What is cross-selling?

Cross-selling is a sales technique where a business recommends related or complementary products to a customer who is already buying or considering a product.

Examples

• A customer buys a dress → recommend matching earrings or a handbag.
• A customer buys a smartphone → recommend a case or screen protector.
• A customer buys running shoes → recommend sports socks or a running belt.
• A customer buys a laptop → recommend a mouse or laptop bag.

Benefits of cross-selling

1. Increases average order value (AOV).
2. Helps customers discover relevant products.
3. Improves the overall shopping experience when recommendations are genuinely useful.
4. Increases revenue without requiring a completely new customer.
5. Encourages product bundling and complementary purchases.

On Shopify, cross-selling can be implemented through product recommendations, complementary-product sections, bundles, cart recommendations, and relevant apps.

Example: If a customer adds a ₹2,000 necklace to their cart, suggesting matching earrings for ₹800 is cross-selling.