How Product Bundling Works: 5 Types, Creator Examples, and Pricing Strategies

Selling more products doesn’t always mean adding more to your catalog. Sometimes the opportunity is in how you sell what you already have.

Customers who buy one product might be interested in other products, but they won’t browse your whole store to find them. When you group similar products, customers can find them more easily and may spend more per order.

In this guide, you’ll learn how product bundling works, see different types of product bundling with real creator examples, and learn how to create and price bundles for your store.

What is a Product Bundle?

Product bundling is a sales strategy where two or more products are grouped together and sold as a single offer, usually at a set price.

The products typically share a common characteristic. These products may be designed to be used together, have matching designs, or help customers with different parts of the same activity. For example, a creator could bundle a digital course with a workbook to help customers apply what they learn.

Customers can also save money by buying bundles. A gaming creator selling a T-shirt for $30, a poster for $15, and a sticker pack for $5 could bundle all three together as a themed merch bundle for $45. Customers save $5, or 10 percent, compared to purchasing the products separately.

Benefits of Bundling Products for Creators

Besides giving customers another way to shop, bundling can benefit your business in several ways.

1. Increase Average Order Value

Average order value (AOV) is a metric to measure how much customers spend per order. Bundling can boost this amount by enticing customers who initially wanted one product to purchase additional items in the same package.

This means you can increase your revenue per order without acquiring an additional customer. It’s particularly useful if you’re selling products that customers tend to purchase together.

2. Give Customers More Value

Product bundles can provide customers with better value, especially when the total price is lower than the cost of buying each item separately. The customer is getting a good deal even without the discount because they are getting all the items they need for a specific purpose in a single purchase, including exclusive items they could not purchase individually.

3. Introduce More Products to Customers

Bundling allows you to show customers products they might not have otherwise seen. You can combine a popular product with related products in your catalog to help customers discover other products that match their interests. This can help newer or less frequently purchased items get more exposure without having to promote each one individually.

4. Make Related Products Easier to Purchase

You might have to go through several product pages and add things to your cart one by one to find everything you need for a particular purpose.

A well-curated bundle removes those extra steps by grouping complementary products into one listing. Customers can see what's included, evaluate the entire offer, and purchase everything at once.

5. Create Opportunities for Product Launches and Special Collections

Another way to launch new offers without developing a whole new product line is to create product bundles.

You can put together a special collection by combining existing products around a seasonal theme, an upcoming event, or a milestone. Adding an exclusive item or a limited-edition design can make the offer more unique and provide customers with a reason to buy during the launch.

5 Types of Product Bundling With Examples

Product bundles can be organized in several ways depending on what you’re selling and how you want customers to purchase the products.

Here are five typical kinds of product bundling and how they work for creators:

1. Mixed Product Bundling

Mixed product bundling is the practice of selling two or more products together while still allowing each item to be purchased individually. Customers can either buy the whole package or select only the products they want.

Usually, the bundle will be offered at a discount or with an added incentive, giving customers a reason to purchase multiple items at once without penalizing those who want single items.

The key features of mixed bundling are:

• Individual availability: Each product is available individually, so customers don’t have to buy the bundle.
• Incentives for bundling: The products may be cheaper together, or you may get a freebie or something else useful.
• Flexible purchase: Customers can choose to buy either a single product or the entire package.
• Existing product compatibility: You can bundle existing products in your catalog without removing the individual listings.

If you have products that you can sell individually and want to encourage more bulk purchases, consider mixed bundling. This is especially helpful when customers buy related items together, as you can offer them a package deal at a discounted price.

For example, creator ArcadiaCartta has a Chaos Bundle that includes a hoodie, wrapping paper, and a throw blanket for $95.40, down from their individual price of $106. If they prefer, customers can also purchase the hoodie alone for $57, giving them the option of either the single item or the discounted bundle.

2. Pure Product Bundling

In the case of pure product bundling, a creator sells two or more products only as a bundle, and the individual products are not offered for sale separately.

