Proven upsell and cross-sell strategy for Shopify stores in 2025. Learn how to build your perfect upsell pop-up and boost your sales.
We are in the Shopify upsell business for quite some time and realized one of our biggest assets is our experience in upselling and cross-selling area. There are many great upselling apps on the Shopify App Store but if you really don’t know how to and what to upsell, you won’t be able to take full advantage out of them.
And that’s exactly why we are publishing this article. To help merchants with upselling/cross-selling strategy based on our experience and best practices. Here’s what we recommend as a perfect upsell pop-up including the order of the offers.
1. Relevant Upsell (Upgrade)
By far the most effective upsell in terms of business impact is the relevant upsell or so-called true upgrade. It is typically a higher/better version of a product which customer has in the cart. And obviously also a more expensive one.
For example, when a customer buys iPhone 128GB you can offer an upsell to 256GB version. This is quite easy to come up with when the product has technical specifications but you can be creative.
The reason why this is called true upsell or upgrade is when a customer takes the upsell, it should replace the original product in the cart. If this is not happening this may easily lead to confusion as a customer will end up with two products in the cart.
2. Relevant Cross-sell or Auto-upsell
The second most effective offer is a relevant cross-sell. That’s a product that is somewhat relevant to the main product in the cart. For example, a cover case for phone or laces for shoes. Something which customers may need to use or improve the main product.
Challenge here is to set the relevant cross-sell offer manually if you have hundreds of products. Luckily, there is a solution to do it fully automatically. It’s called Smart Auto-upsell and it automatically returns the relevant product based on the Shopify AI algorithm.
3. Popular Cross-sell (optional)
This one is not a massive moneymaker but super easy to setup. It’s basically a small (cheap) cross-sell which you can offer to every customer. Think about stickers, accessories or keychain. Alternatively, this could be your most popular product.
The point here is this upsell may not have the highest take rate (conversion) but it will have a massive audience as it’s typically targeted on all products. So every customer will see it.
4. Premium Service Cross-sell
The last one is another cross-sell but this time, not any product. It’s a premium service. We often hear feedback that the merchant doesn’t have any premium service. But this is all down to creativity and a bit of innovation.
If you are fulfilling orders yourself it’s probably not rocket science to print a few dust bags and/or nice box. And here you go, here’s your Gift Packaging service for $5 – $10 extra. These are actually super popular and easy money.
Other good examples of premium services could be Order Priority Processing, First In Line Support or Extended Warranty.
Combine but try to keep it simple
When combining upsells on the one pop-up please remember to keep it simple. Too many upsell or cross-sells may in fact worsen your customer experience and overall conversion.
Based on our experience, we recommend offering up to 3 or 4 different upsells at one time. Only one is a missed opportunity and more than three is too overwhelming.
➡️ To further boost your upsell conversion you can tailor the pop-up design to match your storefront and provide a seamless customer experience.
Candy Rack: The Flagship Upsell App Trusted by Over 4,000 Merchants
Candy Rack is a powerful upsell and cross-sell app designed to maximize revenue for Shopify merchants.
Offering a free plan and paid options starting at $29.99, it delivers unmatched flexibility with both pre-purchase and post-purchase placements for upsell and cross-sell offers.
With its intuitive setup and seamless integration, Candy Rack is the go-to solution for merchants looking to increase average order value without compromising the customer experience. Trusted by over 4,000 businesses, Candy Rack stands out as the ultimate choice for boosting sales on Shopify.
Final Thoughts
Upselling and cross-selling are proven strategies to boost revenue and enhance the shopping experience, but success lies in doing it right.
By following the best practices outlined in this article—like offering relevant upgrades, cross-sells, and premium services—you can craft the perfect upsell strategy tailored to your customers‘ needs.
Candy Rack makes implementing these strategies seamless, with its smart automation, intuitive setup, and flexible design options. Whether you’re new to upselling or looking to refine your approach, Candy Rack provides the tools and insights you need to succeed.
Take the next step toward maximizing your store’s potential. Start with Candy Rack today and watch your sales grow effortlessly.