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Why Is Your Average Order Value So Low? 9 Fixes That Actually Work

Anurag Pandey
Last updated on October 16, 2026
eCommerce, Shopify, Shopify Plus
15 minutes read

Table of Contents

A low average order value is one of the most common problems I see in Shopify stores. The Shopify store gets traffic, customers buy, but each order is small. You end up working harder for the same money, because your ad costs, packing, and shipping stay the same while the revenue from each order doesn’t grow.

I’m Anurag Pandey, founder of ControlF5. My team and I have spent years building and fixing Shopify stores for merchants of all sizes, and AOV is one of the first numbers I check when we audit a Shopify store.

The good news is that a low average order value is usually easy to fix. In most Shopify stores I’ve worked on, the problem wasn’t the products. It was that the Shopify store never gave customers a reason or an easy way to add more to their cart.

In this blog, I’ll explain what average order value is, why yours might be low, and 9 fixes we use with our own clients. If you want to increase average order value, Shopify already gives you most of the tools you need.

AOV Benchmarks Every Shopify Merchant Should Know

Before you judge your own AOV, it helps to see how other online stores are doing. Here’s what Dynamic Yield’s ecommerce benchmarks show for the past twelve months:

Benchmark	AOV
Global ecommerce average	$172
Desktop orders	$218
Mobile orders	$159
Tablet orders	$154

What Is Shopify Average Order Value (and How to Calculate It)

Average order value, or AOV, is the average amount a customer spends each time they place an order in your Shopify store.

When it comes to Shopify average order value, ecommerce stores that track it closely usually find easy ways to earn more from every sale.

The formula is simple:

AOV = Total Revenue ÷ Total Number of Orders

Here’s an example:

Month	Total Revenue	Number of Orders	AOV
January	$12,000	300	$40
February	$15,000	300	$50

Look at the table closely. Both months had the same 300 orders. But in February, each customer spent $10 more, and the Shopify store made $3,000 extra without getting a single new customer.

That’s why AOV matters so much. Getting new customers costs money. Getting existing customers to spend a little more per order often costs very little.

A quick note: when you calculate AOV, use the same numbers every time. Some people include shipping and taxes, some don’t. Shopify’s own report uses its own method, so if you’re comparing months, stick to one source.

What Is a Good Average Order Value for Shopify Stores?

There’s no single “good” number, and I’d be careful with anyone who gives you one. AOV depends heavily on what you sell.

A Shopify store selling $15 phone cases and a Shopify store selling $900 sofas will never have similar AOVs, and that’s fine.

Here’s how I’d suggest judging your AOV instead:

What to Check	Why It Matters
Your AOV vs. your cheapest product price	If your AOV is almost the same as one product’s price, most people are buying just one item.
Your AOV vs. your cost per order	If ads, shipping, and packing eat most of each order, your AOV is too low to be profitable.
Your AOV over the last 6 to 12 months	A flat or falling line means your Shopify store isn’t encouraging bigger carts.
Your AOV vs. your free shipping threshold	If the threshold is below your AOV, it’s not pushing anyone to add more.

In simple words, a good AOV is one that keeps you profitable and keeps growing over time. Your own past numbers are the best benchmark you have.

Why Is My Average Order Value Low? 6 Common Reasons

Before jumping to fixes, it helps to know what’s causing the problem. These are the reasons I see most often when we audit Shopify stores.

1. You’re not suggesting anything extra:

A customer adds one item and goes straight to checkout. Nobody showed them a matching product, an accessory, or a better option. In a physical shop, a salesperson would suggest something. Online, your Shopify store has to do that job.

2. Your free shipping threshold is too low, or you don’t have one:

If free shipping kicks in at $30 and your AOV is already $45, the offer isn’t pushing anyone to spend more. And if you don’t have a threshold at all, you’re missing one of the simplest ways to grow cart size.

3. Your Shopify store is built around single products:

Many Shopify stores send ad traffic to one product page with no links to related items. The customer sees one thing, buys one thing, and leaves.

4. Your cart experience is weak:

The cart is where people decide whether to add more or check out. If your cart page is plain and shows nothing but the item and a checkout button, you’re losing an easy chance to grow the order.

5. You depend too much on sitewide discounts:

Running 20% off on everything brings in orders, but it also trains customers to buy only what they need, only on sale. Discounts that reward bigger carts work much better than flat discounts on everything.

6. You don’t offer bundles or quantity pricing:

If a customer who needs three items pays the same per-item price as someone buying one, there’s no reason to buy more at once.

Most Shopify stores have two or three of these problems at the same time. The good part is that each one has a clear fix.

Seeing some of these problems in your store?
Our Shopify team can spot what’s keeping your Shopify AOV low and fix it for you.

