If you want to grow your Shopify store, AOV (average order value) is a metric you really can’t afford to ignore!

With constant rising business costs and increasing competition, getting more value from every customer has never been more important. Increasing how much customers spend per order can have a direct impact on your revenue and profitability, without relying solely on bringing more traffic to your store. But how do you actually increase Shopify AOV, and what strategies work best?

In this guide, we'll take a closer look at:

What Shopify AOV is and why it's important
How to calculate Shopify AOV
The factors that affect your Shopify store's AOV
How to increase AOV on Shopify
The best apps to boost Shopify AOV
Common mistakes to avoid when trying to increase AOV

Let’s get straight into it…

What is Shopify AOV & Why Is It So Important?

Average Order Value (AOV) is one of the most important metrics you can use to understand how much customers are spending each time they place an order. Simply put, your AOV is the average amount of revenue generated per transaction over a specific period.

For Shopify stores, AOV is more than just a number on a dashboard. It provides valuable insight into customer behavior, pricing, marketing performance, and overall store profitability.

When you really look into and understand AOV as a metric, you can start to answer important questions about how customers interact with your store.

Are shoppers typically purchasing a single product, or are they adding multiple items to their cart? Are your product prices encouraging customers to spend more? Are your promotions and marketing campaigns actually resulting in higher-value orders?

In other words, AOV serves as a window into your customers’ purchasing behavior and how effectively your store turns that behavior into revenue.

What does AOV tell you about your Shopify store?

Tracking AOV can provide three key insights into your store’s performance:

Spending patterns: AOV shows how much customers typically spend per order. This can help you understand whether shoppers are buying individual products or adding multiple items to their baskets

Pricing effectiveness: Your AOV can indicate whether your product pricing and overall product mix are encouraging customers to make larger purchases. If your AOV is consistently low, then it’s a sign that you need to review your pricing strategy.

Marketing impact: AOV can also help you understand how effectively your promotions and Shopify marketing campaigns influence purchasing behavior. For example, if a campaign generates more orders but your AOV falls significantly, you may be attracting customers who spend less, make impulse purchases, or you’re relying too heavily on discounts.

Why is AOV a key metric for Shopify stores?

Average order value directly impacts your store’s revenue and profitability. When customers spend more per order, you can generate additional revenue without necessarily needing to acquire more customers or drive more traffic to your store.

For example, imagine your Shopify store received 1,000 orders with an AOV of $40. That’s $40,000 in revenue. If you increase your AOV by $10 to $50 while maintaining the same number of orders, your revenue increases to $50,000.

That’s an additional $10,000 in revenue from the same number of orders.

This is why increasing AOV can be such a powerful growth lever for Shopify stores - you’re focusing on getting more value from the customers who are already visiting and buying from your store.

Of course, increasing AOV isn’t about simply encouraging customers to spend more at any cost. Your goal should be to increase order value while maintaining healthy profit margins and the best possible customer experience. (We’ll go through this later in the article!)

The Relationship Between AOV, Revenue, Customer Acquisition Costs, and Profitability

AOV becomes even more important when you consider the wider economics of running a Shopify store. Why?

Well, as I’m sure you already know, acquiring new customers can be expensive. Between paid advertising, influencer marketing, content creation, and other acquisition channels, you need to generate enough revenue from each customer to justify the cost of all of these marketing channels.

When customers spend more per transaction, you’re getting more revenue from each acquired customer, helping you get more value from your marketing spend and improve the return on your customer acquisition costs (CAC).

For example, if it costs you $30 to acquire a new customer and that customer places a $50 order, there’s only a limited amount of revenue available to cover your product costs, fulfillment, marketing expenses, and other operating costs. If you can increase that customer’s AOV to $75, you have way more revenue generated from the same acquisition investment.

This is one of the main reasons AOV as a sales metric is so closely connected to profitability.

However, AOV doesn’t work in isolation. It needs to be considered alongside other metrics, particularly your conversion rate and returning customer rate.

AOV and the StoreLab CAR Framework

At StoreLab, we’ve seen firsthand that boosting AOV is crucial for achieving sustainable, long-term Shopify revenue growth. That’s why average order value is a core part of our strategies and services, and one of the key cornerstones of growth within the StoreLab CAR Framework.

