The art of cross-merchandising: how to drive complementary sales

If you have ever taken home a bag of bread together with the pâté, or a pack of batteries together with the remote you came in for, you have already been part of cross-merchandising.

This technique is not new, but it is one of the most effective when it comes to raising the average basket without putting pressure on the customer.

The key lies in offering them what they need before they ask for it. That is where you can make a difference with a well-thought-out strategy.

Because it is not just about putting things together by intuition: it is about knowing how to group complementary products and doing it at the right time and in the right place.

When you do it well, the customer is grateful, you sell more and the shopping experience improves significantly.

 

How to start applying cross-merchandising with logic (and results)

There are many cross-merchandising strategies for the point of sale, but the first thing is to be clear that this is not only about moving products around.

The first step is to understand the customer.

• What are they looking for when they walk into your store?
• When do they decide to buy something extra?

To start, here are some simple ideas you can adapt to your space and product type:

• Place products that are used together in nearby zones. If you sell wine, place glasses or bottle openers next to it. That way you capture complementary sales naturally.

• Use mobile fixtures or versatile displays to change the layout by season, promotion or type of customer.

• Create themed mini-zones. For example, a “pizza night” area with pizza bases, tomato, cheese, cured meat, wine and napkins. All in the same spot.

• Take advantage of technology. In some cases you can use screens or QR codes to recommend related products.

That is how you can start to understand how to improve sales with cross-merchandising techniques without the customer feeling it is intrusive.

 

Techniques that work in supermarkets (not just in theory)

Cross-merchandising techniques for supermarkets usually focus on the strategic placement of products, especially in walkway zones, gondola ends or high-traffic areas.

So what you need to do is anticipate the customer.

If they are in the pasta aisle, they will probably need sauce. If they are at the butcher’s counter, they may be interested in a bottle of wine, or charcoal in summer.

Do not forget to use impulse zones for cross-merchandising — those zones or spaces where the customer has half-decided what to buy but is still open to being tempted.

It can be at the checkout line, on central islands or right as they walk in.

 

How do you do cross-merchandising without improvising?

For it to work, you need some method. Let us look at how you can implement cross-merchandising in your point of sale without working blindly.

• Analyse your current sales. Which products are bought together?

• Review the customer journey. Where do they go first? Where do they spend the most time?

• Run A/B tests. Change the layout and measure results.

• Listen to your in-store team. They know more than it seems. They see decisions in real time.

• Refresh combinations regularly. Do not always leave the same setup. Surprise sells too.

Segmenting the cross-sell offer is another important point.

Because not every customer reacts the same way. If you know who buys what and when, you can adjust by audience type: family, young, gourmet, practical, etc.

 

Cross-merchandising: much more than putting products together

When you really understand how to do cross-merchandising, you stop seeing it as something purely decorative.

You start thinking about how to accompany the customer during their purchase, how to make the choice easier for them, how to inspire them without pressuring them.

And that, beyond selling more, helps you build a more fluid, intuitive and profitable shopping experience.

That is why applying cross-merchandising in your supermarket is not just about increasing sales — it is about generating value. And when you do it with intention and knowledge, the results show in every sale.