29 Proven Strategies To Expand A Product Line In eCommerce

Congratulations! You’re already over the toughest hill: deciding which product line to expand (or figuring out which product line can extend to target an entirely new market).

So, how do you expand a product line to go from 0 to 10,000+ orders?  That's exactly what this article answers – we’ll cover 29 ideas across 4 proven stages of eCommerce product line expansion:

▶ Stage 1: Get New Buyers

1. Define who’s interested

2. Size out the demand

3. Lock in positioning & pricing

4. Consider the buying cycle

5. Pull some demand with a pre-order campaign

6. Build rich content to educate

7. Optimize category pages by product type and purchase cycle

8. Warm up your owned audience first

9. Encourage trials for your new product line

10. Turn trial into proof

11. Launch through key channels

12. Make the new product range unmissable — on your store

13. Build the SEO base

14. Run ad sequences

15. Scale with partnerships & collabs

16. Measure product line maturity (before moving to Stage 2)

▶ Stage 2: Drive Frequency / Repeat Usage & Grow Purchase Quantity

17. Amp up your SEO to cover niche search results

18. Automate retention and replenishment

19. Run promotions without eating into margin

20. Infuse your new product line into your email campaigns

21. Ensure the new product line isn’t cannibalizing

22. Expand across new usage opportunities

23. Run CRO experiments

24. Run a check on your customer experience

25. Measure stickiness (before you scale to Stage 3)

▶ Stage 3: Move Towards “Premiumization”

26. Introduce premium product line extensions

27. Move best-performing items to marketplaces

28. Focus on reducing costs

▶  Stage 4: Ensure The Base Product Line Doesn’t Become Slow-Moving

29. Refresh your product line’s marketing quarterly

But first: 

What Does Product Line Expansion Mean For eCommerce Stores?

Means two things: 

(a) Adding new product lines – also called brand extension, this is where you launch new types of products to sell alongside your existing products. For example, adding a tanning oil product range to your existing sunscreen product range.

(b) Adding new product variants – also called product line extension, you add product variants to existing product lines. For example, adding new flavors to your popcorn product line. 

How To Expand a Product Line In An eCommerce Store: 29 Proven Ideas

Growing any product line in eCommerce isn’t about outdoing your competitors. Rather, it’s about growing revenue for yourself and everyone who’ll be launching products in the same range. 

Meaning, everyone selling the same product range can grow (especially you, if you’re well-positioned).

Research shows product line expansion occurs through four behaviors:

- More people buying (penetration)

- More frequent buying

- Larger basket sizes

- Higher willingness to pay (premiumization)

Therefore, the first step towards increasing visibility for a product line in eCommerce almost always starts with:

▶ Stage 1: Get New Buyers

1. Define who’s interested

Start by sketching out who may actually buy into this product range. Your goal is to have a clear segmentation as a focused starting point.

For example, if you’re about to launch a homemade cat food product line, your core buyers might be:

✅ Cat parents with pets between ages 4–14 (older cats may need specialized diets)

✅ Working professionals who don’t have the time to cook pet food themselves

✅ Urban residents who already spend on premium pet care

2. Size out the demand

Don’t assume buyers will come just because you expanded a product line. Validate the demand – for example, you can:

✅ Track whether customers search for related terms in your on-site search bar

✅ Check marketplace coverage (you can use tools like Amazon’s Product Opportunity Explorer) to find if the product line has ever been in best-sellers, if it’s a niche product line, the number of SKU counts (no. of products in that range), and no. of reviews

✅ Run some polls within your social followers (using Insta or TikTok stories may be a great idea here)

✅ Send an email campaign to your existing email list and offer a “coming soon” signup page (or you can run the same on your notification bar). So, if you see 300 people sign up to get first dibs, you know there’s a demand strong enough to justify a pre-order campaign

✅ Look at Google Trends (or similar data from other competitive insight tools) to see if the product line has consistent search demand – and also check the same for sub-product ranges

Here’s a great example of this in action from Google Trends, showing top trending swim coverup materials and styles (this way, you know exactly what orders your filters should be in):

3. Lock in positioning & pricing 

This step decides if your new product line (or product line extension) grows profitably, or if it eats into margins. It also shapes how people see your new product line inside your brand and against competitors.

