Basket sizes are shrinking fast—plummeting almost 33%, from nine items in 2022 to just over six in 2024. For e-commerce leaders, this trend signals a deeper shift: shoppers now prioritize relevance, personalization, and perceived value over volume. According to eMarketer, increasing cart value is now a top priority for digital retail teams—on par with acquiring new customers and driving repeat purchases.
The Impact of Missed Basket Size Optimization Opportunities
Fewer items per transaction means lower revenue per visit—and a missed opportunity for basket size optimization. Promotions and static product pairings are no longer enough. Shoppers expect a personalized shopping experience that feels relevant, intuitive, and inspiring. Without it, they bounce.
Traditional upselling tools often fall short:
- They feel impersonal and transactional
- They ignore shopper intent
- They miss the mark on brand voice and visual identity
In short, they don’t inspire action—they stall it.
Why Black Box AI Outfitting Fails at Basket Size Optimization
Many retailers turn to AI outfitting solutions to drive basket size optimization, but not all AI is created equal. Black box systems, while fast, often create more problems than they solve:
- Irrelevant recommendations that feel random or disconnected from shopper intent, failing to inspire action.
- Brand misalignment that ignores brand guidelines, eroding trust and loyalty.
- Lack of personalization that leaves shoppers disengaged.
These systems operate with little transparency or control. Retailers can’t understand or refine the output, and it shows in the results: lower conversion rates, reduced AOV, and diminished brand loyalty.
How Transparent AI Outfitting Powers Basket Size Optimization
Stylitics offers a smarter path forward. Our transparent AI platform gives retailers the power to drive cart size growth with curated, scalable, on-brand outfit recommendations. Here’s how:
Stylitics equips retailers with tools to deliver relevant, engaging, and on-brand recommendations:
- Customizable Guardrails: Define how products are bundled based on inventory, seasonality, and brand rules
- Real-Time Adaptability: Outfits adjust instantly as inventory or shopper behavior changes
- Retailer Control: While Stylitics’ AI handles the heavy lifting, merchandisers can step in and fine-tune recommendations as needed
Proven Results from Basket Size Optimization
Stylitics inspires larger cart sizes through curated, visually compelling bundles that encourage exploration and add-ons.
For example, Marc Cain utilizes Stylitics’ Shop the Model program — customers who engaged with Stylitics showed significantly higher engagement and performance metrics:
- 4-point increase in Conversion Rate
6.12% for Stylitics users vs. 2.10% for non-Stylitics users
- 27% increase in AOV
€528 for Stylitics users vs €415 for non-Stylitics users
- 3.5-point increase in Add-to-Basket Rate
9.72% for Stylitics users vs. 5.79% for non-Stylitics users
The Future of Basket Size Optimization
Cart size growth is a cornerstone of modern ecommerce success. Stylitics empowers retail teams to meet the moment with an outfitting platform that blends AI precision, brand control, and visual storytelling.
The future of e-commerce isn’t just about transactions—it’s about creating inspiring shopping journeys that captivate and convert. Stylitics enables retailers to lead this transformation, driving measurable revenue growth while fostering deeper, lasting customer relationships.
