Say 'our team recommends' - not 'customers also bought'

"Customers also bought." "You might also like." "Recommended for you."

Most cross-sell and upsell blocks on Shopify stores lean on algorithm language. It feels modern, personalised, data-driven. But for a specific category of product, that framing is actively working against you.

Research found that for hedonic products - things bought for pleasure, experience, or enjoyment (fashion, food, beauty, lifestyle) - human recommendations significantly outperformed algorithmic ones. For utilitarian products (a laptop, a supplement for a specific health goal, cleaning equipment), algorithms performed better.

The reason

When you buy something for how it'll make you feel, you want to know that another human - someone who might feel the same way you do - thought it was good. An algorithm doesn't feel anything. Its recommendation carries no emotional weight.

When you buy something for what it does, you want the most accurate match for your needs. An algorithm processing thousands of data points feels more reliable than a single person's taste.

What to change

For fashion, beauty, food, homewares, lifestyle: Replace "You might also like" with "Our team picked these" or "Styled with" or "The edit."

For tech, supplements, appliances, tools: Keep algorithmic language. "Most bought together" or "Customers also bought" builds confidence through data.

This is a one-word change on most Shopify themes. The difference in how it's processed psychologically is significant.

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Research: Longoni, C. & Cian, L. (2020). Journal of Marketing, 84(6). Questrom School of Business, Boston University & McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia.