switcher that reminds customers to return to their cart and complete their purchase. You can also include countdown timers in your upsell offers to create that sense of urgency. For example, a post-purchase exclusive offer on the thank you page, available for only 12 hours, can encourage your customers to make another purchase.
Sign up for CROKit today and start turning casual shoppers into loyal, high-value customers while improving their overall shopping experience. By using CROKit’s powerful upselling techniques, you can maximize your store’s potential without complicating the sales process.