Why Most Brisbane Business Owners Get Bundling Wrong
I was chatting with a client out in Coorparoo the other week who runs a great little online shop selling high-end BBQ rubs and accessories. He was frustrated. He told me, "I’m getting plenty of people visiting the site, but they’re only buying one $15 bottle of seasoning. By the time I pay for the packaging and the time to post it, I’m barely making a fiver."
He thought the solution was to spend more on ads to get more people to the site. I told him he was looking at it the wrong way. He didn't need more people; he needed the people he already had to spend more money.
That’s where bundling comes in. But there’s a lot of rubbish advice out there about how to do it. Most people think it’s just about giving a discount, but if you do that wrong, you’re just cutting into your own margins for no reason.
Let’s bust some myths and look at how to actually build a profitable store by grouping your products the right way.
Myth #1: You Have to Give a Massive Discount
This is the biggest mistake I see. Business owners think that if they put three items together, they have to slash 20% or 30% off the price to make it "attractive."
If you do that, you’re working harder for less profit.
The Reality: People don't always buy bundles because they’re cheap; they buy them because they’re convenient.
Think about it. If you’re buying a new drill, you need bits, a spare battery, and maybe a carry case. If a shop puts those together for you, you’ll buy the bundle because it saves you the headache of finding the right parts that fit. You’d probably pay full price just for the convenience of knowing it’s all sorted in one click.
Stop focusing on "cheap" and start focusing on "complete." When you bundle products effectively, you're solving a problem for your customer. That's worth more than a 10% discount.
Myth #2: Any Products Will Do
I’ve seen shops try to bundle a dog leash with a bag of coffee just because they had too much stock of both. That’s not a strategy; that’s a garage sale.
Customers aren't silly. They see right through a "clearance" bundle that doesn't make sense. If the items don't naturally go together, you’re actually making your business look less professional. It can even make people hesitate because they wonder why you're trying to offload random gear on them.
To make this work, you need to think about the "Next Step." If they buy a skincare cream, what’s the next step? (A cleanser). If they buy a yoga mat, what’s the next step? (A carry strap or a cleaning spray).
- If they buy a gift for a newborn, what’s the next step? (A nice card and gift wrapping).
How This Actually Makes You More Money
Let’s look at the numbers, because that’s what matters.
Imagine it costs you $10 in marketing and time to get one customer to buy a $30 item. If your profit on that item is $15, you’ve only actually made $5.
Now, if you bundle that item with two others and sell the package for $80, your marketing cost is still $10. Your profit might jump to $35 or $40. You’ve just turned a $5 win into a $30 win using the exact same amount of effort.
In the marketing world, we call this increasing your "average order value," but in plain English, it just means making more money from every person who walks through your digital front door. This is the fastest way to increase your online sales without spending an extra cent on Facebook or Google ads.
Three Bundling Strategies That Actually Work
1. The "Starter Kit"
This is perfect for Brisbane businesses selling anything hobby-related or technical. If someone is new to what you do, they are terrified of buying the wrong thing. Create a "Newbie Bundle" that has everything they need to get started today. It removes the fear of failure, and people will love you for it.2. The "Buy More, Save a Bit"
This works best for things people use up and need to replace—like shampoo, pet food, or coffee beans. "Buy 3 and save $5." You aren't giving much away, but you're securing three times the usual sale and ensuring that customer won't need to go to your competitor for a long time.3. The "Gift Set"
Don't underestimate how much people hate thinking. If it’s coming up to Father’s Day or Christmas, create a bundle that is a ready-to-go gift. Put it in a nice box, add a card, and call it the "Ultimate Dad Pack." You can often charge a premium for this because you’ve saved the customer the time and stress of shopping around.What Should You Do First?
You don't need to spend weeks overhauling your whole website. Start small:
1. Look at your sales data: What are the two items people most often buy together anyway? 2. Create one bundle: Put those two items on a single page with one "Add to Cart" button. 3. Name it something simple: Don't be clever. "The Backyard BBQ Kit" beats "The Flame-Master Collection" every time. 4. Test it for a month: See if people take the bait.
The Honest Truth About Costs
Setting this up usually doesn't cost much. If you're using a common platform like Shopify, there are plenty of simple tools that cost maybe $20-$50 a month to handle the technical side of bundling.
The real "cost" is your time in thinking through what your customers actually want. If you’re just slapping random items together, you’re wasting your time. But if you solve a problem for your customer, you’ll see the results in your bank account within weeks.
Most Brisbane business owners are sitting on a goldmine of potential sales just by not offering their products in the right combinations. Don't be the person who works twice as hard for half the profit.
Want to stop guessing and start growing? At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses turn their websites into high-performing sales tools. If you're tired of seeing visitors leave without buying, or you're sick of tiny profit margins, let's have a chat. We focus on what actually puts money in your pocket, not fancy technical jargon.
Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s see how we can grow your business together.