How to sell more this Black Friday Cyber Monday: Killer Bundling Tips

Black Friday Cyber Monday is the biggest sales weekend of the year, and the most competitive one. With competition at its absolute peak, the default strategy for many brands is a margin-crushing race with simple, steep discounts.

But smart ecommerce sellers know there's a better way to sell more. The secret? 
Shifting the focus from price to value through strategic product bundling. It's the most effective strategy to boost your Average Order Value (AOV), clear out last season's inventory before the new year, and create high-value, irresistible offers.

At the same time, bundles also create operational complexity. For instance, how do you accurately track inventory when one SKU is suddenly part of five different "kits"? How do you maintain accurate accounting and profitability tracking across all those moving parts and channels? It's exactly what Webgility is built to solve.

This guide will give you the killer bundling tips you need to dominate BFCM. More importantly, we'll show you how to automate the backend complexity, so you can sell more. 

Why bundling is a BFCM power-move

When everyone is chasing more sales and higher margins during the busiest holiday season, bundling is how you win.

If you're serious about how to sell more, here’s why bundles are your most powerful tool:

• Boosts Average Order Value (AOV): This is the most obvious win. Instead of selling one $50 item, you're selling a $75 "kit." Studies show that effective bundling can boost AOV by 10-30%, and cross-selling techniques can increase sales by 20% and profits by 30%. It's the fastest path to increasing your revenue from every single customer
• Increases Perceived Value: A curated “kit” or “set” feels exclusive and premium. For example, “Save $25 when you buy the kit” often drives stronger action than a plain “15% off.” It gives shoppers a deal they can see
• Clears out inventory: Pair your best-selling products with slower-moving SKUs to clear excess stock, without deep discounting. Bundles help you start the new year with clean shelves and healthy margins
• Simplifies the shopping experience: BFCM shoppers, especially gift-givers, are overwhelmed. Bundling reduces decision fatigue. The "Complete Home Barista Kit" is an easy, confident "yes" for a shopper who doesn't know the first thing about coffee

Bonus Read: Discover the 10 trending products ecommerce sellers are stocking now for holiday 2025 (backed by Market Data)

Top 6 bundle types to deploy this BFCM 

Now that you understand why bundling works, let's explore the tactical strategies for how to sell more through different bundle types:

1. Complementary Cross-Sell (The complete kit)

What it is: Bundle items that naturally go together and create a complete solution for a specific need or activity.

Why it works: These bundles tap into the "completion instinct." When customers buy a primary product, they often need supporting items to fully enjoy or use it. By packaging everything together, you eliminate the frustrating experience of searching for compatible products and create a one-click solution.

Example: A Camera + Lens + Memory Card + Bag bundle, or Skincare Cleanser + Toner + Moisturizer Set.

Pricing strategy: Calculate the standalone total, then offer 15-25% savings when purchased as a bundle. For example, if individual items total $200, price the bundle at $159-$170. This creates clear value without destroying margins.

An example of a "Complementary Cross-Sell" bundle, grouping related supplements for a 10% discount.

Presentation tips:

• Use the phrase "Everything You Need to..." in your bundle title ("Everything You Need to Start Your Home Photography Studio")
• Create a checklist graphic showing what's included with checkmarks
• Include a "If Purchased Separately" comparison to highlight savings
• Show the products in use together

2. Buy More, Save More (The progressive bundle)

What it is: A volume-based discount that progressively increases as the customer adds more units of the same item or items from a specific collection  (e.g., Buy 2, get 10% off; Buy 3, get 20% off).

Why it works: This bundle triggers the buyer’s desire to maximize value. As customers add more to their cart, they feel they’re getting a better deal, directly increasing Average Order Value (AOV). It’s simple, scalable, and effective for repeat-purchase or consumable products.

Example: Buy 2 candles, get 10% off. Buy 3, get 20% off.

Pricing strategy: Set the discount tiers to start small and get significantly better at the quantity you want to sell. The 10% / 15% / 25% model is a classic, as the jump to 25% feels like a major win for the customer.

Presentation tips:

• Display total savings in dollar amounts, not just percentages ("Save $30!" is more powerful than "Save 20%")
• Add a “Most popular tier” badge to guide customer choice
• Use countdown or progress bars showing "Add one more to save $X"

3. Mix & Match (BOGO-style bundle)

What it is: A bundle that empowers customers to create their own set by choosing from a pre-selected group of eligible products at a fixed price or discount.

Why it works: It gives shoppers flexibility and control, allowing them to personalize their bundle while still driving multiple-item purchases. This approach blends choice with incentive, making them feel like they're "beating the system" by hand-picking only the items they actually want.

Example: "Choose Any 3 T-Shirts for $60," or "Buy a Laptop, Get 50% Off Your Choice Of Accessory (Mouse, Keyboard, or Case).

