The problem BundlePilot solves
Every order is picked, packed and shipped, whatever its size. A fixed bundle helps only if shoppers want that exact set, and one that drops each item’s size or colour causes picking errors.
12–20%of e-commerce revenue on fulfilment
“Fulfillment costs, for example, can account for 12 to 20 percent of e-commerce revenues.” Higher item value and basket size “incur lower shipping costs as a percentage of sales”.
E-commerce in general. It does not give an order-value gain for bundles.
Consulting firmMcKinsey, “Growth and profitability in e-commerce” (opens the source)
One priceshoppers judged a bundle on its total
When a retailer bundled two items typically bought together at an out-the-door price of $499, “customers paid attention only to the price of the bundle; they didn’t even notice price changes on the individual items.”
One high-end accessories retailer. Its gain of more than 50% in EBITDA came from its whole pricing strategy, not bundles alone.
Consulting firmMcKinsey, “Dynamic pricing in retail” (opens the source)
$399won the upgrade, $400 did not
Most customers interested in a $350 item upgraded to a similar item priced at $399, but not when it was priced at $400.
The price shown at the moment of choice changes the choice. Not a rule for any particular store.
Consulting firmMcKinsey, “Dynamic pricing in retail” (opens the source)
What BundlePilot does: build-your-own, mix-and-match bundles
- A bundle builder block on the product page: shoppers start from a main product and add the extras you offer.
- Each item keeps its own variant, such as size or colour, so you do not need separate bundle SKUs.
- Price a bundle as a flat bundle price, a base price with per-variant add-ons, or an anchor product with per-option surcharges.
- At cart time a Shopify Cart Transform function expands the bundle into its real parts, so stock and orders stay per item.
- The cart, the thank-you page and the order status page show an itemised price breakdown, with regular prices struck through.
- If one part is sold out, the bundle shows “Sold out” instead of failing at checkout.
- An optional gift message per item, with a character limit you set.
How it works on the storefront
Bundle builder block
A theme app block called “Bundle builder”. It renders nothing on products that are not bundles, so it is safe on any product template. Shoppers see “Included”, “You save” and the bundle “Total”, then press “Add bundle to cart”.
Cart lines
A theme app embed called “BundlePilot cart lines” labels the parts of a bundle in the cart, with the bundle price and what was saved.
Checkout, thank-you and order status
A savings card shows “You saved” with each part and its full price struck through. On the Checkout page it needs Shopify Plus. The thank-you and order status pages work on all plans.
Install and set up, step by step
Install from the Shopify App Store
Open the BundlePilot listing, install the app, log in to Shopify and choose your store. Review the permissions Shopify shows and approve.
Create your first bundle
Open “Setup”. The first step is “Create your first bundle”: pick the main product, then add the complimentary products shoppers can include. You can also create a demo bundle from sample products.
Add the Bundle Builder block
Step two: “Add the Bundle Builder block to your product page”. Press “Open theme editor”, add the block and save.
Turn on the cart line display
Step three turns on the “BundlePilot cart lines” app embed, so a bundle’s parts show clearly in the cart and at checkout.
Publish bundle parts to your Online Store
Every product used inside a bundle must be published to your Online Store. The step lists any that are not, each with a “Publish” link.
Turn on the savings card
In the checkout editor, press “Add app block” and pick the savings card on the Thank you page and the Order status page. The Checkout page needs Shopify Plus.
Your numbers
Does a bundle pay for itself in your store?
Compare the margin on a bundle order with the margin on a normal order, using your own prices. You decide what share of orders might become bundles; it starts at zero.
Monthly margin change
A negative number means the bundle, at this discount, earns less than a normal order.
Margin on one bundle order compared with one normal order
A bundle order earns more when B × (m − b) is above A × m.
This is arithmetic on your numbers, not a forecast or a result from our app.
How this is calculated
- Margin on a normal order
A × m - Margin on a bundle order
B × (m − b) - Monthly margin change
N × t × [B × (m − b) − A × m]
N is orders per month, A the average order value, m the gross margin, B the bundle value before discount, b the bundle discount and t the share of orders that become bundles. Shipping saved by merging orders is not counted, because no source gives a rate.
Context from the research, not used in the maths
- In one retailer’s test, shoppers judged a two-item bundle on its single $499 price and did not notice the item prices inside it, in McKinsey’s account. Consulting firmMcKinsey, “Dynamic pricing in retail” (opens the source)
- Fulfilment can account for 12 to 20 percent of e-commerce revenue, McKinsey found. Consulting firmMcKinsey, “Growth and profitability in e-commerce” (opens the source)
Questions about BundlePilot
Do I need separate SKUs for bundles?
No. Each item in a BundlePilot bundle keeps its own variant, and the bundle is expanded into its real parts at cart time.
What does the shopper see in the cart and at checkout?
An itemised breakdown with regular prices struck through. On the Checkout page this needs Shopify Plus; on the thank-you and order status pages it works on all plans.
What happens if one part of a bundle is sold out?
The bundle shows “Sold out”. Every part must also be published to your Online Store, which the Setup screen checks for you.
Can shoppers add a gift message?
Yes, optionally, per bundle item, with a character maximum you set.
Can I change the main product after creating a bundle?
No. To change the main product or its sizes, create a new bundle.
Where do I see how bundles perform?
On the Home screen, in Analytics (bundle orders, attach rate, average order value for bundle and non-bundle orders) and in Bundle orders.
Is there a free plan?
Yes, a free plan is available. Plan details are on the Shopify App Store listing.
BundlePilot on the Shopify App Store
- App Store name
- BundlePilot: Smart Bundles
- Listing subtitle
- Bundle builder where every item keeps its own variant
- Listing tagline
- Build bundles from your products: shoppers pick 2+ items, each keeping its own variant.
- Developer
- BoldnSmart, listed as Boldnsmart on the Shopify App Store
- Released
- Plan
- Free plan available
- Language
- English
- Category
- Product bundles
- Works with
- Checkout, customer accounts
Already using BundlePilot: Smart Bundles? Leave a review on the Shopify App Store
Sources for the figures on this page
Each figure is the named source’s finding. None of them is a result of BundlePilot.
- Consulting firmMcKinsey, “Solving the paradox of growth and profitability in e-commerce”, Bai, Fu, Guan, Hoffman, Karnani, Mysore and TouseOpen on mckinsey.com (opens the source)
- Consulting firmMcKinsey, “The dos and don’ts of dynamic pricing in retail”, Bondi, Goldrick, Reasor, Sen and WilkieOpen on mckinsey.com (opens the source)
- Peer-reviewedVolles Kobuszewski, Ribbers, van Kerckhove and Geuens, “Beyond bundles: Choosing product bundles increases shopping basket size”, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 81 (abstract)Open on doi.org (opens the source)
- Peer-reviewedFoubert and Gijsbrechts, “Shopper Response to Bundle Promotions for Packaged Goods”, Journal of Marketing Research 44(4) (abstract)Open on cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl (opens the source)
- Consulting firmMcKinsey, “The value of getting personalization right, or wrong, is multiplying”Open on mckinsey.com (opens the source)
- Independent researchAppriss Retail with Deloitte, “Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry” report (PDF)Open on info.apprissretail.com (opens the source)
