One of the most effective ways to increase Average Order Value (AOV) is by showing customers products that naturally complement what they’re already buying. This is known as Frequently Bought Together (FBT)—a feature popularized by major retailers like Amazon, and now available for Shopify stores of all sizes.
The concept is simple: when a shopper adds an item to their cart, they’re shown related products that other customers often purchase alongside it. Done right, this feels helpful rather than pushy—guiding customers toward a more complete purchase while increasing your revenue per order.
Why Frequently Bought Together Works
FBT recommendations work because they are both relevant and timely:
- Contextual relevance: The offers are connected to what the customer already wants, making them logical add-ons.
- Social proof: Seeing what other customers have bought builds trust and reduces hesitation.
- Higher convenience: Customers can complete their “set” in one go, without having to search around the store.
- Boosted AOV: By adding just one or two extra items, order value can increase significantly.
Challenges Without FBT
- Missed cross-sell opportunities: Customers buy a single product without realizing complementary items exist.
- Generic recommendations: Showing unrelated products can feel forced and reduce trust.
- Manual setup limitations: Merchants struggle to keep offers up to date as trends change.
Best Practices for FBT Offers
- Keep it relevant: Only recommend items that truly complement the main product.
- Bundle with discounts: Offer small savings when items are bought together to increase uptake.
- Show it in the right place: Place FBT on product pages, in the cart, or during checkout where it feels natural.
- Test and optimize: Track which combinations perform best and adjust over time.
How Addly Powers FBT with Manual & AI Options
Addly • AI Bundles & Upsells takes Frequently Bought Together to the next level with two flexible approaches:
- Manual bundles: Create your own FBT offers by choosing product combinations you know pair well together.
- AI autopilot mode: Addly analyzes your order history from the past 90 days and automatically generates FBT offers based on real purchase patterns. This means your bundles are always relevant and up to date—without any manual effort.
- Discounted bundles: Add incentives (e.g., 10% off when bought together) to further motivate customers.
- Custom design: Control how FBT offers appear in your store with on-brand styling and layouts.
With AI running in the background, your store can keep generating relevant cross-sell offers on autopilot, freeing you to focus on other growth strategies.
Merchant Experiences
“The AI-generated bundles were a game changer. They updated automatically based on what our customers were already buying—no manual setup needed.”
“We use both manual and AI FBT bundles. Manual for seasonal promotions, AI for autopilot. It’s the perfect balance and has boosted AOV significantly.”
Final Thoughts
Frequently Bought Together isn’t just a nice-to-have feature—it’s a proven conversion booster that turns single-product orders into multi-product ones. By helping customers discover relevant add-ons, you increase their satisfaction and your revenue at the same time.
With Addly, Shopify merchants can set up manual FBT bundles or let AI generate them automatically based on real customer behavior. That means smarter offers, less work, and bigger carts—all on autopilot.
Relevant offers. Higher AOV. More sales—powered by Frequently Bought Together.