So, if you’re asking yourself, “How do I price my new product line so it complements existing hero products?” or “Do I just do a new collection page or create a sub-brand type offering?” – do this:

✅ Jot down one line about your positioning in terms of audience, pain, promise, and proof. For example: “Who is this for? Busy professionals (audience) who can’t sleep well (pain) can wind down with calming herbal teas (promise), backed by ingredients clinically shown to reduce stress (proof)”

✅ Review your top 5 competitors and check what they lead with. For example, do they lead with sleep, anxiety, or pain relief messaging

✅ Break down your new product line into 3 tiers (in terms of pricing and positioning) – for example:

• Good: Everyday calming blends (chamomile, peppermint)
• Better: Functional teas (sleep support, digestion, energy)
• Best: Premium subscription box with seasonal blends + wellness guide

✅ Compare your hero product line to your new product line. For example: your herbal tea line for stress and sleep is positioned as premium, while your regular black tea stays ‘everyday affordable’ (this way, both product lines have space, while guiding buyers to trade up instead of cannibalizing)

4. Consider the buying cycle

Some product lines convert fast. A $20 herbal tea may just sell after one Instagram ad. Others take time. For example, a $500 ergonomic chair might need 6–8 touchpoints (blog content, reviews, retargeting, maybe even a consultation) before a buyer is ready.

This detail matters for your new product line’s content strategy – here’s how you put this into action:

✅ Focus on quick action for fast-moving product ranges (food and beverage, daily use items). Your PDPs should’ve strong visuals, clear CTAs, and scannable information (description and reviews) along with proof of a steady social presence

✅ Aim to build trust in slow-moving product lines. What you need here to increase retention and consideration: research-driven blogs, quizzes, reviews, and comparisons

✅ Focus on search visibility for visual-heavy product ranges (like home decor, apparel). That means strong listing images, alt text for search, and a consistent presence on visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest

5. Pull some demand with a pre-order campaign

This way, you don’t commit too much inventory, and you get an exact taste of expected returns, along with the expected contribution margin (revenue – COGS – returns – brand marketing costs).

What you can do to pull this data with pre-order campaigns:

✅ Run a waitlist first (as we mentioned in step 2) with a squeeze page and email series – where you introduce the idea of the product line expansion

✅ Build up a quick pre-sell page where you show mockups, specs, pricing, and then email the page to your waitlist (goal here: have 1–2k clicks as a minimum)

✅ Check the conversion rate after the initial email and resend separate emails to non-converters (nudge on early bird offers) and those who didn’t open the first email (remind them they will miss out on the early access)

✅ Send out the emails for at least a month and then compare the conversion rate of the pre-sell page with the waitlist conversion rate. Ideally, there should be a noticeable difference, but if the gap is huge, like a 10% waitlist conversion rate versus 0.5% on the pre-sell page, you may need to realign your product line (or test with a wider audience using ads)

✅ Survey buyers as well as non‑buyers on price sensitivity, objections, and desired variants – basically learn why they did buy (and why some didn’t)

Pro Tip: Look out for early signs of disinterest. Monitor metrics like low time on page, high bounce rate, and no clicks on FAQs. If you see this, take it as a sign to test against a wider audience (if the same pattern repeats, you know you have to look at how your pages are structured).

Here’s a great example of a pre-order pre-sell page from Ally, where they expand into smart glasses as a new product line from an app. Note how they structure three tiers of access with different pricing options, and the YouTube explainer on the first fold (which leads us to our next point):

Also read: Lessons From 6 Kickass Pre-Order Campaigns (eCommerce)

6. Build rich content to educate

‘Rich’ content can be anything that supports your new product line – they can be: buying guides, YT tutorials, FAQ pages, size charts, Insta reels, stories, etc.

Spread it out before you launch to the whole world. Even if you’re emailing your list, they should know what’s great about the new product line. 

Start with:

✅ Topics that dive into the “what”, “why it’s different”, and “why now” of the product line – this’ll help you repurpose content across themes like:

• “What is homemade cat food”
• “Why it’s different from mass-market kibble”
• “Why now (health, sustainability, freshness)”

✅ Use the above themes to create blog posts, YouTube product demos, structure your category pages, promote on Insta stories, posts, and reels

✅ You can even create a quiz flow like “find your perfect style match” to lead shoppers into your new launches (based on the choices shoppers make, ofc) 

Here’s a great example from Roka’s collaboration pre-sell page explaining how their Wind Down collection came to be and the science behind it:

7. Optimize category pages by product type and purchase cycle

By optimizing category pages, we mean structuring your category pages’ length and depth based on the type of product line and purchase cycle. 

