For retailers, increasing Average Transaction Value (ATV) isn’t simply about getting customers to spend more. It’s about understanding what makes them add another product to their basket.
The biggest opportunities are often hiding in plain sight: the way products are grouped, where shoppers encounter them and how effectively retail marketing and visual merchandising can encourage discovery.
So, how can retailers create more of those moments?
It sounds simple, but it works.
If someone is buying shampoo, they're probably going to need conditioner. Buying trainers? They might need socks. Picking up a coffee machine? They’ll probably need pods.
Putting these products together through cross-merchandising saves customers the effort of finding them and can naturally encourage them to add another item to their basket.
It's about making the next purchase feel obvious, rather than forcing it.
A Countertop Unit (CTU) can be a great way to get a product noticed, particularly when shelf space is limited.
Use retail displays and CTUs for new launches, seasonal products, smaller add-ons or products that might otherwise get overlooked.
But a CTU shouldn't just sit there looking pretty. It needs to grab attention quickly, communicate what the product is and give the customer a reason to pick it up.
The best ones create that little “Oh, I’ll have one of those” moment.
We've all done it. You're waiting to pay and spot something you hadn't planned on buying.
That's the opportunity.
Travel-size toiletries, confectionery, accessories, gift cards and seasonal products can all work well around the checkout or other high-dwell areas, creating opportunities for impulse purchases.
The trick is getting the balance right. The product needs to feel relevant and useful, not like something that's simply been squeezed into the last available bit of space.
Sometimes, the best way to sell another product is to show customers how it fits into their life.
A fashion display could bring together the complete outfit. A beauty display could show a full skincare routine. A home display could bring several products together to create a finished look.
Rather than asking customers to imagine the combination, show them.
This is where effective visual merchandising and in-store marketing can make a real difference.
Some products need more than a standard shelf to stand out.
Floor Standing Display Units (FSDUs) can create a real focal point in-store, particularly for launches, seasonal campaigns and key promotional activity.
They can turn an ordinary area into somewhere customers naturally stop, look and explore.
But bigger doesn't always mean better. A successful POS display needs a clear message and a reason for the customer to engage.
Increasing Average Transaction Value (ATV) doesn't always mean selling another product.
Sometimes it's about encouraging customers to choose the better, bigger or premium option.
Clear point-of-sale (POS) messaging can highlight a larger size, additional features, better ingredients or added benefits - giving customers a reason to spend a little more.
If they can quickly see the value, that extra spend becomes an easier decision.
The shelf isn't the only place where purchasing decisions happen.
Think about entrances, aisle ends, queue areas, service desks, purchase points, CTUs and checkouts.
Every one of these can influence what a customer notices and ultimately puts in their basket.
That's why good POS and visual merchandising shouldn't be treated as decoration. Done properly, they can help guide the customer through the store and create opportunities to discover something they hadn't originally planned to buy.
Increasing ATV isn't about convincing customers to spend money they don't want to spend.
It's about making the shopping experience easier, more relevant and a little more inspiring.
Put the right products together. Give new launches some attention. Make complementary products easy to find. Create purchase points that actually make sense.
Because sometimes, increasing the basket doesn't require a huge campaign.
It just takes one well-placed product at exactly the right moment.
At Mauveworx, we help brands turn these opportunities into effective in-store retail experiences — from creative and POS through to print, production and fulfilment.