Pricing strategy: The anchor product should be at or near full price (or a modest 10-15% discount). The secondary item discount should be dramatic enough to feel like a steal, typically 40-60% off. The psychology here is crucial: customers focus on the big discount, not the fact that they're paying full price for the main item. This bundle is known for driving the upsells.

This "Ultimate Bundle" shows a "Mix & Match" style, allowing customers to build their own planner set.

Presentation tips:

Label it as “Complete Your Setup and Save”
Show compatible products together visually
Highlight personalization: “Your bundle, your way” or “Curate Your Own Kit”

4. Gift-Ready (The problem-solver bundle)

What is it: Pre-packaged, beautifully curated gift sets designed for effortless gifting. These bundles are presentation-ready and themed around recipient interests or occasions. They are the ultimate solution for time-starved shoppers.

Why it works: You are selling time and convenience as much as you are selling products. For overwhelmed holiday shoppers, a "ready-to-gift" item is a massive value-add that removes the stress of finding a box and wrapping it themselves.

Example: “Holiday Spa Kit,” “Coffee Lover’s Starter Set,” or “Tech Essentials Gift Box.”

Pricing strategy: Price the items at or near their full retail value and add a premium ($5-$15) for the "gifting service" and custom packaging. The perceived value of the convenience and presentation often outweighs the need for a steep discount.

Presentation tips:

• Professional product photography showing the full unwrapped bundle from multiple angles
• Lifestyle shots showing the bundle being gifted or enjoyed
• Specify if gift wrapping, box, ribbon, or gift message is included
• Create personas: "Perfect for: The Coffee Enthusiast, The Wellness Warrior, The New Homeowner"
• Include a printable or digital gift card option

5. Clear-the-Stock (The mixed bundle)

What it is: Pair a high-demand, fast-moving item with less popular inventory you need to clear. The key is strategic positioning so the slow-mover feels like a valuable bonus, not dead weight.

Why it works: It clears out older stock profitably without obvious “discount bin” vibes. Customers feel like they’re getting extra value while you free up storage and cash flow.

Example: A new-release sneaker (Hero) + branded socks or a shoe-cleaning kit (Sidekick). Or a best-selling face cream (Hero) + a slow-moving eye serum (Sidekick).

Pricing strategy: Add a very small amount to the price of the hero item. If the Hero is $100 and the Sidekick is $25, price the bundle at $105 or $110. The customer perceives this as getting the $25 item for only $5-$10, which feels like an incredible steal.

Presentation tips:

• Use a copy like “Get the Eye Serum for Just $9 More!”
• Emphasize urgency (Limited-Time Bonus!)
• Keep visuals Hero-focused, with the Sidekick clearly included

6. Good-Better-Best (The tiered bundle)

What it is: A classic pricing psychology tactic where you present three versions of a bundle (e.g., Starter, Pro, Ultimate) at different price points.

Why it works: It's all about price anchoring. The "Good" (low) price makes the offer accessible, while the "Best" (high) price makes the "Better" (middle) option seem like the most reasonable and high-value choice. It guides customers to the exact option you want them to buy.

Example: For a home-brewing kit:

• Good: "Starter Kit" (Basic ingredients + fermenter) - $75
• Better: "Pro Kit" (Starter Kit + better tools + bottles) - $125
• Best: "Ultimate Kit" (Pro Kit + premium ingredients + keg) - $250

Pricing strategy: Engineer the "Better" bundle to be your most profitable and appealing option. The "Good" bundle should feel a bit too basic, and the "Best" bundle should feel like a significant but justifiable upgrade.

Presentation tips:

• Highlight the mid-tier as “Best Value”
• Use side-by-side comparison tables
• Clearly list what each tier includes with checkmarks or icons
• Add bonus perks like free shipping or exclusive items to the top tier

How to market your bundles so they actually sell?

Creating the bundle is only half the battle. Now you have to sell them. Let's break down the six most effective plays you can run this BFCM:

1. Pre-BFCM hype building:

Start building anticipation 3-4 weeks before Black Friday with email teasers featuring sneak peeks of your exclusive bundles and countdown timers.

This is what one of the Reddit users said:

A Reddit user emphasizes the importance of building hype and warming up ad data well before the BFCM rush.

Use social media to showcase different bundles daily through Instagram Stories polls, behind-the-scenes content, and user-generated photos. 

2. Visual presentation that sells

Great bundle photography is non-negotiable: show all items together in one Hero shot, including individual product close-ups, and also use lifestyle images showing the bundle in use or being unboxed. Make savings crystal clear with strikethrough pricing ($150 $119), savings badges, and "If purchased separately" comparisons.

3. Creating urgency

BFCM runs on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Use tactics that encourage immediate action. Use countdown timers, low-stock alerts, and limited-time offers to drive instant action. Highlight phrases like “Ends Tonight” or “Only 3 Left” to create scarcity and excitement.