For example, your new category pages should:

✅ Display clear information about what the new product line offers, what’s great about it

✅ Feature products by relevance instead of lowest to highest prices (so shoppers see the best product first)

✅ Use a single list view instead of a grid view (especially if your category listings contain a lot of scannable information)

✅ Have some form of expert endorsement or social proof section – like clickable credentials, short video demos, certifications, etc.

✅ Feature USPs about you as a brand (like warranty, extended returns, or free shipping)

Here are two category pages from Glasses USA. Note how the pages differ by length and contain different structures (all because one product line extension features tech that requires a bit of explanation):

Category Page A: 

Category Page B (note how there’s more technical depth here):

Also read: Build High-Converting Category Pages (13 Ideas + Great Examples)

8. Warm up your owned audience first

If you’re asking yourself, “Should I launch the expanded product line to VIP customers first or go mass?” this is your answer. Why? It’s mostly free. 

Start with:

✅ An email/SMS campaign to your existing list – offer early access with limited stock; incentivize the first 100 with some free gift/credit

✅ Retarget non-converters with how‑to/compare content, to address objections and test if your rich content actually helps

✅ Have a dedicated section on your homepage to promote your new product line (ideally below your best-sellers)

Here’s a great example of a new product line launch email from First Lite’s collaboration with FHF Gear, showcasing why their product line expansion is a must-try:

Pro Tip: Don’t launch any paid cold campaigns to promote your new product line before you have reviews on your PDPs and PLPs.

Also read: 19 Product Launch Email Examples That Drove Massive Sales (+ Templates)

9. Encourage trials for your new product line

This tactic is especially useful for testing out how your new product line will perform once it launches. That too from high-value shoppers.

Here’s what you need to do:

✅ Get some coverage on your socials first (so people know you’re launching a new product line or extending one)

✅ Announce on your homepage or email that you’re running a *limited time* free gift for the upcoming launch on orders above your AOV

✅ Or you can also offer low-cost sample packs as additional upgrades in your cart/checkout page (basically downselling)

✅ Just keep a watch to see if the number of high AOV orders takes a lift or how many people opt for the sample packs (if there’s no lift, retarget and survey those who saw the offer – ask what stopped them)

Here’s a great example of Supergoop opting for the ‘free gift on reaching AOV’ strategy for their new SPF powder line extension (the base product line is still ‘sunscreen’ – an awesome example of increasing sales for a product line extension):

10. Turn trial into proof

Once you have enough people opting in for your samplers or trial packs, ask them to tell you what they thought of it. This way, you can get video testimonials, reviews, and perhaps even some media coverage.

Here’s what you can do:

✅ Reach out after the usage period of your trial pack/sampler, ask for thoughts 

✅ Filter out glowing reviews and offer them an opportunity to get an exclusive feature as your product line’s face – ask them for video or photo testimonials

✅ Repurpose the testimonials you receive on your PDP, PLP, email, and ad campaigns

11. Launch through key channels

Once you have category pages optimized, rich content readied, and some reviews displayed, plan up your product range launch.

Ideally, any new product launch should always be launched in three phases:

✅ Phase 1: Let your owned audience in on the product line (this way, you won’t have to worry too much about CAC)

✅ Phase 2: Expand on socials (Insta, TikTok, YouTube live streams), paid ad, and PR campaigns

✅ Phase 3: Expand offerings and move some SKUs to marketplaces (not compulsory, if you’re DTC)

Also read: eCommerce Product Launch: The Most Comprehensive Guide Ever

12. Make the new product range unmissable — on your store

People already land in your store, so why not let them know there’s something new?

