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How to Add a Free Gift with Purchase on Shopify in 6 Easy Steps

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Using free gifts can be a powerful tool to reward customers for their purchases. Free gifts not only boost sales but also foster customer loyalty. But do you know how to add free gifts with purchase on Shopify? In this article, we’re going to discuss how to add a free gift with purchase on Shopify for 2023. We are going to discuss free gift with purchase examples that you can use to boost your sales.

What is a “Free Gift with Purchase” Promotion?

A free gift with purchase promotion on Shopify is quite straightforward. Customers purchase something, and they get a free gift as a reward for their purchase. However, there are specific conditions when running a free gift with purchase promotion.

First, the “free” gift isn’t always free. The free gift’s cost may already be factored into the promotion price. For instance, the free gift’s cost is $1. So, the overall promotion price includes an additional $1 to cover the free gift’s cost. Free gifts eat into your products’ profit margin. Therefore, making free gifts truly free is something you must consider carefully.

Second, you must consider the free gift’s impact on the promotion. The free gift must be something enticing in order for it to have a positive impact. Otherwise, an uninteresting free gift will not have a positive impact on the overall promotions.

Third, a free gift with purchase on Shopify must not overshadow the other items in the promotion. A free gift is meant to be a bonus. But if the free gift is more valuable than the other items, the promotion itself may not be quite as effective.

On the whole, a free gift with purchase is a great way to boost sales and improve revenue. It’s the type of promotion you can use year-round. So, keep it in mind as you plan your marketing strategy throughout the year.

What are the Advantages of a Free Gift with Purchase Promotion?

Here are the advantages you can expect from an automatic free gift promotion on Shopify:

#1: Boost sales and increase revenue

Using a free gift with purchase promotion is an effective way to boost sales and increase revenue. The expectation this type of promotion creates entices customers to purchase more. As a result, your sales increase. When your sales increase, you can expect your revenue to grow. If you maintain your costs steady, you can see a significant jump in your profitability.

#2: Clear out inventory

Adding a free item with purchase on Shopify allows you to clear out excess inventory. For instance, the free gift itself may be leftover items from previous promotions. Alternatively, one of the items in the promotion, not the free gift itself, can be added to clear out inventory. 

For instance, your site builds a curated bundle that includes a leftover item. The free gift is used to entice customers to purchase the bundle. This approach allows you to clear out inventory without placing items on clearance.

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#3: Improve customer loyalty

You can use a free gift with purchase promotion to say “thank you” to your loyal customers. However, there is a catch with this promotion. You must ensure that only special customers get access to the offer. Also, you can use special free item with purchase promotions to welcome new customers. The main thing is to ensure that these offers are exclusive. In doing so, you can improve your customers’ brand loyalty.

#4: Introduce new brands and products

It’s hard to introduce a new brand or product. After all, there is no guarantee they will sell. So, using a free item with purchase promotion can help you introduce new brands or products. Customers may be reluctant to pay full price for a new item. But if they see it as part of a promotion, they might be more willing to give it a try. As a result, you can entice customers to try a new product so they can purchase it later on.

#5: Jumpstart slow sellers

Some products are slow getting out of the gate. Using a free gift with purchase promotion idea can help jumpstart slow sellers. The aim is to get customers to try these products. Once customers try the products, they will be more willing to purchase them regularly. Please remember to use a free gift with promotions strategy before slashing prices or placing products on clearance.

Should Your Shopify Store Offer Free Gift with Purchase Promotions?

In short, yes!

Using free gift with purchase promotions has clear-cut benefits. However, there is a downside to these promotions. Let’s take a look at them so you can avoid making these crucial mistakes.

#1: Not factoring the cost of the free gift

If you make a free gift with purchase truly “free,” you’ll find the cost of the free item with purchase eating into your margin. It can even zap your entire profit margin if you’re not careful. As a result, it’s important to make sure you understand how much the free gift actually costs.

Please remember that you can spread out the cost of the free item with purchase across the other items in the bundle. For instance, you can include a free gift with a $50 purchase. In this situation, you know that your margin of $50 is enough to cover the cost of the free gift.

#2: Using free gift promotions too often

Shopify free gift promotions are meant to be a reward. However, using them too often may take the luster off their appeal. Instead, offering free shipping is a great way to boost sales consistently. In doing so, you can utilize free items as a special offer during specific shopping occasions such as Black Friday, or holiday shopping.

#3: Allowing customers to choose the free gift

Some e-commerce sites allow customers to choose the free gift they want. However, this strategy can quickly backfire if the cost of the free item blows the profit margin. As a result, it’s a good idea to clearly state the free item or limit the items customers can choose. 

For instance, customers get a free baseball cap with a $50 purchase. Alternatively, customers can choose between a baseball cap, belt, or wallet with a $100 purchase. This selection makes sense when the cost of the items covers the cost of the free gift.

