Upsell vs Cross-Sell on Shopify: What’s Driving More Sales in 2025?

If you're running a Shopify store, chances are you've heard of upselling and cross-selling. These two strategies are often used to boost sales, increase average order value (AOV), and improve the overall shopping experience. But in 2025, which one should you focus on?

In this post, we’ll break down the difference between upsell and cross-sell, show real-world examples, and help you decide what works best for your store in today's fast-changing ecommerce landscape.

What is Upselling?

Upselling means encouraging your customer to purchase a more expensive or upgraded version of the product they’re already considering.

Example: A customer adds a basic backpack to their cart. You suggest a premium version with waterproof fabric and extra compartments for a slightly higher price.

Goal: Increase the total order value by offering more value in one item.

What is Cross-Selling?

Cross-selling involves recommending related or complementary products that go well with the item the customer is buying.

Example: A customer buys a smartphone. You recommend a screen protector and phone case during checkout.

Goal: Sell more items in one transaction without replacing the original product.

What’s Working Best in 2025?

Ecommerce in 2025 is all about personalization and speed. With shoppers becoming more selective, here’s how upselling and cross-selling are performing:

Upselling Works Better When:

• You sell digital products or services (subscriptions, SaaS, memberships)

• You have tiered pricing (basic, premium, deluxe)

• You use urgency, like “Only ₹499 more for double storage”

Cross-Selling Works Better When:

• You sell physical products (fashion, electronics, beauty)

• Your products have obvious accessories or bundles

• You offer a smart combo deal like “Buy 2, get 10% off”

Pro Tip:

Combine both! Smart Shopify plugins (like magicsell.ai) help you show the right offer at the right time -whether it’s a higher-tier product or a useful add-on.