Here’s what you can do:

✅ Feature it on the homepage hero banner – for example, you can show the new line within your ongoing promotions or show the collection in a carousel

✅ Add the new product line to the top nav menu – show microcopy beside the new product

✅ Ensure it appears in site search (either as search terms or as featured products)

✅ Cross-sell it in other product lines (show a callout banner announcing the collection on PLPs and as individual products on PDPs)

✅ If a new product line has 50+ products, break it into smaller sub-product lines and use them as filters. For example, if you add a new keyboard product range, divide it into subcategories to act as readymade filters, like wireless keyboards, wired keyboards, and mechanical keyboards (this way, you can prevent users from feeling overwhelmed and also improve overall navigation)

✅ Ensure your category pages and content are easily accessible and effective on mobile devices and through voice search – for example, when someone searches “cat treats,” also display “New: Fresh Homemade Meals”

Here’s a great example from Liquid IV’s homepage banner showing a product from their new product line along with a product from existing product lines + a discount and free merchandise:

Pro Tip: Track the penetration percentage (customers who purchased the new product line ÷ total customers in period) and CTRs on your new product line’s entry points (homepage, nav, site search, etc.).

13. Build the SEO base

People rarely search once and buy immediately. By this, we mean they need to keep discovering the product line across the funnel.

Here’s how you can build an SEO base to expand an eCommerce product line:

✅ Research high volume keywords (like “natural cat food,” “homemade pet meals”, etc.) and plug them into your site structure (navigation, category, subcategory, and product detail pages)

✅ Use long long-tail keywords (like “grain-free homemade cat food recipes”) as primary keywords for product line extensions (subcategories)

✅ Create an SEO-driven education hub so as to answer the questions people type before they buy. For example: “Does dry cat food have benefits over wet cat food?”, or “How much raw food should I feed my cat?” or “Homemade vs. store-bought pet meals”

✅ Add product schema and review schema so your new product listings show star ratings, FAQs, and price in Google results

Here’s a great example of educational content from REI that not only aims towards educating and converting shoppers, but also gets more shoppers to discover new product lines:

14. Run ad sequences

Not knowing enough about a particular product line stops 1 in 3 shoppers from ever making a purchase (Google). So, if you run ads, your focus should solely be on building product knowledge and letting shoppers know that you understand their needs.

Here’s how you do it:

✅ Start with awareness-building campaigns – first, introduce your product line, then continue with a series of education/offer ads based on how shoppers engage with your awareness ads

✅ Continue retargeting your landing page viewers with some social proof (maybe feature a known influencer or a review video)

✅ Retarget those who engaged with your landing page but didn’t convert with trial offers or free gift ads, so as to nudge them to convert

Here's a great ad sequencing example from Pretty Litter showing their new product line:

15. Scale with partnerships & collabs 

77% of B2C eCommerce brands have at least 1 to 10 influencer partnerships active – mainly because they want to increase brand awareness, engagement, and trust. 

The whole idea here is to ensure you reach new audiences. Here’s how you can grow your product line’s visibility using influencer marketing:

✅ Get influencers to test out new product lines in their own style on YouTube unboxings or short reels (for example, myth busting) – this way, you can tap into the audience of the influencer and anyone who engages with that

✅ Run branded hashtag challenges, where you invite multiple creators to try out a particular theme like “show us your cat’s reaction to {new product line’s name}” 

✅ Ask your audience to pitch ideas, and all you need to do is deliver them – here’s a great example from Dr Squatch’s Instagram as they launch their edible soaps as a product line extension (which has been an ask ever since they launched):

Note the caption and how they ask their Squatch Nation (audience) as to whether they really want edible soap – and here’s how they react:

16. Measure product line maturity (before moving to Stage 2)

Ask yourself a few quick questions before you double down and scale your newly launched product line:

❓ Are at least 10–15% of your current buyers trying it? 

✔ Yes: Map who’s buying it, how many new and returning, what behaviors do they share

⊗ No: Check how many existing buyers have added to the cart but have not bought. Also, check how new users interacted with your store overall (did they move to other categories or just bounce immediately)

❓ Are at least 20–25% of first-time buyers saying they’d buy again? 

Run a post-purchase survey or check repeat orders (over 1 cycle of purchase frequency)

✔ Yes: Awesome, you’ve got retention – means, Stage 2 may be a good choice if all other conditions are met

⊗ No: Reach out 1:1 and check what went wrong (do this before you move towards Stage 2)

❓ Is the new product line running above 25% contribution margin after discounts and returns? 

✔ Yes: Great, you’re profitable, see how much margin you can increase, all while scaling audiences

⊗ No: If it’s below, scaling the product line will bleed cash

❓ Are people actually looking for it? 

Look at your on-site search queries, SERP data, and CTRs on nav banners. 

