Increase AOV in the cart: what the data shows actually works

Most studios try to increase average order value by adding more products, redesigning packages, or adjusting pricing.

That works, but it is slow.

What we have seen across the Captura ecosystem is simpler. The biggest gains in AOV (average order value) often come from improving the moment customers are already buying.

This is where the “Candy Aisle” approach comes in.

It is not about changing your entire offering. It is about making better use of the cart.

And the data backs it up.

The data is clear: customers want more, not cheaper

From the SPIR 2026 interim data, a few patterns stand out immediately:

• Build-your-own is no longer a trend, it’s baseline. Among parents in SPIR 2023, 74% preferred creating their own package rather than choosing a ready-made bundle.

• Among non-buyers, preference for build-your-own packages rose from 73.2% (2022) to 77.6% (2026).

• Personalization expectations keep rising. Background choice availability increased from 52.5% (2022) to 65.2% (2026).

• Price pressure is real, especially for non-buyers. In 2026, 56.1% of buyers and 75.5% of non-buyers said school photos are “too expensive,” and the #1 reason non-buyers didn’t buy was “not happy with price” (40.6%).

So no, parents are not “only asking for more options” or “only asking for cheaper.”

They want:

1. a purchase that feels fair, and

2. the ability to build an order that fits them.

That’s why “value” matters so much. Parents consistently prioritize quality first and price second (quality 52.2%, price 32.3%).

And the importance of “options to choose from” increases as household income rises, while price becomes more of a concern for lower-income households.

The cart is where value is decided

Studios often focus on the gallery, the price list, or package design. But SPIR interim results highlight something many studios overlook:

The shopping cart experience is a measurable divider between buyers and non-buyers.

In SPIR 2026 interim results, buyers report much higher satisfaction than non-buyers across key checkout drivers:

• Happy with cart: Buyers 82.4% vs Non-buyers 50.6%

• Happy with options: Buyers 62.8% vs Non-buyers 47.2%

• Happy with quality: Buyers 76.1% vs Non-buyers 49.8%

Even in earlier SPIR reporting, variety and cart experience were clear opportunities: only 43.4% of parents said they were happy with variety/options (with 34% unhappy and 22.6% unsure), and cart satisfaction sat at 61%.

This is why the AOV opportunity “sits” in checkout:

• Parents are already committed to buying.

• Small friction has an outsized impact.

• Small value additions can feel big at the moment of purchase.
  
  

What we tested: the “Candy Aisle”

We call it the Candy Aisle because the idea is simple.

When a customer is already ready to buy, you show them a small number of relevant, easy add-ons at the right moment.

No friction. No redesign. No overwhelm.

Just well-timed, well-matched options inside the cart.

Think:

• Digital add-ons alongside print orders

• Small upgrades that match the price point of the current cart

• Extras that feel like a natural extension of what they have already chosen

It is not about pushing more. It is about making it easier to say yes to more.

Why it works, backed by SPIR data

The reason this approach works is not accidental. It lines up directly with what customers are telling us.

1) It solves the “choice gap” without blowing up your catalog

Parents want more ways to build an order that fits them, but studios can’t realistically expand the full catalog overnight.

The cart is the fastest place to introduce “choice” without reworking everything upstream.

And the data shows choice is still a pain point: only 43.4% of parents reported being happy with variety/options in baseline SPIR results.
That gap is especially pronounced in key parent segments (for example, parents aged 35–45 had only 41.8% satisfaction with variety/options in one demographic cut).

2) It increases perceived value without defaulting to discounts

Price pressure is real. But “solve price” doesn’t have to mean “discount everything.”

SPIR makes the real lever clear: a fair-feeling entry point matters most for conversion, especially for non-buyers, where price dissatisfaction is the #1 reason they didn’t purchase (40.6%).

Cart add-ons let you build value without eroding your price list:

• More value in the order

• More satisfaction at checkout

• Less reliance on discounting

3) It mirrors how parents want to shop: build-your-own is baseline

If ~3 out of 4 parents prefer creating their own packages, the cart shouldn’t force a rigid path.

In SPIR 2023, 74% preferred building their own package.
And among non-buyers, build-your-own preference increased to 77.6% in 2026 interim results.

Even simple, relevant suggestions in the cart mimic that “I’m building something that fits me” behavior, without requiring full customization workflows.

4) It acts like a micro-bundle (without the operational overhead)

Bundles can increase perceived value, but building and managing bundles takes time.

Cart-based add-ons act like micro-bundles:

• No upfront configuration

• No rigid structure

• No operational overhead

• Just incremental value at the right moment

This is especially effective when parents already want more options and personalization, both of which are trending upward.

5) It’s perfectly timed to reduce friction where it matters most

SPIR interim results show the cart is a major separator between buyers and non-buyers.

That means improving checkout isn’t just an AOV strategy, it’s a conversion strategy.

And checkout friction isn’t only “UI.” Logistics matter too.

For example: ship-to-school is expected, 81.2% of buyers and 79.9% of non-buyers prefer it.
When you reduce shipping friction and increase clarity at checkout, you remove reasons to abandon.

What this means for your studio

If you are trying to increase AOV, this is the takeaway.

You do not need to rebuild your entire product strategy.

You need to improve how you present options at checkout.

Start here:

• Add a small number of relevant add-ons in the cart

• Keep them aligned to what the customer has already selected

• Focus on value, not discounts

• Test and iterate based on what customers actually pick

This is progress over perfection.

Small changes at the right moment can outperform large changes in the wrong place.

Where this fits in the bigger picture

This is not a standalone tactic.

Inside the Captura ecosystem, your cart, products, and customer experience all connect.

When your ecommerce is built into your workflow, you can:

• Surface the right products at the right time

• Learn from real purchase behavior

• Improve performance across every job, not just one

That is how studios move from one-off wins to consistent growth.

Ready to see what this looks like in practice?

If you want to increase AOV without adding complexity, this is one of the fastest ways to do it.

Book a demo to see how this works inside the Captura ecosystem

Or speak to your CSM to apply this to your next job

Joining us at MVP 2026? MVP is now included at no additional cost with your SPOA conference ticket. We'll be diving deeper into strategies like this with hands-on sessions focused on helping studios make more revenue, save more time, and grow with confidence. Register now.

Together, we can turn small moments in the cart into meaningful revenue gains.