On the whole, offering a free item with purchase on Shopify is a great way to boost your e-commerce site’s performance. So, please keep in mind these helpful recommendations to ensure you get the most out of your promotions.

What is the Best Shopify Free Gift with Purchase App?

If you’re looking to offer free gifts with purchases, PickyStory has a simple, no-code solution you can implement in your store in a matter of minutes. You can use this Shopify free gift app to tailor product bundles and combos to include free gifts with purchase. There are also flexible options, like offering a product for 50% off with a purchase, or offering a “buy two, get one” type of deal. 

PickyStory uses a BOGO (buy one get one free) discount feature to create a killer free gift with purchase offers. This feature allows you to set up curated bundle deals including a free gift with purchase. This feature allows you to take full control over your special offers while enticing customers to purchase more. You can use PickyStory’s BOGO feature to reward your customers’ loyalty. Say “thank you” to your customers with a great offer.

3 Amazing Examples of Free Gift with Purchase Promotions

Now, let’s take a look at free item with purchase promotions in real action.

#1: Supplement Express

Supplement Express makes the most out of free gift with purchase promotions by offering a free supplement with the purchase of another at a regular price.

Let’s take a look at how this awesome free gift with purchase works:

e-commerce free gift with purchase
Source: supplementxpress.com

Why do we love this free gift with purchase example?

As you can see, customers that purchase an Atomic Inferno Natural or Atomic Inferno Black supplement qualify for a free Atomic Inferno Fat Burner. Customers planning to buy a supplement will be pleasantly surprised to get a free one with their purchase. It’s a nice surprise to get. After all, you’re planning to buy the supplement anyway. So, getting the free gift is a nice touch. 

There’s one other cool detail. The e-commerce site lists the Atomic Inferno Fat Burner at $34.99 but then shows zero cost when added as a free gift. This detail truly helps customers see how much money they save. This tactic creates a very nice psychological effect on customers. You definitely want to check out this killer free gift with purchase example.

#2: Jimmy Joy

Jimmy Joy is a meal kit brand that offers delicious, nutritious, ready-to-eat meals. The brand offers new customers its Starter Box. This box contains 30 full meals containing the vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy lifestyle. But they add one special offer. 

Let’s take a look at how this awesome free gift with purchase from works:

shopify free gift with purchase examples
Source: us.jimmyjoy.com/products/starter-box

Why do we love this free gift with purchase example?

The Starter Box is aimed at enticing new customers to sign up. As such, offering a free premium shaker and scoop are simple yet effective items that signal the brand’s premium value proposition. After all, customers love getting free value. In the end, the item itself is not as important as the feeling of getting free value.

Jimmy Joy gets it right because the brand intends to get customers on the right track with its meal kits. The brand communicates this message by offering free items to help customers get the most out of Jimmy Joy products.

#3: Estee Lauder

Estee Lauder is an industry leader in the fashion and cosmetics segment. It offers a number of kills deals on its entire line of cosmetics. In particular, The Ultimate Gift offers several free gifts with the full kit purchase. 

Let’s take a look at how this awesome free gift with purchase from works:

shopify free gift with purchase
Source: esteelauder.com

Why do we love this free gift with purchase example?

This brand makes the most out of its comprehensive product line. In this promotion, customers purchase ten items and receive three free. 

Now, here’s the kicker: customers can qualify for this offer for $79 with any purchase. So, the brand asks customers to purchase any item at full price. Then, the kit is $79, which includes three additional items for free.

The best part of this deal is that customers get a $570 value at $79. Please note that this approach is highly effective. Customers love hearing about how much they save when they get special offers. Best of all, knowing that the sum of the individual items is far greater than the bundle packages is a guaranteed dealmaker. 

How to Set Up a Free Gift with Purchase Promotion on Shopify

You can follow these steps to offer a free gift with a purchase using PickyStory. The first thing you will need to do is install the PickyStory app:

how to set up free gift with purchase shopify
Source: apps.shopify.com/product-kit-bundles-pickystory

Then, you can follow these steps to set up your free gift offer:

1. Enter the PickyStory app, click on “Bundles” and select “Frequently Bought Together”

free gift with purchase promotion
shopify free gift with purchase app

2. Under “General”, name your bundle (for your reference only)

should you offer free gift with purchase shopify

3. In the “Products” section, add the product(s) that the customer must purchase in order to be eligible for the free gift

free gift app shopify
free item with purchase shopify

4. In the “Discount” section, select “Buy X Get Y / BOGO”, and select the minimum number of products that the customer must purchase in order to be eligible for the free gift

how to add a free gift with purchase on shopify

5. In the “Products to get” section, set the discount to 100% (this will make the product free), then add the product you wish to offer for free

automatic free gift shopify
automatic free gift shopify app

6. In the “Locations” section, choose where you want to display this deal in your store 

free gift with purchase deal shopify

Then, you will simply need to position the offer on your pages, as desired. It’s that easy! 

Grow your sales with high-performing deals.

Get PickyStory
  • Topics: Shopify How-To

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