✔ Yes: Map which session source drives the most search queries and CTR (double down on that channel)

⊗ No: If it’s fewer than 5% CTR, you’re forcing yourself to scale

Pro Tip: The key condition to move towards growing purchase frequency is actually having people who are looking to buy the product line in the first place, while being profitable. If you lose money per sale or are just breaking even, growing the product line further will negatively impact your cash flow.

▶ Stage 2: Drive Frequency / Repeat Usage & Grow Purchase Quantity

17. Amp up your SEO to cover niche search results

If you’ve ever thought, “How do I increase visibility for a niche product line?”, this is the answer you’ve been looking for. 

Your only goal: focus on the right long tail keywords so as to pull in problem-aware and close to purchase audiences. Here’s how you do it:

✅ Add subcategory pages for niche product searches, like “retinol serum for sensitive skin” or “best vitamin C serum under $30” instead of just retinol serum as a keyword for category pages

✅ Use your blog and your social media presence to answer ultra-specific queries, like “how to layer retinol and niacinamide” or “vitamin C serum vs. toner: which one first?” (this way, your social content as well as your blog content can show up on search results)

✅ Build some authentic backlinks (you can get some PR done for your new product line, get some reviewers to publish some YouTube tutorials, unboxings, or comparisons)

Pro Tip: Choosing long tail keywords isn’t just enough – also look at the value proposition of certain keywords – note how the keyword “eyeglasses with audio” shows higher value products–

—Than the keyword “eyeglass with headphones”:

18. Automate retention and replenishment

The average time between orders for eCommerce is about 102 days. And unfortunately, it gets longer when a product line is new. 

So, if you're thinking "How do I build a repeat purchase flow for my new product line?”, here's what you can do:

✅ Set up subscription options right on PDPs (“Subscribe & Save 10%”)

✅ Feature “also buy” and “remind me in X days” options post purchase (in case your product cannot have a subscription option, like a t-shirt)

✅ Target buyers of complementary product lines or previous purchasers via on-site banners, email flows, and ads (say something like “you will dig this” – or 👇)

✅ Send “time-to-upgrade” nudges. For example, you can send a sofa buyer an email 10 months later about matching ottomans or slipcovers

✅ Build seasonal replenishment flows. Like you can pair dining sets with seasonal décor (new chair covers, runners)

✅ Create predictive replenishment reminders based on average purchase frequency and shopping patterns. For example, if a customer buys office furniture in Q1, reach out the following year when budgets reset

✅ Ensure your post-purchase flow educates – start with setup, deal with buyer's remorse by sharing outcomes, more social proof, some future rewards, and then push to your sub product lines or other complementary product ranges

Here’s a great example of automating replenishment right from the PDP, from Buoy’s new product line, “rainforest wild foods.” Note how the subscription option not only offers a recurring lower price, but also free gifts (also note the subtle cross-sell bundles on offer):

Also read: eCommerce Subscriptions: 15 Amazing Examples (+ Ways to Increase Subscription Sales)

19. Run promotions without eating into margin

If you keep running ads to gain new shoppers or are discounting deeply to bring shoppers back, you may just be cutting into your margins.

Here’s how you can expand product lines without hurting margins:

✅ Add loyalty credits instead of a direct discount. This way, you have shoppers primed for the next purchase

✅ Offer bundles that make sense; for example, you can throw $60 worth of accessories instead of $100 off a treadmill – this way, you don’t cut deep on margins 

✅ Use quiz flows to offer not only a recommendation service but also as a personalization tool for your entire brand experience (you can use it alongside purchase history to fine-tune what shoppers see on your homepage and category pages, as well as your emails)

✅ Offer a discount on high-value gift cards instead of directly discounting products. For example, if your AOV is $300, offer a 20% off on $1000 gift cards, with free stuff worth $100 on spending that $1000 in gift cards. What happens is: you lose about $300, but customers end up spending $700

Here’s a great example from Last Crumb on Labor Day, where they offer their $200 bundle subscription for $120 with free shipping, along with the option to let users select their own products for the bundle (note the excellent UX on offer):

20. Infuse your new product line into your email campaigns 

You can’t let your new product line go cold; you have to keep using your emails to remind your list, it exists. 

