Bundles can raise Average Order Value (AOV) on Shopify by encouraging shoppers to add more products to an order. But most merchants make one of two mistakes: they pick a bundle type at random, or they build a great bundle that no shopper ever sees.
This guide fixes both. By the end, you’ll know which bundle strategy matches your goal, and exactly where to promote it so customers actually take the offer.
Here’s the path we’ll follow: six bundle strategies, how to choose the right one, how to promote it through email and SMS, other places to promote it, and how to measure whether it worked.
Why Bundles Work
A product bundle combines two or more items into one offer. It may include a discount, but it can also create value through convenience, curation, or easier product discovery.
Unlike a single-item discount, a bundle can increase the number of items in the cart while making the purchase decision easier for the shopper.
Bundles can improve store performance in three ways:
- Higher AOV: a well-matched offer can encourage shoppers to buy more per order because the combined offer feels worth it.
- Easier decisions: a ready-made set removes choice paralysis, especially for first-time buyers.
- Smarter inventory movement: you can pair slow-moving stock with popular items instead of discounting it alone.
Watch out: a bundle is only valuable if the additional revenue outweighs the margin given away.
A 20% bundle discount that adds one low-cost item to the cart can quietly shrink your profit. Keep this margin math in mind as you read the strategies below.
Next action: before you choose a bundle type, write down the one goal this bundle should hit. AOV, inventory, or product discovery. That single goal decides everything that follows.
The 6 Best Bundle Strategies
Each strategy below serves a different goal. Match the strategy to your goal first, then pick your products.
#1 Fixed Bundles
A Fixed Bundle is a set group of products sold together as one package, like a starter kit or gift set.
- Best goal: raise AOV and guide first-time buyers.
- Best product type: items that naturally go together (skincare routine, camera + case + strap).
- Example: a coffee brand sells a “Morning Starter Kit” with beans, a grinder, and a filter for 10% less than buying each alone.
- Setup note: because the contents never change, Fixed Bundles are the simplest type to build and price.
#2 Mix & Match Bundle
A Mix & Match Bundle lets the shopper build their own set from a group of eligible products, often as “Buy any 3 for $30.”
- Best goal: personalization and higher perceived value.
- Best product type: ranges with variety, like flavors, scents, colors, or sizes.
- Example: a candle store offers “Pick any 4 candles for $60,” letting customers choose their own scents.
- Setup note: this format moves product variety well, but it needs an app to handle the “choose any X” logic on Shopify.
#3 Volume / Tiered Bundle
A Volume Bundle (or Tiered Discount) rewards buying more of the same item, like “Buy 2, save 10%. Buy 3, save 20%.”
- Best goal: increase the quantity of a product per order.
- Best product type: consumables people restock, like supplements, coffee, or pet food.
- Example: a protein brand shows “1 tub $40, 2 tubs $72, 3 tubs $99” on the product page.
- Setup note: tiers work best when the jump between them feels worth it, so test the discount gap between levels.
#4 BOGO / BXGY
BOGO (Buy One Get One) and BXGY (Buy X Get Y) give a free or discounted item when the shopper buys a qualifying product.
- Best goal: create urgency and clear specific inventory.
- Best product type: items you want to move fast, or a hero product paired with a secondary one.
- Example: “Buy one pair of socks, get one 50% off” during an end-of-season push.
- Setup note: BOGO drives conversion more than AOV, so use it when the goal is volume or clearance, not basket size.
#5 Complementary Bundle
A Complementary Bundle groups items that are frequently bought together, shown on the product page as “complete the set.”
- Best goal: cross-sell and lift basket size at the point of interest.
- Best product type: a main product with obvious add-ons (phone + case + screen protector).
- Example: a shoe store shows “Add matching laces and a cleaning kit” right on the sneaker page.
- Setup note: relevance is everything here. An unrelated add-on gets ignored and can make the offer feel pushy.
#6 Subscription / Replenishment Bundle
A Subscription Bundle packages products a customer receives on a repeating schedule, often at a small recurring saving.
