Boost your B2B AOV: 5 strategies that actually work, with SparkLayer

This is a guest post from one of the world’s leading B2B eCommerce solutions, SparkLayer. With a range of functionality designed to delight wholesale buyers and boost brand scalability, they’re here to give us the lowdown on increasing AOV.

When you think about growing your B2B store, your mind probably jumps to attracting more customers. But what if the biggest opportunity isn’t about bringing new buyers in, it’s about encouraging your existing ones to spend a little more? 

We’ll let you do the maths, but increasing each order by even a small percent has a big impact on the bottom line…

Retaining customers is almost always more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. By increasing the average order value (AOV) of the buyers you already have, you’re not just improving efficiency, you’re creating a reliable, scalable path to higher revenue.

Here are five proven tactics that B2B merchants can use to boost AOV…

One of the most powerful (and under-used) ways to lift AOV is personalisation.

B2B buyers expect tailored experiences (just like B2C shoppers) but often don’t get them. Using Customer Groups to segment types of buyers, you can deliver different pricing, order limits, and even promotions based on who the customer is. 

With SparkLayer, you can easily set these rules at the Customer Group level. So when a buyer logs in, they instantly see the pricing, products, and incentives that make sense for their relationship with you.

This doesn’t just increase AOV, it builds loyalty. Customers are more likely to add extra products or hit higher thresholds when they feel like the store ‘knows’ them and rewards their buying patterns.

One of the easiest ways to lift AOV is by setting a minimum order value. 

MOVs ensure that every order meets a specific threshold – namely one that equals profitability. That value could be based on covering your operational costs, your shipping fees, or simply encouraging customers to order in larger batches. 

For example, if you’re a coffee supplier and your smallest bag costs £6, by the time you’ve factored in packaging and shipping costs, it’s not worth it for you to process a one-bag order. Setting a $100 minimum order encourages customers to fill their carts, hit the threshold, and stock up more efficiently.

Data is key to understanding B2B buying behaviour – that’s where analytics tools (like SparkLayer’s analytics dashboard) can make a huge difference. Instead of guessing what’s working, you can explore:

• Which product combinations customers frequently buy together
• Your top margin drivers
• Seasonal peaks in ordering behaviour
• Which customer segments contribute the most to your total revenue

Data gives you clarity. Once you know what’s actually moving the needle, you can nudge the rest of your buyers in the same direction – whether that’s through product recommendations, threshold incentives, or smarter merchandising.

Incentives are one of the most effective ways to encourage larger orders, especially when they’re framed as rewards rather than restrictions. Here are a few tried-and-tested incentive ideas to increase AOV:

• Free shipping above a certain order value (simple, but highly effective)
• Tiered discounts,  for example, 5% off orders over £500, 10% off over £1,000
• Exclusive access to new products or early shipping windows for higher-value orders

The key here is transparency: show buyers what they could unlock by adding a little more to their basket. Even something as simple as a banner saying ‘You’re $60 away from free shipping’ can motivate that final top-up!

Using an analytics tool, you can also identify which products are best to use as an incentive. Items that aren’t selling well and are causing an overstock, for example, could be a strong way to manage your inventory while encouraging larger orders. 

SparkLayer merchants often combine these tactics with their analytics data, identifying the sweet spot where incentives drive bigger orders without eating into margins. That’s the balance – rewarding customers in a way that’s profitable for you too.

This last tactic is about removing friction. The easier it is for customers to complete large, complex orders, the more likely they are to do it – and the less likely they are to abandon their carts halfway through.

In B2B, the buying process is often repetitive and bulk-based. So optimising the ordering experience can directly increase AOV. Make it easier: 

• Quick-add and bulk-add tools: use Shopping Lists tools to speed this up
• Re-order functionality: make it one click to duplicate a previous order
• Saved lists: allow buyers to pre-build orders for their recurring needs
  Clear quantity breaks: show how pricing improves when they buy more

Each of these features encourages larger orders simply by making them easier.

SparkLayer’s B2B interface is designed with this in mind – it mirrors the intuitive experience of B2C eCommerce but scales it up for wholesale buyers. That combination of speed, clarity, and flexibility naturally drives bigger basket sizes over time.

AOV is a quiet metric that can make a big difference to your bottom line – especially in B2B, where order sizes are bigger, margins can fluctuate, and buying behaviour looks very different to B2C.

Boosting AOV in B2B isn’t about tricking customers into spending more, it’s about helping them buy smarter, with a smoother, more rewarding experience. When you combine these five tactics, they reinforce each other. The result? Happier customers, more profitable orders, and a business that grows sustainably without needing a constant stream of new leads!

If you’re exploring ways to apply these ideas, platforms like SparkLayer make it simple to bring them to life, with tools built specifically for B2B merchants on Shopify and beyond. Whether it’s configuring Customer Groups, tracking AOV in analytics, or creating custom ordering rules, you’ll have everything you need to turn insights into impact. 

Book a demo now to learn more about SparkLayer, or request a free, bespoke 1:1 consultation to discuss your B2B plans.