Here’s how you use emails to grow your new product range:

✅ Customize your welcome emails by product line viewed while signing up. For example, you can simply use UTM parameters track the category page URL of the product line shoppers viewed when they signed up

✅ Track abandoned carts in complementary product lines (this way, you can introduce your new product line as cross-sells). For example, you can say, “Still deciding? Here’s what else other customers grabbed”

✅ Use post-purchase cross-sells; for example, if someone buys coffee, offer calming teas; if they buy cat toys, suggest fresh meals

✅ Segment out your list for people who haven’t viewed your new product line even once since the launch, and retarget them with a drip. Here’s what the flow should look like, if you are starting to introduce supplements: “We now stock supplements” ▶ benefits breakdown  ▶ usage guides  ▶ limited-time discount

✅ Make the new product line, a part of Black Friday, gift guides, or back-to-school edits

Here’s a great example from Bio.Me, where they introduce different reviews across different product lines, a shopper viewed:

21. Ensure the new product line isn’t cannibalizing

A new product line, irrespective of whether it’s an expansion or extension, should grow revenue. If it just shifts spend from your hero products, you’ve got a problem.

Here’s what you can do to ensure your new product line doesn’t break your existing product lines:

✅ Compare growth side by side. If sparkling water sales climb while soda falls at the same pace, you’re just making buyers jump from one product range to another, instead of introducing new shoppers

✅ Test holdouts. Exclude 10–20 percent of your list from new-product line promotions for a few weeks. If revenue stays flat in that group, the new line may just be stealing share

✅ Run geo splits. Show new ads in Region A, hold them back in Region B. Compare revenue across both

✅ Track SKU overlaps. How many buyers of the new product range bought your hero product line in the last 90 days (and vice versa)

✅ Check lifetime value. Build cohorts by which type of SKU shoppers chose during their first purchase. See if new-product line buyers end up worth more than your core-product line’s buyers

✅ Watch blended revenue. Look at AOV and total revenue across the store. That tells you if the pie actually got bigger

Kuiu features comparison guides on their product listing page to ensure their new product line extension (waterproof bibs) doesn’t pull away sales from their core product line (rain gear):

22. Expand across new usage opportunities 

When a product line expansion fits more usage occasions, growth becomes natural. 

Some ways to emulate this:

✅ Research niche communities. Find where more of your potential audience gathers: Reddit, Discord, Facebook, and WhatsApp groups (and industry events as well). Join, participate, ask if they’ve heard of you, share advice regarding your take, and once you’ve built some trust, introduce your solution

✅ Use social listening to introduce upgrades. Track conversations about your brand, competitors, and the product line. Refine messaging based on what people actually say (which is exactly what Last Crumb did by letting shoppers select the cookies they like best)

✅ Work with niche influencers who already like your product. A creator with 10k followers (that mirrors your audience) is way more valuable than a celebrity 

Smalls does exactly this, to target and expand to an entire new audience (cat dads) on their socials for their core product line (organic cat food). Note how they use multiple influencers to show their target audience in various facets of life with their cats (and subtle product placements):

23. Run CRO experiments 

Once you get traffic in, your goal is to ensure a healthy percentage of it converts.

This can mean testing:

✅ Goal-based navigation. Let shoppers browse by “Health Goal” or “Use Case” instead of just product type. Check if “Shop by Skin Concern” works better than “Serums and Oils”

✅ Bundle placement. Do buyers add more when bundles show up on PDPs or at checkout

✅ Gift vs. shipping thresholds. Try “Free shipping over $75” against “Free candle set over $90.” See which moves more stock faster

✅ How orders are sorted. Does displaying the lowest price first work better than ‘recommended’

✅ Product listing page layouts. Test visual vs text filters, options on product listings

✅ PDP copy. A/B test educational copy vs direct-response angles to see what drives more adds to cart

✅ Service options on cart and checkout. Test things like gift wrap, faster shipping, or extended warranties

Here’s a great example from Lume Deodorant. Note how their navigation features both ‘shop by concern’ and ‘shop by product’ options to show new product line expansions and extensions (along with options to order samplers, build bundles, or build a wishlist):

24. Run a check on your customer experience

New product lines almost always create new problems. Not all shoppers will know why your new range is great. Some will get confused, others will hit friction, and you’ll rack up bad reviews and refund requests before the product line even finds its footing.