Short, time-bound deals keep shoppers engaged and motivated to buy before the opportunity disappears.

4. Cross-promotion tactics

Promote your bundles across multiple channels to maximize visibility and conversions. Use abandoned cart emails, post-purchase upsells, and retargeting ads to remind shoppers of the value they’re missing.

Share customer reviews or unboxing videos on social media to build trust and excitement, and send timely “last chance” reminders during BFCM to capture lingering interest.

Avoid these common bundling mistakes

Even the best bundle strategy can fail if you fall into these traps:

1. Over-discounting that erodes profit

It's tempting to slash prices to compete, but bundles should increase margins, not destroy them. Calculate your true cost (including shipping, packaging, payment processing fees, and platform fees) before setting bundle prices. A 30% discount might look aggressive, but if it leaves you with razor-thin margins, it's not worth it.

2. Not syncing inventory correctly (leading to overselling or stockouts)

One of the biggest operational risks during BFCM is overselling bundles that share SKUs across multiple platforms like Shopify, Amazon, or WooCommerce. As per a study, 91% of consumers won’t wait for an item to restock; they’ll switch to a competitor or abandon the purchase completely.

Without proper inventory syncing, you risk disappointing customers and creating fulfillment chaos. Use an automation platform like Webgility to ensure your inventory updates instantly across all sales channels, so every item sold or bundled is tracked accurately in real-time.

3. The January accounting nightmare

When 1,000 bundle orders come in, how do you book that revenue? How do you track the COGS for each component of the bundle? If your plan is to untangle it in January, you're flying blind on your most important weekend. You have no real-time data on what's actually profitable.

This is where automation becomes non-negotiable. You cannot manually track inventory in real-time across Shopify, Amazon, or eBay during the BFCM rush. You must have a system.

💡 Webgility solves all three of these problems by acting as your central source of truth. It automates your accounting, syncs inventory instantly across all channels to prevent overselling, and tracks true profitability. This lets you confidently sell more, knowing your back end can handle the success.

Bonus Read: Shopify Sellers, Master Your Product Bundle Inventory Management With These Tips

How Webgility supercharges your bundling workflow

This is where the front-end sales strategy meets the back-end automation. Webgility's ecommerce automation platform is designed to handle the complexity of bundling with ease:

• Automated product mapping: Webgility syncs your bundles across platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Etsy, Amazon, eBay, and many more channels, so new bundles are instantly listed everywhere with correct SKUs and pricing, no manual setup needed
• Accurate inventory & accounting: When a bundle sells, Webgility automatically deducts each item’s stock and records the transaction in QuickBooks or Xero. You always know what’s in stock and what’s sold, without worrying about overselling, stockouts, or mismatched books
• Profit & performance tracking: See real-time insights into which bundles sell best, where they perform strongest, and which ones drive the most profit, so you can double down on what works
• Zero manual reconciliation: Webgility posts every order, fee, and return automatically, eliminating data errors and after-hours bookkeeping

The best? Using Webgility, you can scale your BFCM strategy without scaling your workload.

Real-world example: A classic challenge for multi-channel retailers is keeping inventory aligned. Rider Shack, which sells across a physical retail store and an online store, faced this exact problem. Selling a "bundle" online could lead to an "out-of-stock" issue for an individual item in their physical store, or vice versa, leading to canceled orders and customer disappointment.

By implementing Webgility as a solution, they solved this core bundling and inventory problem. The owner, Jeff Glass said:

“Our inventory is always synchronized between our retail store, online store, and QuickBooks POS, eliminating out-of-stock issues and order cancellations.”

Bundle smarter, not harder

Now that you know how to sell more this BFCM, it’s time to put your bundle strategy into motion.
But the secret to a truly successful BFCM isn't just selling more through bundling, it's doing it profitably and without the operational chaos.

This is where your front-end strategy and back-end automation must meet. With Webgility handling the complexity, every bundle order syncs, every SKU balances across every channel, and every dollar is tracked.

The result isn’t just a record-breaking BFCM, it feels like real success.

Ready to build a scalable, profitable business? Download our free ebook, “The Ecommerce Ops Holiday Guide,” and discover how to boost sales, streamline operations, and grow profit all year long.

FAQs

What is the key to effective bundling?

The key is to create an offer that increases the perceived value for the shopper, like convenience or savings, while also boosting your Average Order Value (AOV) and helping you clear inventory, most importantly, without eroding margins.

What is a bundling strategy?

A bundling strategy groups related products into a single package at a discounted price to increase Average Order Value, clear inventory, and simplify purchasing decisions for customers.

How do you perform the item bundling?

First, you choose a strategic bundle type, like pairing a best-seller with a slow-moving item. Then, you use an automation platform like Webgility to manage the operational complexity, such as syncing inventory, mapping SKUs, and tracking profitability across all your sales channels.