The CAR framework is focused on these three important pillars:

Conversion Rate - the percentage of visitors who actually make a purchase.
Average Order Value (AOV) - how much customers spend per order.
Returning Customer Rate - how many customers come back to purchase again.

These three metrics work together to provide a clear picture of your store’s performance and growth potential, including where the best opportunities lie and which areas may be holding your business back.

Conversion rate and AOV, in particular, are closely connected. If you’re attracting visitors but very few are converting, or if customers are converting but spending very little, it can be difficult to generate meaningful profit.

Your returning customer rate is equally important for long-term growth. While acquiring new customers is essential, retaining existing customers can be significantly more cost-effective.

In this article, we’re going to focus specifically on AOV, but it’s so important to understand how it links to the other core Shopify growth metrics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Average AOV Across Industries?

There isn’t one universal AOV benchmark that applies to every Shopify store, as average order value can vary significantly depending on the industry, product category, target audience, pricing strategy, and customer demographics.

According to Shopify, the global average order value across industries is $145. However, that figure can naturally fluctuate between sectors.

For example:

Luxury & Jewelry: Often have some of the highest AOVs, with order values frequently exceeding $300.
Apparel and Accessories: Typically see AOVs in the region of $40 to $170.
Beauty and Personal Care: Generally have lower AOVs, with averages closer to $15 to $90.

Source: www.shopify.com/uk/blog/average-order-value

These figures provide a useful benchmark, but you should be careful about comparing your AOV directly with Shopify stores in completely different industries. A $50 AOV might be excellent for one business and a significant concern for another.

Instead, it will be more beneficial to understand your store’s current AOV, identify what’s influencing it, and find sustainable ways to increase the value of every order.

How do I Calculate Shopify AOV?

The good news is that calculating your Shopify AOV is nice and simple. All you need is your total revenue and the number of orders placed over a specific period, which you can find in your Shopify Analytics dashboard.

AOV = Total Revenue ÷ Number of Orders

To illustrate, if your Shopify store generates $50,000 in revenue from 1,000 orders the calculation would be:

$50,000 ÷ 1,000 = $50

Your AOV is therefore $50, meaning that’s what customers spend on average per order.

What Factors Affect Your Shopify Store’s AOV?

Product Pricing

Your pricing strategy plays a direct role in determining your AOV, but there's no one-size-fits-all approach.

Are you selling higher-priced products and aiming for customers to purchase two items to reach a $250 AOV, or are you offering more affordable products and encouraging customers to add four items to reach $100?

The right approach depends on your products, customers, and overall business model. The key is finding the right balance between pricing competitively and creating enough value to persuade customers to buy more.

Discounts and Promotions

Well-planned discounts, offers, and promotions such as “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” or “Spend $100, Get 10% Off” can increase order value by giving shoppers an incentive to spend more. However, it’s important to ensure these promotions bring larger orders without eating into your profit margins.

Customer Experience

A smooth and personalized shopping experience makes it easier and more enjoyable for customers to discover products and feel confident making a purchase. Clear navigation, helpful product recommendations, strong social proof, and a simple checkout all contribute to a better customer journey.

When customers can easily find products they trust and understand their value, they’re way more inclined to explore your store and add more to their basket.

How to Increase Average Order Value on a Shopify Store

1. Get a Mobile App for Your Shopify Store

One of the most effective ways to increase AOV is to give customers a better place to shop - a dedicated Shopify mobile app can do exactly that by creating a faster, smoother, and more personalized shopping experience.

A recent study found that brands achieve 10% - 120% higher AOV and 40% - 1000% higher conversion rates in-app compared to web. That’s a significant difference and highlights the potential a Shopify mobile app can have on your store’s performance.

So what makes mobile apps so effective at increasing Shopify AOV?

Faster, Smoother Checkout

Mobile apps streamline the buying journey with fewer distractions and a smoother checkout than mobile browsers. When customers can pay quickly using options like Klarna, Afterpay, or saved card details, they’re more likely to complete their purchase and add extra products.