So, here’s how you streamline your customer experience:

✅ Reply to reviews. Negative feedback can be expected, so if you see more than 25% of support requests and negative feedback from your new product line, you know, there’s some gap in support

✅ Prime your FAQs to answer common friction points found after the trial and launch periods. For example, sizing questions, dosage questions, etc. 

✅ Take note of labels on your packaging. New product lines can often end up harboring negative feedback just because your suppliers or your shipping partners aren’t quite familiar with your new range from the get-go (so check what labels, inserts, or warnings are needed)

25. Measure stickiness (before you scale to Stage 3)

The goal here is to prove measurable and sizable demand. Moving towards premiumization requires actual buyers who are ready to pay extra for a better product. Meaning you have actual fans of the product. 

Here’s what to watch:

👉 Repurchase rate

How many buyers try to raise returns in 30, 60, and 90 days? If it’s under 20–25% in 60 days (depending on the product line), you know it’s time to double down on education, offers, or change the product.

👉 Cross-sell signals

Map the click-through rate on cross-sold products on product detail pages, recommendations made in post-purchase flows, and also check the number of SKUs per order.

👉 On-site behavior

Look out for product line searches, click-through conversion rate on site search queries, repeat PDP visits, and number of wishlist adds.

👉 Check stickiness of repeat shoppers buying the new range vs. buying other product lines

For example, how many laptop buyers shop for your new product line, docking stations vs. how many laptop buyers shop for your existing product line, keyboards within 90 days?

👉 Contribution margin per unit (after discounts, returns, and COGS)

Is it anything above 30%? If it’s anything lower, scaling will affect cash flow.

👉 Inventory turnover

Should turn at least three times in a year. Or at least once in six months. 

👉 CAC:LTV 

Should be as good as your core product line, or better. Don’t spend more to acquire a lesser-paying customer (or one who you lose revenue on).

👉 AOV

If adding a product line lowers overall cart size, it may be time to pause (and figure out which line is pulling down AOV).

▶ Stage 3: Move Towards “Premiumization” 

26. Introduce premium product line extensions

Premiumization only works if you make it clear why the higher price is worth it.

✅ Draw a clear line. Keep your hero product as the everyday option. Position the premium line as an upgrade, not a replacement. Example: regular coffee stays as “daily fuel,” organic sits as the ‘elite’ choice.

✅ Ensure the pricing isn’t placed beside your lowest priced option – for example, it’s better to place a $30 premium SKU beside a $20 one than a $10 one

✅ Use scarcity with a whole lotta proof to increase the perceived value. Limited runs, early access, or member-only drops

Oats Overnight puts this into practice. For every new launch, they don’t say “premium” – what they do instead: show how the community curates new product line extensions. This way, the extensions about to be launched automatically become premium with a whole lot of social proof:

27. Move best-performing items to marketplaces

This way, you not only move stock but also capture market share. The best part? You know the product will sell. 

This is exactly what Liquid IV does. When they offer up their larger SKU packs on Instacart, the quick commerce platform (which sources from retail giants like Costco, Safeway, etc.):

While on their own website, they maintain product variety and provide options for single purchases as well as subscriptions:

28. Focus on reducing costs

True growth kicks in when you don’t have to keep spending to acquire new shoppers or grow orders.

You can run loyalty or referral incentive programs, but what truly achieves scale: how fast you move products and for how cheaply. Meaning: you reduce shipping costs overall. 

▶  Stage 4: Ensure The Base Product Line Doesn’t Become Slow-Moving

29. Refresh your product line’s marketing quarterly

Every product line slows down if you leave it untouched. Your job is to keep it moving.

For example, when you first launch, a product line may move slow(er) than expected. Which is why it always makes sense to bundle slow movers with best sellers or use gifts with purchases. 

However, here are some other ways to grow a slow-moving product line:

✅ Change how it looks. Update creatives, change up the PDP and PLP copy, and refresh photos. New colors or seasonal packaging go a long way

✅ Tie into moments. Drop seasonal themes, events, or cultural tie-ins – like New Year resets, Pride collections, or self-care nights

✅  Rotate visibility. Change placements on-site, in email flows, and in ads so buyers see products they might have ignored

Which is exactly what Hawaiian Tropic does, when they launch a seasonal glow guide in collab with an influencer – this way, their marketing efforts stay fresh (and audiences looped in):

Also read: 25 Proven Ways To Sell Slow Moving Inventory (eCommerce)