Average e-commerce basket: 8 strategies to increase it
THE average basket (or AOV — Average Order Value) is one of the most underestimated metrics in e-commerce. Yet increasing your average order value by 15% has exactly the same effect on your revenue as increasing your traffic by 15% —but it's infinitely less expensive.
What is the average basket?
Average basket = Total turnover / Number of orders
In France, the average e-commerce basket is around 65 to 75 € all categories combined. But it varies enormously depending on the sector:
- Fashion: 55-80 €
- Electronic: 120-250 €
- Beauty: 40-60 €
- Food: 35-55 €
- Home / Decor: 80-150 €
The 8 strategies that work
1. The Free Shipping Threshold
This is strategy #1 and the easiest to implement. Set your free shipping threshold 20 to 30% above of your current average basket.
Example: if your average basket is €45, offer free delivery from €59. Display a progress bar on the cart page: “Only €14 left for free delivery!”
2. Bundles and packs
Offer complementary product sets at a discount. The customer feels like they're getting a good deal, and you increase the value of the order.
3. Upselling on the product page
“Upgrade to premium for just $10 more” — this approach works especially well for products with multiple lines (basic, standard, premium).
4. Cross-selling on the shopping cart page
“Customers who bought X also liked Y” — place relevant recommendations on the cart page, not just on product sheets.
5. Decreasing quantities
“2 for €30 instead of 2 × €18” — a quantity discount encourages multiple purchases, especially for consumables.
6. The threshold loyalty program
Reward larger baskets: “10 points per € spent, bonus of 50 points above €80”. The customer is incentivized to reach the threshold.
7. Adding urgency
"Special offer: add this product to your order for only 9,90 € (instead of 19,90 €). Expires in 10 minutes." Urgency and reduction combined are very effective.
8. Paid customization options
Engraving, gift wrapping, personalized note — these options add perceived value and a few dollars to each order.
How to measure impact
Track your average basket on the Shopify dashboard and compare before/after each strategy implemented. Allow at least 2 weeks for each test to have meaningful data.
If you are a consultant or agency, show your clients the potential for improvement with a simulated dashboard: the same number of orders with an average basket +20% = a significantly higher turnover. It's very visual and convincing.
Combine this approach with optimization of conversion rate for maximum impact on turnover.