Personalized Product Recommendations

Apps can use browsing and purchase behavior to surface relevant products, add-ons, bundles and complementary items. This way, products shoppers genuinely want appear right in front of them, whether that’s on product pages or at checkout.

High-Converting Push Notifications

Push notifications instantly land on your customers’ devices like a text message, making them hard to miss. That means you can promote upsells or special deals at exactly the right moment. Even better, they can be precisely targeted - so customers only see offers that genuinely match their interests.

Saved Preferences and Payment Details

Returning customers don’t want to start from scratch every time they make a purchase. If they’re using your app, their details are saved, making checkout incredibly quick. Less friction at checkout also means fewer abandoned carts and higher order values.

Exclusive In-App Offers and Bundles

Shopify mobile apps also allow you to offer exclusive perks, such as app-only bundles, tiered discounts, and special offers that reward higher spending.

Put simply, having a mobile app for your Shopify store makes it a much smoother experience for customers to browse, buy, and come back again. And when shopping becomes streamlined and feels more personalized, customers don’t just buy more often, they tend to spend more per order.

Intrigued? Read our guide on why you need a mobile app for your Shopify store in 2026.

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2. Use Upsell, Cross-Sell, & Bundle Strategies

Upsells, cross-sells, and bundles are product strategies designed to increase the value of each order by encouraging customers to add more or better products during their shopping journey.

Product Page Upsells

The product page is where the buying decision is happening, making it a prime opportunity to suggest a relevant upgrade. For example, you could encourage a customer to upgrade to a larger or deluxe version of a product for an extra $10 or add an extended warranty for additional peace of mind.

When done well, product page upsells can increase AOV and revenue by 10-30%.

Product Page Cross-Sells

Cross-sells work best when they feel genuinely useful and relevant. In fact, a McKinsey study found that cross-selling can account for up to 35% of a company’s revenue, highlighting just how powerful this strategy can be.

Place complementary products directly alongside the main product. For example, if a customer is viewing a beach bag, you could recommend sunglasses or a sun hat. Many fashion brands also use “Shop the Look” features, allowing customers to add everything worn by the model in the product photo directly to their basket.

Cart Page Add-Ons

The cart is a great place to suggest small but valuable add-ons that complement what the customer is already buying. This could be socks with a shoe purchase or makeup brushes alongside beauty products.

These simple but helpful recommendations work because the customer is already in a buying mindset, and the products are directly relevant to their purchase.

Checkout Page Last-Minute Upsells

At checkout, it’s all about light-touch, impulse-friendly offers. Some popular options include gift wrapping, expedited shipping, or a small discounted add-on. Nothing that slows the checkout process down, just easy yes-or-no decisions that can boost AOV at the final moment.

Bundle Offers

Bundles are one of the strongest levers for increasing Shopify AOV, with research suggesting they can improve conversions by 20-30%.

The concept is simple: package related products together and offer a clear saving compared to purchasing each item individually. Even if a shopper initially intends to buy just one product, a well-presented bundle can strengthen the perceived value and mean shoppers are inclined to spend more.

Post-Purchase Upsells on the Thank You Page

By no means does the shopping journey end at checkout! The thank you page is one of the best places to capture extra revenue. Offers like “Add this item to your order in the next 10 minutes - no extra cost” work because the customer has already committed and is still in a buying mindset.

The main rule across all of these strategies is to keep it relevant, timely, and subtle. Shoppers respond far better to a few well-placed, genuinely valuable offers rather than being overwhelmed by too many distractions.

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3. Highlight Free Shipping Thresholds

80% of online customers are willing to meet a minimum spend threshold to unlock free shipping

Let’s be honest, nobody wants to pay for shipping. I know I’d rather add a $6 pair of socks to my basket to qualify for free delivery than pay a $4.99 shipping fee.

That’s exactly why this tactic works so well: you’re trading a small perceived “loss” (the shipping cost) for a slightly higher basket value. And while the concept alone is powerful, there are a few smart ways to make it even more effective:

Dynamic Progress Bar

Adding a dynamic progress bar across your store is a very visually persuasive format. You could show customers exactly how close they are to free shipping, for example: “You’re only $8 away from free delivery.”

