They’ve seen your marketing. They’ve made it to your store. Now’s it's time to make sure they leave with the fullest cart…
For most ecommerce businesses, growth doesn’t just come from getting more customers across the threshold. It comes from making every order more valuable. That’s where average order value (AOV) becomes such an important metric.
When customers spend more per transaction, you increase revenue without needing to ramp up ad spend or traffic acquisition. It’s one of the most efficient ways to scale profitably.
So, which ecommerce automations actually make a difference for AOV? The answer lies in strategic workflows – automated workflows built around upselling, cross-selling, and rewarding customer behaviour.
In this article, we’ll explore three proven workflows powered by the Arigato Automation app for Shopify, plus suggest a few best practices for implementing automations that lift your AOV.
What Makes an Automation Effective for Average Order Value?
Not all automations are designed to increase AOV. Some help with retention, others improve fulfillment, but when it comes to making every order more valuable, the best workflows share a few traits:
- Incentivises Bigger Spending
Customers are more likely to add to their cart if they know they’ll be rewarded for it. Automations that trigger discounts or perks once a customer crosses a high-value threshold encourage them to stretch their basket size. - Highlights Social Proof & Scarcity
Simply put, people want what others are buying. By automatically tagging fast-selling products and showcasing them as “Selling Fast!” you tap into the psychology of popularity and scarcity – nudging customers to act quickly and often spend more. - Removes Barriers to Bundling
Bundles are one of the most effective ways to raise AOV, but only if they’re easy to manage. Automations that break bundles into their component SKUs help to keep inventory and fulfilment accurate behind the scenes, allowing merchants to confidently promote bundle deals that encourage higher-value baskets.
When you combine these principles – reward, urgency and ease – you create automations that not only increase average order value but also improve the overall shopping experience.
1. Generate Discount Code for High-Value Orders
Trigger: A customer places an order above a set value threshold
Action: Automatically generate and send a unique discount code for their next purchase
Why it works: High-value customers are exactly the type you want to retain – and rewarding them at the right moment can both boost loyalty and encourage them to spend big again. By surprising these customers with a personalized discount, you turn a one-time large order into the beginning of an ongoing relationship. It also sets a subtle expectation: “spend more, get rewarded.” A mindset that naturally supports higher AOV in future orders.
Example: A homeware store sets up an automation so that any order over $250 triggers Arigato to generate a one-time 15% discount code. An automated email is then sent: “Thanks for your order! As you spent more than $250 as a token of our appreciation, here’s 15% off your next purchase.” The customer feels valued, and the store nudges them towards another substantial order.
How Arigato helps: With Arigato, you can define order value thresholds, auto-generate discount codes and deliver them through your email or SMS platform. The workflow runs seamlessly in the background, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to reward – and retain – your best spenders.
Check out the workflow template here.
2. HOT TODAY Tag 🔥 Workflow
Trigger: A product sells more than X times within the current week
Action: Automatically tag the product as “HOT TODAY 🔥” (or another custom tag such as "SELLING FAST!") and update messaging across your store or marketing tools
Why it works: Shoppers are heavily influenced by social proof. If a product is selling fast, that signals popularity, quality and scarcity – all of which push customers to add it to their cart sooner, often with additional items. By automatically highlighting “hot” products, you inject urgency into the buying process and make it easier for customers to justify higher-value “better grab it while I can” baskets.
Example: A streetwear store sets up Arigato so that any product that sells more than 20 units in a week gets tagged “HOT TODAY 🔥.” This tag automatically syncs to Shopify and their email platform. On-site, a badge appears on the product page (“🔥 20+ sold this week”), while emails and ads highlight trending items. This combination of scarcity and social proof drives faster conversions and bigger carts, as customers rush to grab the item before it sells out.
How Arigato helps: Arigato can evaluate order data in real time and apply dynamic product tags based on sales performance. Once a product is tagged, it can trigger other workflows – like adding urgency messaging on-site, featuring the product in a “Trending Now” email, or promoting bundles around the hot seller.
See the workflow template here.
3. Automatic Bundle Replacement Workflow
Trigger: A customer purchases a bundle that contains specific products
Action: Automatically replace the bundled items in Shopify with the individual SKUs
Why it works: Bundles are a proven way to increase AOV, but they often create headaches for inventory management and fulfillment. If your bundles don’t break down into the individual SKUs, stock counts can get messy and orders are harder to ship. By automatically replacing bundle items with the correct products in Shopify, you get the best of both worlds: customers enjoy attractive bundle pricing, while your backend stays clean and accurate.
Example: A tea shop sells a “Morning Wellness Bundle” that contains three teas. With Arigato, when a customer buys that bundle, the automation replaces the single bundle line item with the three individual teas in the order. The customer sees the bundle price, but your fulfillment team sees the actual SKUs to pick and pack. This keeps stock levels correct and reduces errors – while encouraging customers to choose bundles that naturally raise AOV.
How Arigato helps: Arigato lets you set workflows that look for specific product or order tags, then automatically swap in the correct items. This ensures bundles run smoothly at scale, making them easier to promote as a strategy for increasing order size. Check out the workflow template here.
Other Automations That Support AOV Growth
While these three workflows directly drive higher order values, other automations contribute to the bigger picture:
- Bundle Offers: Trigger suggestions for curated product bundles instead of single items.
- Upsell Post-Purchase: Offer add-ons right after checkout to boost revenue per customer.
- Seasonal Promotions: Encourage higher spend during key retail moments with smart timing.
Together, these workflows create a layered ecosystem that encourages customers to consistently spend more per transaction.
Best Practices for Implementing AOV Automations
If you’re ready to design automations that lift AOV, keep these guidelines in mind:
- Start with one goal
Pick a clear objective – e.g., “increase average AOV by $10” – and design automations around that. - Test thresholds and offers
Free shipping thresholds, bundle discounts and tier rewards all need fine-tuning to hit the sweet spot. - Integrate across platforms
Sync Arigato workflows with your email platform, loyalty system and analytics tools. - Focus on value, not pressure
Upsells and cross-sells should feel helpful, not pushy. The best automations improve the shopping experience.
Custom Automations = Higher AOV
Generic automations may help you capture sales, but custom workflows are what lift AOV sustainably. By implementing cross-sell triggers, threshold incentives and the power of social proof, you can encourage customers to spend more – while also making them feel more valued.
With Arigato Automation for Shopify, merchants can design impactful workflows quickly and flexibly, without technical barriers. The result? A store that doesn’t just grow through more customers, but through smarter, higher-value orders.