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9 Fixes to Increase Average Order Value on Shopify

Here’s a quick overview of Shopify AOV strategies before we go through each one:

Fix	Where It Works	Effort to Set Up
1. Cart drawer upsells	Cart	Low
2. “Frequently bought together” on product pages	Product page	Low
3. Smarter free shipping threshold	Sitewide	Very low
4. Product bundles	Product and collection pages	Medium
5. Volume and tiered discounts	Product page and cart	Low
6. Post-purchase upsells	After checkout	Low
7. Free gift with minimum spend	Cart	Low
8. Rewards progress bar in the cart	Cart	Low
9. Personalized recommendations	Cart and product pages	Medium

Fix 1: Add Smart Upsells in the Cart Drawer

A shopify cart drawer is the panel that slides out from the side when someone adds a product to their cart. It’s one of the best places for a Shopify upsell, because the customer has already decided to buy.

What to show there:

Accessories that go with the item (a case with a phone, socks with shoes)
Small, low-priced add-ons that are easy to say yes to
A slightly better version of what they picked

The key is to keep it relevant. If someone adds a baby onesie and you show them a kitchen knife, they’ll ignore it. If you show a matching bib, many will add it.

I’d also keep suggestions to two or three items. Too many choices and people just skip the whole section.

If you’re still picking a tool for this, here are some of the Best Shopify cart drawer apps we’ve worked with.

Fix 2: Show “Frequently Bought Together” on Product Pages

You’ve seen this on Amazon. Under the product, there’s a small section showing items people usually buy along with it, often with one button to add them all.

This works because it answers a question the customer may not have asked yet: “What else do I need with this?”

A few tips from our experience:

Use real pairing logic. Base it on your actual order data or on products that clearly go together.
Show the total price of the combo so the customer sees the full picture.
Add a small discount on the combo if your margins allow it.

Fix 3: Set Your Free Shipping Threshold Above Your Current AOV

This is the easiest fix on this list, and often the one with the fastest results.

Here’s the rule I usually follow: set your free shipping threshold around 15% to 30% above your current AOV.

Current AOV	Suggested Free Shipping Threshold
$40	$50
$60	$70 to $75
$90	$105 to $115

Why this range? If the gap is too small, people hit it anyway and nothing changes. If it’s too big, people feel it’s out of reach and don’t try. A small push is what works.

Also, make sure customers actually know about it. Mention it in your announcement bar, on product pages, and in the cart. A threshold nobody sees does nothing.

Fix 4: Create Product Bundles That Make Sense

A bundle is a group of products sold together, usually at a small discount compared to buying them one by one.

Good bundles solve a problem or complete a set. For example:

A haircare Shopify store: shampoo + conditioner + hair oil as a “weekly hair care set”
A kitchen Shopify store: chef’s knife + cutting board + knife sharpener as a “home cook kit”
A fitness Shopify store: resistance bands + yoga mat + water bottle as a “home workout pack”
Bad bundles are random products grouped together just to clear stock. Customers can tell.

One thing I always suggest: give your bundle a clear name and show the savings plainly, like “Buy together and save $12.” People understand that immediately.

Fix 5: Offer Volume and Tiered Discounts

Volume discounts reward customers for buying more of the same thing. Tiered discounts reward them for spending more in total.

Examples:

Type	Example Offer
Volume discount	Buy 2, get 10% off. Buy 3, get 15% off.
Tiered discount	Spend $75, get $10 off. Spend $120, get $20 off.

These work really well for products people use up and rebuy, like supplements, pet food, candles, or basic clothing like t-shirts and socks.

The difference from a sitewide sale is important. A sitewide 15% off gives away money on every order. A tiered discount only gives it away when the customer spends more, so it pays for itself.

Fix 6: Use Post-Purchase Upsells After Checkout

A post-purchase upsell is an offer shown right after the customer pays, before the thank-you page. They can add the item with one click, without entering their card details again.

This is my favorite Shopify upsell strategy, and the reason is simple: it doesn’t risk the original sale.

What to offer here:

A refill or consumable related to what they just bought
A small, low-priced item with a special “only on this page” discount
A second unit of the same product at a reduced price

Keep the offer to one product and make it feel like a genuine deal, not a trick.

Need help setting up upsells or bundles?
We’ll set them up the right way, matched to your products and your theme.

Talk to Our Shopify Experts

Fix 7: Add a Free Gift With a Minimum Spend

“Spend $80 and get a free tote bag” is an offer almost everyone understands in one second.

Free gifts often work better than discounts of the same value. A $10 discount feels like a small number off a big total. A free gift feels like getting something extra.

To make it work:

Choose a gift that costs you little but feels useful (samples, mini sizes, branded items, small accessories)
Set the minimum spend slightly above your current AOV, the same way as the free shipping threshold
Show the gift clearly in the cart so customers know what they’re working toward

Fix 8: Show a Rewards Progress Bar in the Cart

A progress bar shows customers how close they are to a reward. Something like:

“You’re $12 away from FREE shipping.”

Once they cross it, it changes to:

“You’ve unlocked free shipping! Add $25 more for a free gift.”

This small line of text does a lot of work. It turns a hidden offer into a clear goal. People like finishing things, and a bar that’s 80% full makes them want to fill the rest.

A progress bar works best when paired with a Shopify cart upsell in your cart drawer. The customer sees they’re $12 short, and right below it, there are a few relevant products in the $10 to $20 range. That makes it very easy to add one.