When customers can clearly see they’re nearly at the threshold, it becomes a goal or target.

Product Page Reminders

Reinforce the incentive early in the customer journey so shoppers know about the free shipping threshold before reaching checkout. A simple bit of copy like, ‘Free delivery on orders over $50” can subtly influence basket size from the start.

Announcement Bar / Sitewide Header

Keep your threshold visible across your website and Shopify mobile app with a sticky banner. The more consistently customers see it, the more likely they are to plan their spending around it.

Checkout Page Reinforcement

At the final stage, remind customers about what they’ve achieved. Messaging like “You’ve unlocked free shipping 🎉” adds a small moment of satisfaction before payment, which can also support retention and repeat purchases.

Email & Push Notification Follow-Ups

This is especially useful for reducing and recovering Shopify abandoned carts. If a shopper abandons their cart just below the threshold, a reminder like “You’re only $6 away from free shipping - complete your order now!” can bring them back to complete their purchase.

Free Gift Thresholds

This is a variation of the same idea and can be another valuable AOV strategy. Instead of, or alongside free shipping, you could offer a free gift when shoppers reach a certain spend level.

For instance:

Spend $25 and get 1 free gift
Spend $45 and get 2 free gifts

The psychology behind this strategy is strong: customers are getting something extra for their spend, and that perceived bonus value means people justify adding more items to their basket.

Both free shipping and free gift thresholds work because they reframe spending. Instead of thinking, “I’m spending more”, customers start thinking, “I’m, unlocking more value.”

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4. Implement a Loyalty Program

75% of consumers are willing to buy more products when they’re part of a loyalty program.

Unlike quick-win tactics that may only increase Shopify sales temporarily, a well-designed loyalty program can drive long-term customer retention. It gives customers a reason to keep coming back and spend a little more each time they do.

Many loyalty programs allow customers to earn points with every purchase, such as 1 point per $1 spent, which they can later redeem for rewards. But the real AOV impact comes from progression.

If a customer is close to reaching the next loyalty tier or unlocking a better reward, they may add an extra item just to get there. Spending an additional $10 today can feel worthwhile if it unlocks significantly more value later.

Customers enjoy earning points, unlocking rewards, and moving closer to the next tier, which means higher value basket sizes without relying on hard selling all the time.

For a loyalty program to work, however, the experience matters just as much as the structure. A good loyalty program should be:

Fun and engaging, rather than purely transactional.
Simple and easy to understand, with no confusing rules or maths.
Achievable and attainable, so customers feel rewards are within reach.
Genuinely valuable, rather than offering gimmicky discounts.
Personalized, so rewards feel relevant to individual shoppers.
Aligned with customer behavior and preferences, rather than simply pushing the offers a brand wants to promote.

When all of this comes together, a loyalty program becomes more than just a points system - it becomes a consistent driver of repeat purchases and higher AOV over time.

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5. Post-Purchase Communication

Post-purchase communication happens after the initial purchase, taking a slightly different approach to growing average order value. Instead of trying to increase basket size while a customer is still deciding whether to buy, you reach them afterwards, when the buying momentum is still there and they’re looking forward to receiving their order.

Studies show that post-purchase upselling communications can lead to a 5.6% uplift in AOV, which over time, makes a meaningful difference.

At this stage, suggestions should feel helpful rather than pushy. The goal is to add genuine value to what the customer has already purchased. For example, if someone buys a pair of running shoes, you could show them a waterproof shoe protector spray with a message like “Did you miss this?” and offer the option to add it to their order for the next 10 minutes.

There’s a few key touchpoints that work particularly well:

Shipping & Delivery Updates

Keep customers engaged between purchase and delivery with subtle, relevant recommendations such as, “While you wait, customers who bought this also loved…”.

Post-Delivery Follow-Up Email

Once the customer has received and used their product, it’s a great time to continue the conversation. An email marketing campaign that includes a message like “How did you like it? Here are some accessories to help you get even more value” feels natural because it’s based on their experience with the product.

Replenishment Reminders

For consumable or repeat-use products, lifecycle-based messaging like “Running low? Restock now and get 10% off” brings customers back at the right time.

