Cross-selling and upselling in a dropshipping store – how to increase the average cart value?

Do you want your dropshipping store to sell more, even without increasing your advertising budget? You don’t need to add hundreds of new products or run large campaigns – often it’s enough to make better use of what you already offer. Cross-selling and up-selling are strategies that can increase the average cart value by several, even dozens of percent if implemented wisely. In this post, you’ll find specific tips on how to choose and present products so that customers are more inclined to buy more – without feeling like someone is trying to push something on them.

Cross-selling in dropshipping – how to choose products so that the customer adds something extra to the cart?

If you want your dropshipping store to sell more, it’s not enough to just put the most popular products on the site and wait for a miracle. The key lies in what you offer the customer during shopping – and whether it is indeed a logical addition for them. Cross-selling in e-commerce works best when products are a real complement to what the buyer has already chosen. If you sell LED lamps, suggest bulbs with the appropriate power; if a customer is looking at a dog grooming kit, add a shampoo or brush to the recommendations. In dropshipping, you have the advantage that you can quickly test different combinations, as you don’t physically store them in a warehouse.

It’s worth observing the data from your sales panel – for example, in RefSpace – and checking which product pairs are most frequently clicked together. Over time, you can create your own “mini packages” without actually packaging anything. Analyzing what works for the competition is also a good idea, but without blindly copying – your cross-selling should be based on knowledge of the target group, not on random guesses. In dropshipping, the consistency of the offer narrative matters, not pushiness. If the add-on makes sense, the customer will naturally choose it.

Cross and up-selling in practice – simple tricks to increase the average order value without aggressive selling

Many people associate cross and up-selling with pop-up windows like “buy this too!”. However, the best results come from weaving recommendations into the shopping process so that they look like part of standard customer service. In practice, this means suggestions like: “The most frequently chosen with this product are…” or “Other customers also added…”. Such messages work better than aggressive banners because they fit into the natural shopping flow.

If you run a dropshipping store, it’s worth setting dynamic recommendations tailored to the cart in real-time. This way, if someone chooses a cheap accessory, you don’t immediately suggest a product five times more expensive, but a real add-on. Cross and up-selling should go hand in hand with margin analysis and product availability – after all, you don’t want to promote a product that the warehouse doesn’t have in stock. In RefSpace, you can use embedded videos that not only show the product but also naturally suggest add-ons – it’s a great way for the customer to feel that the offer is tailored specifically for them.

Up-selling versus cross-selling – how do they differ and when to use each without discouraging the customer?

In theory, the difference between these strategies is simple: cross-selling is supplementary sales, and up-selling is persuading to a more expensive or better version of the product. In practice, however, the line can be blurred, and this is where many sellers make mistakes. If you try to increase the order value but do it at the wrong time, the effect will be the opposite of what you intended.

Up-selling works best at the moment of product selection, for example, when a customer compares two models – then you can highlight the differences and benefits of the more expensive option. Cross-selling, on the other hand, works just before finalizing the transaction, when the buyer has already chosen a product and is happy to add something “on the occasion”. It’s important not to mix these messages in one place – otherwise, the customer will feel like someone is trying to push something on them. In dropshipping, you have the advantage of testing different recommendation settings without high costs and quickly drawing conclusions. Analyze data, check conversion for each variant and don’t be afraid to remove what’s not working – this is key to effectively distinguishing up-selling from cross-selling in everyday sales.

Up-selling and cross-selling in a dropshipping store – how to plan an offer that operates on autopilot?

Automation is one of the biggest allies in dropshipping. If you want up-selling and cross-selling to work without your constant supervision, you need to base the offer on data and settings that “think” for you. In practice, this means integrating the store with tools that analyze purchase history and propose appropriate products to customers based on that. This way, every transaction becomes an opportunity to increase the cart value – without additional work on your part.

Planning such an offer starts with choosing products with appropriate margins and complementarity. If you know that a certain model of headphones sells well with a specific case, set an automatic recommendation in the cart. In dropshipping, this is especially easy because you don’t have to physically combine these products in a warehouse. If you use RefSpace, you can also attach video materials that naturally show the set – the customer will see how the products complement each other and often make a decision without additional questions.

RefSpace and cross-selling – how to use a ready store to sell more without additional advertising

RefSpace allows you to create your own Space with products from various suppliers and your own video materials. It’s an ideal environment to introduce cross-selling without the need to invest in additional modules or integrations. Just include natural “on the occasion” suggestions in descriptions and videos – for example, showing how a product works better as a set.

It’s important to not treat cross-selling as a separate campaign, but as part of everyday communication in Space. You can set a view where the customer, after clicking on a product, immediately sees two or three related items. Moreover, if you use the function of displaying products under videos on YouTube, you can immediately connect several items – this is cross-selling in its purest form, and the customer has everything “at hand”. Thanks to this, your store works like a cohesive ecosystem, where every visit can end with a larger cart, even if the customer came in just for one item.

Cross-selling in social commerce – how to combine products so it works naturally on TikTok, Reels, and Shorts

Social commerce is based on authenticity, so cross-selling in this space requires sensitivity. It’s not about displaying a list of similar products, but about showing them in use in a natural context. If you’re recording a video on TikTok or Reels, show the set – for example, the main product and its accessories – in one frame. This way, the customer sees that these elements indeed match and complement each other in practice.

Statistics show that videos with product recommendations can increase conversion by up to 27% if well integrated with the content. In dropshipping, this is particularly profitable because you can quickly rotate the offer and see which sets work best in a given channel. In RefSpace, you have the option to directly connect Space with social media, so after watching a video, the customer can immediately click on the product – and in the same view, see the other elements from the recommendations. This allows for cross-selling in e-commerce in a way that is not intrusive, yet effectively increases the cart value.