Say 'our team recommends' - not 'customers also bought'
For products bought for pleasure or experience, human-curated recommendations outperform algorithmic ones. For functional, utilitarian products, flip it - algorithms win.
Quick Summary
For hedonic products bought for pleasure or experience, human-curated recommendations significantly outperform algorithmic ones. For utilitarian products bought for function, algorithms win. The mechanism is emotional: people want a fellow human's endorsement when making a feel-driven purchase, and data-driven precision when making a logic-driven one.
Change your cross-sell and upsell block labels to match your product type. For fashion, beauty, food, and lifestyle, replace "Customers also bought" with "Our team picked these" or "The edit." For tech, supplements, and functional goods, keep algorithmic language. This is often a single copy change on your Shopify theme.
"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.
Research: Longoni, C. & Cian, L. (2020). Journal of Marketing, 84(6). Questrom School of Business, Boston University & McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia.
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