To access the contents, customers must purchase the entire package. This format is well suited to collections that are designed to be sold together.

The major features of pure bundling are

• Exclusive Offer: The individual items are not sold individually.
• Single payment: Customers pay a single price for the entire package.
• Connected products: Items included usually share a purpose, theme, or function.
• Package-based pricing: The price applies to the entire collection, not to the individual products listed.

For example, Lil BUB’s Magical BUB Book Bundle includes a signed commemorative book, an exclusive art book, a picture-disc record, and other collectibles. The creator’s store sells the collection only as a whole, not letting customers buy or exchange individual items.

3. Mix-and-Match Product Bundling

Mix-and-match bundling allows customers to pick the products they want from a set of qualifying items. You decide how many products they can add, and customers decide what to include in their bundle.

This works well for creators with multiple designs, flavors, or product variations, especially when customers have different preferences. Mix-and-match bundling is particularly helpful if you want customers to create personalized collections without having to list every possible combination.

The key characteristics of mix-and-match bundling are:

• Products selected by the customer: Buyers choose the desired products from a range of eligible products.
• Quantity requirements: Bundles usually require a specific number of items, such as three prints or five stickers.
• Bundle discounts: Customers may be offered a package at a fixed price or a discount for buying multiple items.
• Product restrictions: If you want to control the bundle's cost, you can restrict eligible products by category, size, or price.

For example, Music, Cats, and Coffee offers a Create Your Own Sticker Bundle where customers can choose any three stickers from categories such as music, cats, and coffee. The pack is $7, as opposed to $9 for three separately priced stickers.

4. Complementary Product Bundling

Complementary product bundling is when products that complement one another are combined to fulfill a specific need or achieve a particular outcome. Each product has a different function, but when combined, the entire package becomes more useful.

Key features of complementary bundling include:

• Distinct functions: Each product plays a different role in the bundle.
• Shared purpose: The products work together to help customers accomplish a task or achieve a particular result.
• Combined usefulness: The related products save customers from having to find other items separately.
• Flexible formats: Bundles can combine physical products, digital content, or both.

For example, creator-led crochet business Yon Crochet sells beginner kits that come with yarn, crochet hooks, stuffing, safety eyes, and step-by-step video lessons. The materials include everything you need to create a crocheted character, and the lessons guide customers through the process.

The products are complementary because each plays a different role in completing the project. Together, they offer customers the materials and guidance needed to start crocheting.

5. Seasonal and Limited-Edition Product Bundling

Seasonal and limited-edition bundling means putting products together in a special package that's available for a specific occasion or a limited time. These bundles may have holiday-themed designs, exclusive merchandise, or products developed to celebrate a launch or milestone.

Creators can use this kind of bundling to seasonally theme existing products or to showcase exclusive items that add appeal to a given release.

The main characteristics of seasonal and limited-edition bundling are:

• Themes by occasion: Products are grouped around holidays, events, anniversaries, or special releases.
• Limited availability: Bundles may be available for a limited time or until the full quantity of the bundles is sold out.
• Bonus products: Some packages include exclusive designs, merchandise, or bonus products you can’t get anywhere else.
• Coordinated collections: Often, the products included share artwork, colors, or a theme related to the occasion.

Musician Carina Round, for instance, released a limited-edition Disconnected Holiday Bundle that featured a holiday sweater, a collectible ornament, and a digital concert film celebrating her album, The Disconnection. Just 100 bundles were made, and the package was priced at $70 instead of $85.

How to Make Product Bundles That Sell

Now that you've decided to offer product bundles, it's time to create them. Here's how to choose your products, structure the offer, and get it ready for sale:

1. Choose Products That Complement Each Other

Look through your catalog for products that go well together or would be useful as a set. Consider accessories or supporting resources that complement your popular items.

Each should make the bundle more attractive to customers. Focus on combinations that provide customers a clear reason to buy the products together, rather than adding items just to make the bundle bigger.

Also, consider print-on-demand products that pair well with your best-selling items, such as accessories or merchandise with matching designs.