It’s also worth noting that 90% of consumers say the post-purchase experience is just as important as product quality. So this stage isn’t just about increasing AOV; it’s also about reinforcing customer satisfaction while creating non-salesy opportunities for future, higher-value purchases.

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What Apps Can Help Boost Shopify AOV Effectively?

ReConvert Post-Purchase Upsell

If the name didn’t already give it away, ReConvert is designed to improve the post-purchase journey by adding upsell and cross-sell opportunities that persuade customers to add more products with just one click.

The app allows Shopify merchants to create customizable thank you pages, one-click post-purchase upsells, cart upsells, and personalized offers based on key customer milestones. You can also use features like frequently bought together recommendations and product bundles.

Bundler - Product Bundles

Bundler lets you create bundles with ease creating higher-value products to drive up your average order value. By combining products into higher-value offers, customers are likely to spend more in a single order.

The app supports a wide range of bundle strategies, including classic bundles, mix-and-match bundles, volume discounts, frequently bought together recommendations, tiered discounts, build-your-own bundles, and automatic bundle discounts.

StoreLab - Shopify Mobile App Builder

Our Shopify Growth Service at StoreLab includes using our no-code mobile app builder that’s designed to increase sales and strengthen customer connections. With a simple drag-and-drop interface, you can create a fully branded iOS and Android app without needing advanced technical skills.

Mobile apps typically achieve higher AOV and conversion rates than mobile websites by offering a faster, more intuitive experience built around repeat purchases and higher-value orders. Customers can browse products and complete checkout with less friction.

Combined with targeted Meta ads and creative services such as landing pages, UGC, and email flows, our Shopify Growth Service at StoreLab helps attract new customers and keep them coming back - boosting conversions, AOV, and retention.

Discover the 12 best Shopify apps to increase your average order value.

Common AOV Mistakes Shopify Store Owners Should Avoid

Focusing on AOV at the Expense of Profit Margins

A higher AOV doesn’t always mean higher profits. If you’re relying on heavy discounts or expensive incentives to increase basket size, you could end up reducing your profit margins. So always consider the overall profitability of your strategy, not just the value of each order.

‍Offering Too Many Discounts

Discounts can be very effective for increasing basket size, but using them too frequently can train customers to wait for a sale. This can reduce your margins and make it harder to sell products at full price. It’s best to use discounts strategically and make sure the additional revenue outweighs the cost of the promotion.

‍Using Irrelevant Upsells and Cross-Sells

Showing irrelevant upsells and cross-sells can make the shopping experience feel pushy and frustrating. Focus on recommendations that genuinely complement the customer’s purchase and add value to their order.

Setting an Unrealistic Free Shipping Threshold

A free shipping threshold that’s too high can have the opposite effect to what you intended. If customers feel they’re too far away from qualifying, they may abandon their basket altogether.

Ignoring Customer Experience

Increasing AOV shouldn’t come at the expense of a smooth shopping experience. Too many pop-ups, upsells, or distractions can quickly get annoying! Each AOV strategy you decide to implement should enhance the customer journey, not get in the way of it.

Failing to Segment AOV by Customer Type

Not all customers behave in the same way, so looking at one overall average order value can hide important insights. New customers, returning customers, and loyal VIP shoppers may have very different spending habits. Segmenting your AOV data can help you understand these differences and create more relevant strategies for each customer group.

Not Taking a Holistic Approach

AOV is such an important metric for Shopify growth, but it’s only one part of the bigger picture. As we discussed earlier with the StoreLab CAR Framework, conversion rate, AOV, and returning customer rate all work together to support sustainable growth.

Looking at these three metrics together, alongside your profit margin, gives you a much clearer picture of your store’s overall performance and helps ensure your growth strategies are sustainable in the long term.

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Final Thoughts

We hope that this article has given you some valuable insights into why increasing Shopify AOV is so important for running a successful online store.

Understanding this importance is why we’ve built services specifically around improving average order value, including Shopify mobile app development, bundling and cross-sell logic, in-cart and post-purchase optimization, pricing and offer architecture, and more.

To learn more about our Shopify growth plans, book a call with a friendly member of our team at StoreLab. We’d love to learn more about your business and how we can help you to reach your full growth potential!