- Best goal: increase lifetime value on repeat-purchase categories.
- Best product type: consumables with a predictable refill cycle, like skincare, coffee, or vitamins.
- Example: a skincare brand offers a “Monthly Essentials” bundle delivered every 30 days at 15% off.
- Setup note: this is the only strategy focused on repeat revenue rather than a single order, so match it to products people genuinely run out of.
Next action: circle the one strategy above that fits the goal you wrote down earlier. The next section helps you confirm the match.
How to Choose the Right Strategy
Your goal decides your strategy. Use this quick rule: if your goal is X, try strategy Y.
- Want a higher AOV from first-time buyers? Try a Fixed Bundle.
- Want to move product variety and boost perceived value? Try a Mix & Match Bundle.
- Want more units per order on consumables? Try a Volume Bundle.
- Want fast conversion or clearance? Try BOGO / BXGY.
- Want to cross-sell on the product page? Try a Complementary Bundle.
- Want repeat revenue from refill products? Try a Subscription Bundle.
The table below compares all six at a glance.
| Strategy | Best goal | Best product type | Main focus | Setup complexity |
| Fixed Bundle | Raise AOV, guide new buyers | Items that pair naturally | AOV | Low |
| Mix & Match Bundle | Personalization, move variety | Ranges (flavors, scents, colors) | AOV | Medium |
| Volume / Tiered Bundle | More units per order | Consumables | AOV | Medium |
| BOGO / BXGY | Urgency, clearance | Fast-moving or hero items | Conversion | Medium |
| Complementary Bundle | Cross-sell on product page | Main item + add-ons | AOV | Medium |
| Subscription Bundle | Repeat revenue, higher LTV | Refill products | LTV | High |
How to decide: start with the single goal you wrote down, not the product. If you have one clear goal, pick the matching row and commit to it. If you’re torn between two goals, choose the strategy with the lower setup complexity first, prove it works, then add a second bundle type later. Running one bundle well beats running three badly.
Some of these strategies need an app to run cleanly on Shopify, since the native tools don’t cover every format. If you plan to run more than one strategy, a single app such as BOGOS (by Secomapp) can handle several of them together, including gift-with-purchase offers, BOGO / BXGY, and bundle-style deals. Using one tool for multiple offer types saves you from stacking several apps that may conflict at checkout.
Promoting Bundles Through Email & SMS
Email and SMS help you reach shoppers who already know your brand. They can be effective channels for introducing a bundle, answering questions, and creating timely reminders.
These two channels do different jobs. Use each for what it’s best at.
Email is for the full story. It gives you room to show the bundle, explain the value, and make the visual case.
- Launch announcements: introduce a new bundle with images and a clear “what’s inside.”
- “Complete the set” reminders: follow up with buyers who bought one item from a bundle.
- Replenishment nudges: remind Subscription and Volume Bundle buyers when it’s time to restock.
SMS is for timing and conversation. Use it for timely reminders and for questions that can be answered in a short exchange.
- Time-boxed offers: “Your bundle deal ends tonight” lands well over SMS.
- Back-in-stock alerts: tell shoppers the moment a popular bundle returns.
- Cart recovery: nudge a shopper who left a bundle in their cart.
The two channels can be especially effective when coordinated. work best together. Email can explain the offer in detail, while SMS can add a timely reminder or shopper conversation. For example, a Volume Bundle can get an email breakdown at launch, then an SMS “last day” reminder before the deadline.
For SMS specifically, an AI-native tool built for Shopify like TxtCart fits bundle promotion well. It runs conversational two-way texts, so a shopper can reply and buy the bundle straight from the message thread instead of clicking back to the store. That matters for bundles, which often need a quick question answered (“Can I swap the scent?”) before the shopper commits.
TxtCart covers three moments that map directly to bundle promotion:
- AI Agent:
AI that sells, supports, and converts - Campaigns: Send a bundle launch or holiday offer to your consented list or a relevant segment.