2. Know How Your Audience Buys

Knowing your audience's interests and buying habits helps you identify product combinations they are more likely to buy.

If you have a store, start by reviewing your sales history to identify products customers often purchase together. You can also look at your bestsellers for related items that might appeal to the same customers.

If it’s your first time launching products, you won’t have sales data to rely on. But you can still learn what your audience likes by:

• Asking your followers which products they’d like to purchase together.
• Sharing possible bundle combinations and asking for feedback.
• Monitoring feedback and product demands for common themes.
• Looking at how competitors in your niche are bundling and selling their products.

These insights can help you narrow down your choices and pick bundles based on what customers have shown an interest in buying.

3. Decide How Many Products to Include

Once you have selected your products, determine how many you want to add to the bundle. If you increase the number of items, the total price will rise, and some customers may be unable to afford the offer.

For example, you might have six related products in your store but only want to bundle three of them to keep the price point more affordable.

Add the prices of individual items to get the total price for the whole package and see how the price would change if fewer items were included. You can also use consumer input and historical sales data to determine which price ranges your audience is comfortable with.

A smaller bundle makes it easier to introduce larger collections later when you have a better sense of what customers are willing to pay.

4. Choose Your Product Bundling Style

Next, decide which of the bundling types described above best suits your products and your customers’ shopping preferences. For example, if your customers often purchase individual items, mixed bundling lets you add a package without removing those options.

You can begin with one format and then add other formats as you learn what customers like. Before you make the bundle, check what your selling platform supports, especially if you want customers to pick their own items or buy products separately.

5. Create a Product Listing for Your Bundle

Your product listing should make it easy for customers to understand what they are buying and why the products are grouped.

Give the bundle a descriptive name. For example, “Beginner Crochet Pattern Bundle: 5 Animal Designs” tells you more than “Ultimate Crochet Collection."

Then, get ready with the following information:

• Bundle description: Describe what is included in the bundle and how customers can use the products together.
• Product images: Display the entire collection with individual product photos, mockups, or digital previews.
• Pricing: Show the bundle price and the actual savings, if any, compared to buying the items individually.
• Product specs: Any relevant information such as sizes, materials, file formats, software requirements, etc.
• Delivery information: Explain how the customers will get their products, especially if you are selling a blend of physical and digital products.

If you sell a physical product, make sure your customers can see the available sizes, colors, or other variations before they buy.

Your listing should provide customers with enough information to determine if the full collection meets their needs without needing to view each product separately.

Product Bundle Pricing: How to Set a Price and Protect Your Profit

Before you price your bundle, you need to know how much the products cost you and how much you'll make by selling them together.

Here’s how to work out the price, costs, and profit using a print-on-demand merch bundle:

1. Calculate the Total Price of Individual Products

First, total the regular selling prices of all the products you plan to bundle. This provides the total amount customers would pay for each item individually, which can be used to calculate any bundle discount.

For example, using our print-on-demand merch bundle, a $30 T-shirt, a $15 poster, and a $5 sticker pack would total $50.

Selling the bundle for $45 means customers save $5, or 10%, compared to buying the products individually.

Use the $50 total as your benchmark price. Then you can use it to calculate differing discount options once you’ve worked out the costs of providing the bundle.

2. Calculate Your Total Bundle Costs

Next, determine the cost to make and deliver all the products in your bundle. Include production, packaging, fulfillment, and any shipping costs you cover.

If we take our merch bundle, let's assume the T-shirt costs $14 to produce, the poster $6, and the sticker pack $2. That makes the total cost of production $22.

If using print-on-demand, find the base cost of each product and any additional fulfillment charges, especially if the products will be shipped separately. Also, keep in mind transaction fees and other selling expenses to get a better idea of what you’ll make from each bundle.

In digital products, there are usually no production costs with each sale, but there may be payment processing, platform fees, and delivery costs.

3. Set Your Bundle Price and Calculate Your Profit

Now that you have calculated your product costs, you can price your bundle and determine how much you will make per sale.

One popular method is to provide a percentage off the combined retail price of the products.