Fix 9: Personalize Recommendations Based on Cart Contents

Showing the same “bestsellers” to every customer is better than nothing, but it’s not ideal. The best recommendations change based on what’s in the cart.

For example:

Someone adds a yoga mat, show a yoga block and strap
Someone adds a men’s shirt, show a matching belt or trousers
Someone adds a gift item, show gift wrapping or a card

Shopify has basic built-in product recommendations, and many Shopify upsell apps let you set rules like “if product A is in the cart, show product B.” You can start with simple manual rules for your top 10 to 20 products. That alone covers a big share of orders for most Shopify stores.

If you want more control over these rules, take a look at some of the Best product recommendation Shopify apps.

How to Track AOV Changes in Shopify Analytics

Making changes without tracking them is just guessing. Here’s how to keep an eye on your Shopify AOV:

1.Go to Analytics in your Shopify admin.

2.On the main dashboard, you’ll see an Average order value card. This gives you a quick look for the date range you pick.

3.For more detail, go to Analytics > Reports and search for the average order value report. This shows how your AOV changes over time.

4.Use the compare option to check your numbers against the previous period.

A few habits that help:

Change one thing at a time: If you add a free shipping threshold, bundles, and upsells all in the same week, you won’t know which one worked.
Give each change 2 to 4 weeks: A few days of data can be misleading, especially around sales or holidays.
Watch conversion rate alongside AOV: If AOV goes up but conversion rate drops a lot, your offers may be too pushy or your threshold too high.
If your conversion rate does start slipping, these proven strategies to optimize your checkout process can help you win those sales back.
Check your top products. Look at which items get added as upsells. That tells you what customers actually want to pair.

Best Shopify Apps to Increase Average Order Value

If you want upsells in the cart, proper bundles, or a rewards progress bar, a Shopify app is the quicker and cleaner way to get there, and most of them don’t need any coding.

Here are the Shopify apps worth looking at:

Shopify App	What It Helps With
UpCartAOV	Cart drawer upsells, product page recommendations, free shipping and discount progress bar, free gift with purchase, shipping protection, order notes and secure checkout badges
Rebuy Personalization Engine	Personalized product recommendations and cart upsells
ReConvert	Post-purchase upsells and thank-you page offers
Frequently Bought Together (by Code Black Belt)	Amazon-style product pairings on product pages
Kaching Bundles	Bundles and quantity-based discounts
Zipify OneClickUpsell	One-click upsells before and after checkout

Whichever Shopify app you pick, here’s what I’d check before installing:

Does it slow down your Shopify store? Test your site speed before and after.
Does it work well with your theme?
Can you control which products show up, or is it all automatic?
Is it easy to remove if it doesn’t work for you?

And please don’t install five Shopify upsell apps at once. They often clash, slow the Shopify store down, and bombard customers with pop-ups. Pick one or two that cover your main needs.

Conclusion

A low average order value is rarely a product problem. In most cases, the Shopify store just isn’t giving customers a reason or an easy way to add more.

If I had to pick where to start, I’d do this:

Set a free shipping threshold slightly above your current AOV.
Add a progress bar and two or three relevant upsells in your cart drawer.
Track the results for a few weeks, then add bundles or post-purchase offers.

These small changes add up. Even a $5 to $10 increase per order can improve average order value and boost Shopify revenue in a big way over hundreds or thousands of orders.

Want a bigger AOV from every order?
Let our Shopify experts review your Shopify store and show you what to fix.

Talk to ControlF5

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: How can I increase average order value on Shopify?

Answer: Set a free shipping threshold slightly above your current AOV, add relevant upsells in the cart, and offer bundles or quantity discounts.

Question: How do I calculate average order value on Shopify?

Answer: Divide total revenue by the number of orders. For example, $10,000 from 200 orders gives an AOV of $50.

Question: Can I increase AOV without offering discounts?

Answer: Yes. Free shipping thresholds, free gifts, and relevant product suggestions can raise AOV without cutting prices.

Question: Do upsells hurt conversion rates?

Answer: Not if they’re relevant and easy to skip. Pushy pop-ups and random suggestions are what hurt conversions.

Question: How long does it take to see an AOV increase?

Answer: Simple changes like a free shipping threshold can show results in a couple of weeks. Give each change 2 to 4 weeks before judging it.

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Anurag Pandey

I lead ControlF5, a Top Rated Plus agency specializing in WordPress, Shopify, and GoHighLevel development. With over 4,000+ successful projects on Upwork, 150+ verified reviews on Clutch, and 300+ completed projects on Freelancer, my team and I help global brands grow through strategic design, automation, and SEO excellence. Holding a B.E. in Computer Science, I’m passionate about combining AI-driven workflows and GoHighLevel automations to simplify marketing, boost organic SEO, and scale customer engagement. I actively share insights across web development and AI communities to help others navigate the evolving digital landscape. For me, web design isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about building SEO-optimized, conversion-ready experiences that create measurable business growth in the AI-powered era.