- Flows: Grow the SMS list you’ll promote future bundles to.
Watch out: SMS marketing requires explicit opt-in and must follow strict compliance rules that apply in each recipient’s jurisdiction. Message only eligible subscribers, honor opt-outs promptly, and have your legal or compliance team review the program.
Next action: pick one email flow and one SMS trigger for your first bundle. Don’t build ten automations at once. Prove one of each works, then expand.
Other Ways to Promote Product Bundles
Email and SMS reach people who already know you. To catch shoppers while they browse, you also need your bundle visible across the store and in your ads.
A bundle needs a home and a path. Place it where buying intent is already high, then make the next step obvious.
Here are the common placements to consider and when each may be useful:
- Product page: show a “complete the set” or bundle widget right where the shopper is deciding. Best for Complementary and Fixed Bundles.
- Cart and cart drawer: offer a last-moment bundle add-on before checkout. Best for catching impulse additions.
- Dedicated bundle collection: build a “Bundles & Sets” collection page and feature it on your homepage. Best for shoppers browsing for deals.
- Announcement bar: run a site-wide banner for a time-boxed bundle offer. Best for urgency and seasonal pushes.
- Paid social and ads: make the bundle the hero offer in your ad creative, especially during BFCM. Best for reaching new customers with a strong deal.
- Post-purchase page: where supported, offer a post-purchase bundle add right after checkout. This can lift order value without interrupting the initial buying flow.
Not every placement suits every strategy. Match the placement to the bundle:
- Complementary Bundle → product page + cart drawer.
- Volume Bundle → product page + bundle collection.
- Fixed Bundle → homepage feature + product page.
- BOGO / BXGY → announcement bar + paid ads.
Tip: the product page and the cart are your two highest-intent spots. If you only have time to set up two placements, start there.
Next action: pick two placements to launch with. Start with two well-executed placements, measure the result, and expand only when the data supports it.
How to Measure and Optimize
Evaluate each bundle against a comparable baseline. These four metrics help show whether the offer is working.
- Attach rate: the percentage of orders that include the bundle. This shows whether shoppers find the offer appealing.
- AOV lift: your average order value with the bundle live, compared with a relevant pre-launch period or control group.
- Margin after discount: your profit per order once the bundle incentive is applied. This catches bundles that sell well but earn little.
- Bundle page conversion rate: the percentage of bundle-page visitors who buy. This shows whether your promotion and pricing are landing.
Watch out: a high attach rate with shrinking margin is not a win. Always check AOV lift and margin together, never one alone.
To improve a bundle, test one variable at a time. Changing several things at once hides which change actually moved the numbers.
- Consider testing the price or discount size as one starting point because it directly changes the shopper’s perceived value.
- Then test the product mix to see which combination sells best.
- Then test the threshold or tier gap for Volume and Mix & Match Bundles.
- Finally, test placement to see where the bundle converts best.
If a bundle isn’t converting, investigate these possible causes:
- Price: is the saving big enough to feel like a real deal?
- Relevance: do the products actually belong together?
- Visibility: can shoppers even find the bundle on your store?
- Threshold: is the “buy X” requirement set too high?
Next action: record your baseline AOV before you launch. Without a before number, you can’t prove the lift, and proof is what tells you to scale the bundle or scrap it.
Conclusion
The best bundle strategy is the one aligned to your goal and actually seen by shoppers. Get both right and bundles become a reliable AOV lever, not a guess.
Here’s the whole process in four steps:
- Match the strategy to one clear goal (AOV, inventory, discovery, or repeat revenue).
- Choose one bundle type and build it cleanly before adding more.
- Promote the bundle through at least one high-intent onsite placement and one consented owned channel, such as email or SMS.
- Measure the AOV lift against a baseline, then test one variable at a time to improve it.
Start with a single bundle tied to a single goal. Once the results support it, expand across your store. BOGOS can create and display the Shopify offer, while TxtCart can promote it through consented, conversational SMS; the two products are configured separately.