Here's how the calculation works using our merchandise bundle:

Next, subtract your production costs from the bundle price to arrive at your gross profit.

Gross profit = Bundle selling price − Production costs

$45 - $22 = $23 gross profit/bundle

You can also calculate your gross profit margin to see what percentage of each sale remains after you’ve covered production costs.

Gross profit margin = (Gross profit ÷ Bundle selling price) × 100

($23 ÷ $45) × 100 = 51.1%

This means a gross profit margin of around 51.1% based on production costs only. Your actual margin will be lower if you also include fulfillment, shipping, transaction fees, or other selling expenses.

4. See How Discounts Affect Your Profit Margins

A bigger discount may encourage more people to buy your bundle, but your profit per sale will be lower.

Let’s compare two discount options for our merchandise bundle. The bundle is worth $50 retail and costs us $22 to produce.

That's $5 less profit per bundle. Now, to see how this change affects your earnings, suppose you sell 100 bundles:

• 10% discount: gross profit $2,300 (100 × $23).
• 20% discount: $1,800 gross profit (100 × $18).

At a 20% discount, you'd need to sell about 128 bundles instead of 100 to make $2,300. That's 28% more sales to earn the same gross profit.

Before you offer a bigger discount, consider how many extra sales you’d need to generate to offset the lower profit per order.

How to Market Your Product Bundles

Once your bundles are live, promotion comes next. Here are five ways to promote them in your store and marketing channels:

1. Share Your Bundles on Social Media

Create content that shows customers what your bundle includes and how the products work together.

If you sell physical goods, you might do an unboxing video, show the products in use, or post pictures of the entire collection. If you are selling a digital product, consider recording a walk-through of the resources you are including.

For example, a crochet creator who sells a beginner-friendly pattern bundle might share a video showing finished projects customers can make using the patterns.

You can also do individual product posts before sharing the whole bundle.

2. Promote Bundles at Product Launches

You can offer a bundle as well as the standalone product if you launch a new product.

Imagine you are a gaming creator releasing a new hoodie featuring an original character. You could launch it along with a matching desk mat and sticker pack, giving customers the chance to buy the full collection.

Preview before launching. Announce what's included. Show individual and bundle pricing.

This gives customers who are particularly interested in the new design an additional purchasing option from the outset.

3. Promote Bundle Offers with Email Marketing

With email, you can offer bundles to subscribers who have already indicated an interest in your content or products.

For example, a photography creator could email subscribers about a new editing toolkit featuring Lightroom presets, editing tutorials, and downloadable resources.

The email could show a preview of the collection, explain what’s included, and link directly to the product listing.

You can also offer relevant bundles to returning customers. For example, someone who bought a standalone digital guide might want a larger collection that includes additional resources.

4. Run Limited-Time and Seasonal Promotions

Holidays, seasonal events, and special occasions are opportunities to promote themed collections.

For example, a food creator could create a holiday baking bundle that includes a recipe ebook, printable gift tags, and a baking planner. They could advertise the collection with seasonal recipe videos, social posts, and emails leading up to the holiday.

Limited-time discounts can also incentivize customers to buy while an offer is available.

5. Feature Bundles With Related Products

Customers viewing an individual product may also be interested in a bundle containing that item.

For example, a person looking at a digital lettering workbook might like the idea of a collection that also contains practice sheets and a brush pack.

Depending on your selling platform, you can either display relevant bundles on single product pages or suggest them along the way.

You can also feature bundles in your storefront, put them in a separate collection, or link to them from relevant content.

Start Product Bundling With the Products You Already Sell

You don’t need a ton of products to put together an offer that your audience wants. Just a few well-chosen ones can be enough.

Start with products that go well together, then work out how to package and price them. Be sure the bundle provides customers with a clear benefit, such as convenience, savings, or access to an exclusive collection.

Fourthwall lets you build a storefront to sell your merchandise and digital products directly to your audience.

Once you know which combinations resonate with customers, you can refine your bundles and create new offers using products you already sell.