Product bundles are used by merchants to group products together and sell them as a single unit. This critical merchandising strategy helps merchants to increase average order value, decrease marketing and distribution costs, and reduce inventory waste.

So do you want to up your ecommerce game and offer bundles of products? Shopify has several options that make it easy for merchants to create product bundles. In this article, we’ll explore the various ways you can leverage Shopify bundles – from ensuring integrations with third-party tools such as Recharge subscriptions and build-a-box apps, to custom web development.

Why should Shopify merchants bundle products?

Higher Average Order Value

Bundling products can significantly increase your average order value (AOV). When customers see a bundle that includes multiple products they are interested in at a lower price than buying each individually, they are more likely to make a more substantial purchase.

A well-crafted bundle can create a perception of increased value and savings, leading to higher total cart value. Additionally, with the right mix of products in your bundle, you can introduce customers to new items they may have not considered purchasing separately.

Enhanced Personalisation

“Build-a-box” solutions allow for flexibility and customisation that cater to your customers’ desires while boosting your ecommerce KPIs.

In the realm of ecommerce, personalisation and a wide range of product selection are crucial elements that can set your business apart from the competition. This is particularly relevant if you are taking a DTC first approach and competing against orders on retailer sites such as Amazon.

Today’s online shoppers expect a personalised shopping experience that resonates with their tastes, preferences, and needs. By offering custom solutions, Shopify merchants can empower customers to create their own product bundles, thereby providing a personalised and engaging shopping experience.

Moreover, an increased choice in product selection also plays a vital role in attracting and retaining customers. A diverse product range caters to a wider audience and increases the likelihood of meeting varied consumer needs. It not only helps in capturing customer interest but also encourages exploration, potentially leading to increased sales and improved ecommerce KPIs.

Convenience: Managing Quantity and Subscriptions

When customers opt for larger quantities or bundles, they seek an effortless way to manage their orders. This is especially true in the case of subscriptions, where each product often has its own associated subscription. Having a simplified process for grouping orders becomes essential for customers to easily pause, stop, or make changes to their subscriptions.

Grouping an order of multiple products under a single subscription not only streamlines the shopping experience but also simplifies the management process for customers. Instead of juggling multiple subscriptions, customers have the convenience of managing their entire order and corresponding subscription with a single click. This system enhances customer satisfaction, promotes product stickiness, and contributes to increased customer retention – all crucial contributors to improved ecommerce KPIs.

Considerations for selecting the best bundling app

When it comes to bundling products on Shopify, there is a plethora of apps and tools available, each with its pros and cons. The choice between these tools largely depends on what your objectives are for bundling products.

If the objective is to sell multiples of the same SKU, certain apps excel at such scenarios, enabling you to effortlessly bundle identical products. On the other hand, if the objective is to provide a personalised product selection to the consumer, other tools that allows customers to curate their own bundles based on their preferences and needs.

The nature of the bundle also plays a significant role in this decision. If the bundle is for a single purchase, some apps offer a one-time bundle creation and purchase solution. However, if you’re planning to offer a subscription bundle, you’d need to consider apps that integrate seamlessly with subscription services such as Recharge or Skio Subscriptions.

Lastly, consider whether your goal is to offer discounts on multiple items, provide convenience with order management, or both. Some bundling tools may be adept at offering discounts but fall short in providing a streamlined order management system, whereas others excel at the latter. It’s crucial to weigh these factors against your business goals and customer needs to choose the right bundling tool for your Shopify store.

What are the best apps or tools for bundling products?

The app store boasts numerous applications, yet not all possess the reliability demanded by enterprise brands. Below, we have curated a collection of the most reputable solutions. Let’s now delve into the pros and cons associated with each app and explore the available options in detail.

Shopify Bundles App

It was announced in the latest Shopify Editions that the Shopify Bundling App is now in full release. Shopify Bundles allows you to create fixed bundles and multipacks right from the Shopify admin, and your customers can choose from variants associated with the products in your bundle. Shopify Bundles also includes inventory that is updated in real-time so that you don’t need to worry about overselling. It’s a good basic app for grouping products but it doesn’t integrate with subscriptions!

Recharge ReBundle App

So obviously the Recharge ReBundle App option integrates with subscription which is a must-have for most DTC brands. Discounts can also be added to bundles at the parent level, as well as via a discount code. The only downside to this option are the limitations from a design perspective and that it is only available with Recharge Pro that starts at $499 a month. While it is marketed as low-code, you will likely still need a developer to implement the logic and ensure the front-end visuals reflect your brand expression to a high standard.

Skio Build-A-Box

Skio is coming up on the inside lane when it comes to subscriptions. While thier Build-A-Box feature is still in Beta, it will likely be a good solution in the future and something to consider if you’re in the early stages of defining your tech stack. Similarly to Recharge, this service is only available on the pro-plan at $399 a month. While in very early stages, the investment in this tool demonstrates the value to brings to subscription merchants.

Investing in Custom Web Development

There comes a point where investing in custom web development pays dividends in the overall brand experience and in delivering a feature that truly serves your consumers’ needs. Many brands either launch or swiftly adopt a custom bundling feature, and for good reason. The visual expression of your brand is crucial, and opportunities to provide a superior user experience (UX) will always be present with a bespoke solution.

From a financial standpoint, custom solutions prove to be competitive when compared to third-party solutions and typically yield a return on investment within the first six to twelve months. What’s more, with a custom-built solution, you can tailor your Shopify bundles feature to include a quiz to guide product selection or even design more complex discount ladders. This customisability further enhances the user experience and solidifies your brand’s unique value proposition, which contributes to improved ecommerce KPIs.

Tribe offer three different bundling solutions that are high in-demand with Shopify merchants:

• Build A Box: This ensures a fixed quantity of product to ensure efficiency with postage and consistent AOV. This is perfect for F&B brands that offer the same product in different flavours but have to ship in minimum quantities.
• Build A Bundle: This allows for personalisation but has no cap on the maximum quantity of items. It’s an excellent tool for up-selling and cross-selling product combinations.
• Build A Plan: This enhances the journey with questions or prompts to determine the best products for the individual and the creating a bespoke bundle based on the input. This is particularly useful for more complex products that require explanation such as skincare or wellness.

By going custom, you can also have more flexibility of the code language used. For example, React components can be faster which is important for brands with large inventories. You can also ensure that integration with back-end systems and operational tools are prioritised in the build.

Summary

In this article, we examined the importance of product bundling for Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands as a strategy to improve ecommerce offerings. We discussed the variety of tools and apps available for this purpose, such as Shopify Bundles App, Recharge ReBundle, and Skio Build-A-Box. Each tool has its strengths and weaknesses, and the choice depends on your brand’s objectives – from selling multiples of the same SKU, offering a personalised product selection, to providing subscription bundles. A key takeaway is that while these apps offer convenience and affordability, investing in custom web development can provide a superior user experience, allowing for additional features like quizzes and complex discount structures, which enhances your brand’s unique value proposition and can lead to improved ecommerce KPIs.